The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1880-03-10
OUTWITTED.
A DRAMA OF rwENry-rouR Ho,,p

Jul lifted.
DRAMA OF TwENTY-FoUR HOURS.
A moan thrilled the heavy night air
The torn OF woman stood out dimly
against the blank beyond on the very
verge Of the river pier. Two white arms
were flung on high. A wild face was up.
turned to the ashen, pitiless heavens
White lips uttered something like curse
which was heard by the dull eared wind
only. l.. = 49,.
Three hundred bells, in as many quar-.
ters OF the great city, changed 10 and the
800 iron tongues were still for an hour.
A flash of a body in the inky waters
smote on the midnight; the waters with
sudden shock, stirred squeaking shin
and leviathanic pier with an ague-lik
tremor. The woman's form on the dock
was gone. .u..- i" -
Mr.. Banker Jeckyll was sort of ami
mated exclamation, always on the point
"a KIND of human interjection, ALWAYS
on the point of breaking out in exclama-
tory monasyllables. He talked in inter.
Jections, acted Internationally, did busl-
ness in interjections. Mr.. Detective Fer
ret was tool of his-that is translated
into heightened prose the photographic
memoranda of interjections that formed
the dialect Of his principal.
At 10 o'clock that evening Mr.. Banker
Jeckyll had sent for Mr.. Detective Ferret
on urgent business. ....
Miss Vancouver is at Target interiect-
ed Jeckyll. .se ..
'''Well!'' rejoined Ferret, half in the
way OF asking question, and half in the
manner OF an exclamation. 1. ..
Poor thing! think she'll make away
with herself ventured Jeckyll, with an
Americanism; but you must get some
clew to her whereabouts immediately. |
should never forgive myself if she did =
never. My own sisters daughter. YOU
are aware, Mr.. Ferret, and heiress of the
estate of my late brother-in-law, Mr..
Vancouver ......-..5 -
Mr.. Jeckyll looked the impersonation
OF anxiety-was, for the moment, great
grlet expressed il a single human inter
lection, at least apparently.
MI Ferret looked up at Mr.. Jeckyll
t!urtively, with sort Of diagonal inquisi-
tlVeness IN his small, cunning eyes. MI !.
Ferret, in the course of his professional
experience, had never looked at anybody
directly. His glances always seemed to
fly Oft alta target from the side of his
head. -
WELL repeated Ferret, still half in
terrogatively, and with an expression
that said, or might have said. if Mr..
Jeckyll had peered sharply into his face,
ia like to know exactly what you mean,
Mr.. Jeckyll.'
"A cool thousand, Ferret, if you bring
news within six hours. l shall be up ali
night. I'm so worried. you know, about
poor Ida,' replied Banker Jeckyll. and
the two understood each other thorough
~. ..-. ..#.- ...... . j.
lda Vancouver was young lady of 20.
For three years she had been a prisoner
In her room, under the care of her uncle
and guardian,and his selected physician.
nurses and attendants. .'
1T was mental malady,' Mr.. Jeckyll
said, Ind SO said physician and attend
ants. Her poor mother used to have
turns went on Jeckyll; but the late Mr..
Vancouver always took great pains to
conceal it,
Then, too. Mr.. Jeckyll was SO consid-
erate-so sympathetic.
1 can't have the heart to send her to
an asylum he used to say in his grief
stricken way. She's my own sisters
daughter-the only relative have in the
world; and, If she is violent some
times, so long as have dollar she shall
be taken care OF at home.'
The neighbors gossiped: sHow gener
GUS is Mr.. Jeckyll'- though there were
those who whispered suspicious, and
were secuted for doing so.
At II Ida Vancouver had become in
innate with William Hamilton, a Young
specimen OF legal anatomy. The stern
guardian had forbidden Hamilton to en-
ter the house, and from that date the
young lady had been going mad. So ran
the rumor, and most people believed, for
Banker Jeckyll was influential, as incar-
nate hard cash is apt to be. There is GER
tain divinity in cash, especially in Fifth
avenue circles, and Mr.. Jeckyll was the
divinity incarnate.
Mr.. Hamilton was conceited--not any
more than men usually are-but conceit-
ed enough, nevertheless, to believe that
MISS Vancouver had gone mad on his
account. 1t was so romantic to think
SO; and, TOR the sake Of the romance, Mr..
Hamilton was able to bear his loss with
pathetic resignation. It was 1 o'clock
at night when Ferret pulled the bell at
the door of the Fifth avenue palace.
Three hundred iron tongues in as many
quarters of the city, had almost stimuli
taneously changed 1, and the million
mouthed metropolis was sound asleep;
100000 eyes, with here and there a
pair OF exceptions, were shut in slumber,
and Mr.. Ferret had not the slightest sus-
p1c1oH that Miss Vancouver's two blue
eyes were among the exceptions.
Ferret was admitted with a shawl I'M
der his arm that Jeckyll identified. He
had traced Miss Vancouver To the Nor hi