The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1880-06-25

The boy then approached me, and,
taking my hand in his cold ones, said in
a whisper as his piteous eyes filled with
tears:
Madame, the gentleman babe me say
To you, for the love of heaven, and for
the sake of your dead mother, bring the
money!
showed him the little sack / carried
under my cloak, and he was satisfied; we
then left the hotel silently, scarcely
noticed by the servants busted about the
entrancc-hall. Once out in the open
air, | seemed To breathe more freely; but
my heart was too heavy for speaking,
and We wcnded our way in silence.
The noise of the traffic, the lights of
tn" shops streaming across our path,
and the number of foot-passengcrs pass
ing and requesting us, bewildered me at
first, all unaccustomed / was To walking
through the streets SO late; but we pass
ell steadily on through the ever-changing
crowd, and people seemed too intent on
their own business to take much heed of
two wayfarers like ourselves. After
time We turned into less frequented
part of the town, and the lights being
less brilliant and the streets more desert
ed. Suddenly the boy stopped and
seemed uncertain as to which road he
should take. He paused moment;
then, turning to me, said:
Madame, | fear | have missed my
way little; but my mother told me she
would give some directions in her letter;
will madame give it to me, that l may
right myself?"
Without thinking, | handed him his
mothers letter; and standing beneath
Il ueighhoring lamp, he read over slowly
the directions contained in the note;
then, holding it still open i'll his hand,
he resumed his walk, referring To it every
now and then, us though still in doubt
rs 10 our whereabouts. There was
certain mysterious quiet about the neigh
horhood That wewere i'll that preyedu upon
my spirits-a certain silence | could not
fathom; and my courage began to flag
strangely as we continued our lonely
road. / experienced sensation of in
tense relief, therefore, when my young
guide stopped suddenly before Il tall dark
house i'll II quiet street, and l listened
eagerly for IN answer to his gentle tap
ut the closed door. A voice from within
answered softly, in French: How fares
it my SOM" and i'll English, the boy an
severed: stately and fairly; open the
door" The door was then unbarrcd
without the least noise, Just wide enough
To admit us: andy entered II hall lighted
by small lamp held by II tall woman
poorly clad. The Pickering flame of the
lamp gave forth so dim light that |
could not distinguish her features, and
she spoke i'll II voice scarcely above a
whisper. | inquired eagerly for my
brother, and begged her to conduct me
to him ut once. She shook her head
sadly, and then said:
"Ah. madame, your coming may do
great things for him; you will he able to
ease the poor mind that runs on nothing
but money, money, day and night, with
out ccasing.
She barred the door by which we had
entered, and then preceded me up n
broken staircase, the boy following us
with the feeble oil-lamp. The house
sounded hollow, and our footsteps echoed
drearily us went. Presently we stopped
before the door of IA room which imag-
inc to have bcenat the back of the house,
and the woman, entering first, beckoned
me to follow her.
In one corner Of large, almost empty
apartment was a bed, Shrouded by thick
dark curtains; in the CRATE low char
coal fire WAS burning. | made mt once
for the corner where the bed was, and
was about to draw the curtains which
concealed from my view the poor boy
had come 50 mystcriOusly To visit. Sud-
denly from behind me IL cloth was tied
tightly over the whole of my face,
strange burning sense of suifOcation
Ovcrspread my senses, and i remember
nothing more; all was silence, darkness,
Il hideOus blank, until ] awoke i'll my
bedroom at the Hotel de L., with my
head aching strangely and benumbcd
sensation pcrvading my whole frame.
My maid, an English doctor with whom
] WAS slightly acquainted, and another
doctor who was stranger to me, were
anxiously watching for my return to con-
seriousness. 1t WAS quite light, and the
sun was shining into the room. AS one
by one the events Of the preceding
night rose before my mind, was utter
" at loss To imagine how ! had been
rescued from that horrible house and
brought back to the hotel i'll safety.
The story was soon told. The night
porter, coming on duty mt one o'clock,
had found me lying on the steps leading
to the side door of the hotel, which open
ed into an unfrequented passage or street.
Finding was unconscious, he had sum-
moned the day-porter, who was waiting
for him, to render assistance, and this
man, knowing me by sight, identified
me as lady staying in the hotel. He at
once reused the house. My maid (who
WAS waiting up for me, wondered and
alarmed at my prolonged Absence
speedily procured the services of two
medical men from the adjoining neigh
borhood, and they had since been using
every method To restore me to CONSCIOUS
ness, when / might, perchance, unfold
the mystery OF my strange return.
There was no trace of any violence be-
ing used, nor any proof by which they
could discover where | had been. The
only thing they found upon me which
was not my own, was n handkerchief
tightly clasped III my hand, on which
were embroidered my brother Richards
initials, and which / at once recognized
as having been worked by me some
years previously for my unhappy broth
er. The money had, of course, all been
taken; also the rings, brooch and locket l
had worn. My wcdding-rIng WAS left,
and the bag in which l had put the
money was still hanging on my arw.
AS soon ms / WAS able / told the doc
tor I'LL | could remember of the past
nights experiences, and, at the conclusion
OF the recital. they both advised me to
put the matter into the hands of the
police. / cntreated that it might be done
us privately as possible, my brothers
name being SO mixed up with the affair
that outsiders would most probably be
led TO believe that he was an accomplice
in the robbery, though III my own mind
! felt certain he was more sinned against
than SHINING.
The sergeant of police who waited on
Inc showed great interest in my adven-
turc: but | could plainly see that, not
picions pointed at once TO my brother ms
chief agent in the case. could swear to
the signature being genuine; the
handkerchief, too, / recognized. Alas,
it really seemed only too certain that my
brother had ut all events been the com
panion Of these people, and must have
discussed our affairs freely with them,
even if he were not criminally concerned
| in the dark transaction.
The Partisan police made every effort
to trace the offenders, but in vain;
house after house was searched in the
quarter to which / believed myself to
have been taken, but no trace of the
woman or child could be found. And
so for time the matter dropped.