The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1879-03-13
ALADY's NERVE.
DeQufney'a story Of Tho Avenger >
Surpassed
Hartford Times.

SurPaaaed-
Hartford Times.
Mrs. Isadore Middleton, g very beau-
tiful woman, and one of the acknOwl-
edged leaders of fashion of Mobile, can
certainly boast of the possession of as
much nerve and true moral courage as
are often vouchsafed to any of her sex.
On the evening of September 18th she
was in her boudoir, putting away some
articles of jewelry, when she noticed that
the peculiar position of 8 library lamp,
that was burning upon chair IN the
back part of the room, had thrown upon
the floor, almost under her feet, the
shadow of a man who was crouching un-
der broad-topped ornamental table in
the center Of the Ioom., She also remark
ed that the open hand Of the shadow had
but two fingers, and remembered that
several desperate burglaTies had recently
been committed in the neighborhood,
suppositiouslY by 8 negro desperate,
who was notorious as having lost two
fingers of his right hand.
Mr.. Middleton was absent from the
city, and. besides herself in the house,
there was but a single maid-servant.
Instead of fainting with fear or shrieking
for help, the brave lady seated herself st
the very table underneath which the
miscreant was crouched, and rang for
the servant.
"Hand me writing materials, Bridget" T"
said she, with perfect calmness. 81
want you to take q note this instant to
Mr.. Foriair, the jeweler, and have him
send you back with my diamond neckN
lace and ear-drops, which Lent there for
repairs several days ago. Bring them
with you, no matter if fully repaired or
not. They are by twenty fold the most
valuable articles of jeWelry that 1 possess,
and do not wiah to pass another night
without having them in my bureau
drawer"
The note was at once written and dis
patched but, instead of being in the
tenor that she had signifed ION purpose
for the concealed robber to oEerhear, for
she had no jewelry under repairl, it was
a hasty note to the jeweler, an intimate
friend, in which she succinctly stated
her terrible position, and urged him to
hasten to her relief, with the requisite
police assistance, Immediately on receipt
of the missive.
The agonies which that refined and
delicate woman underwent when left
alone in the house, with the conscious
ness of the presence of that desperate
II
under the very table upon which she
leaned, and perhaps touched by her very
skirts, can only be left to the readers
ina aginatiOn ;but her iron nerve sustain
ed her through the ordeal. She yaWned,
hummed an operate air, turned over the
leaves OF q novel, and in other ways lull-
ed the lurker into a sense of perfect Sc
eurity and expectancy, and waited,
waited With wildly beating heart, her
eyes fastened upon the hands of her little
ormolu clock with 8 greedy, teverish
gaze.
At last, however, came the prayer for
relief. There was ring at the d0or-bell,
and she stroIied cafeIessly into the hall
and down stairs to open It,. The Tuse
had been success. She not only admit
ted Bridget, but also Mr.. Forfair and
three stalwart policemen. The latter
passed steaithily upstairs and into the
| boudoir, where they suddenly pOunced
upon the concealed burglar 80 unex-
pectedly as to secure him with hardly 8
struggle.
The prisoner proved to be a negro
criminal named Chapman, but mostly
known as "Two Fingered JEFF" who was
| in great request about that time for sew
eral robberies committed in the neighbOr.
hood a short time before, and he is now
serving twenty years sentence in the
| Alabama State Prison.