Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-01-02
A Lady's Wonderful Nerve.

Mrs. Isadore Middleton, a very
beautiful woman, and one of the ac-
knowledged leaders of fashion in Mo-
bile, can certainly boast of the pos
session of as much nerve and true
moral courage as are often vouchsaf-
ed to any of her sex.
On the evening of September 19,
she was in her boudoir putting away
some articles of jewelry, when She no.
ticed that the peculiar position of a
library lamp, that was burning on a
chair in the back part of the room,
had thrown upon the floor, almost di-
rectly at her feet, the shadow of a
man who was crouching under q
broad-topped ornamental table in the
center of the room. She also remark
ed that the open hand of the shadow
had but two fingers, and remembered
that several desperate burglaries had
been committed in the neighborhood,
SuppoSIuousIy Uy . nSs.~ a--r---a-
who is 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 q single maid servant.
Instead of fainting with fear, or
shrieking for help, the brave lady
seated herself at the very table, un-
derneath which the miscreant was
concealed, and rang for the servant.
"Hand me the writing materials,
Bridget" said she. with perfect calm
ness. 81 want you to take a note
this instant to Mr.. Forfar, the jewell
er, and have him send you back with
my diamond necklace and ear-drops,
which / left 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
l do not wish to pass another night
without having them here in my bu-
reau drawer"
The note was at once written and
dispatched, but instead Of in the ten
or that she had signifed, on purpose
for the concealed robber to overLear,
for she had no pieces of jewelry un-
der repair, it was hasty note to tho
jeweler, an intimate friend, in which
she succinctly stated her terrible po-
sition and urged him to hasten to her
relief, with the requisite police assis-
tance 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 that desperate robber, perhaps
assassin as well, crouching under the
very table upon which she leaned,
and perhaps touched by her very
skirts, can only be left to the readers
Imagination but her iron nerve sus-
tanned her through the ordeal.
She yawned, hummed an operatic
air, turned over the leaves of nov
ell, and in other ways lulled the lurk-
er into a sense of perfect security and
expectancy, and waited, waited wait
ed with wildly beating heart, and
her eyes fastened upon the hands OF
her little ormolu clock with . greedy,
feverish gaze.
At last, however, came the prayed
for relief. There was o ring at ths
door, and shs strolled carelessly In
to the hall, and down stairs to open
it.. The ruse had been Q SUCCESS.
She not only admitted Bridget, but
also Mr.. Forfar and three stalwart po-
liceman. The latter passed stealthi-
ly up stairs and into the boudoir,
where they suddenly pounced upon
the concealed burglar 80 unexpected
" as to secure him with hardly q
struggle.
The prisoner proved to be q negro
criminal, named Clapham, but most
ly known rs "Two Fingered Jef,
who was in great request about that
time for several robberies committed
in the neighborhood short time be-
fore, and he is now serving twenty
years sentence in the Alabama stats
prison.