The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-02-22
The Story of n Lady's Wonderful
Nerve.

A correspondent OF the Hartford Times
says:
"Mrs. Isadore Middleton, very beauti-
full woman, and one OF the acknowledged d
leaders Of fashion in Mobile, can certainly
boast OF the possession of as much nerve
and true moral courage as are often yoach-
safed to any of her sex.
zone evening she was IN her boudoir
putting away some articles OF iewelry.
when she noticed that the peculiar position
of a library-lamp that was burning upon u
chair in the back part OF the room had
thrown upon the floor, almost directly at
her feet, the shadow Of a man who was
crouching under broad-topped ornament
al table in the centre Of the room. She
also remarked that the open hand OF the
shadow had but two fingers, and remem-
bered that several desperate bnrglaries had
recently been committed in the neighbor-
hood, supposititiously by negro despe-
RADIO, 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 faint
ing with fear, or shrieking for help, the
brave lady seated herself at the very table
underneath which the miscreant was con-
cealed, and rang for the servant.
".Hand. me writing materials. Bridget
| said she, with perfect calmness; | want you
TO take q note this instant to Mr.. Forfair, the
| ieweller, and have him send you back with
my diamond necklace and ear-drops, which
l left there for repairs several days ago.
| Bring them with you, no matter if fully re-
paired or not. They are by twenty-fold the
most valuable articles Of iewelry that pos
sess, and do not wish to pass another night
without having them in bureau-drawer.'
"The note was at once written and dis
patched, but instead OF being in the tenor
that she had signitied ION purpose for the
| concealed robber to oYerhear, for she had
no iewelry under repar), it was hasty
note to the Ieweller, an Intimate friend, in
which she succinctly stated her terrible po-
sition, and urged him to hasten to her re-
lief, with the requisite police assistance,
| Immediately on receipt of this missiye.
"rbe agonies which that refined and deli
cate woman underwent when left alone In
the house, with the consciousness Of the
presence OF that desperate robber, perhaps
assassin rs well, crouched under the very
table upon which she leaned, and perhaps
touched by her skirts, can enly be left to the
readers imagination; but her iron nerve
sustained her through the ordeal. She
yawned, hummed an operate air, turned
over the leaves of novel, and in other
WAYS lulled the lurker into sense OF per
feet security and expectancy, and waited
waited witha wildly beating heart, and ner
eyes fastened upon the hands Of her little
ormuIu clock with a greedy, feyerl>h gaze
"At last, however, came the prayed-fo5,r
relief. There was ring at the door-beil,
and she strolled carelessly into the hall and
down stairs to open it. The ruse had been
O success. She not only admitted Bridget,
but also Mr.. Forfair and three stalWalt po'
licemen. The latter passed stealthiiy up
stairs in the boudoir, where they suddenly
bounced upon the concealed burglar so un-
expectedIy as to secure him with hardly q
struggle.
"The prisoner proved to bea negro Grim
inal named Chapman. but mostly known as
sTwo-FingeredJ Jeff who was in great re-
quest about that time for several robberies
committed in tue neighborhooda shorttim
before, and he is now serving q twenty
years. sentence in the Alabama State pri'
son."