The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1880-05-25
A WOMAN DETECTIVE

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Literary and Artistic Club which
faces the Thames. l flung fresh coal on
the gloomy embers, and stirred them
till they sent up blaze of light that
drove the ghosts out of the shadowy
corners, and then picked up paper
haphazard from the table, to daWuie
over 1t till the waiter lighted the gas, or
aome human being wandered In to keep
me company. 1t was an American paper.
Some visitor to the club had left 1t
behind him accidentally. L turned the
paaes listlessly, until suddenly my at
tention was arrested by a paragraph
headed Extraordinary Crime" 1t was
the story of the robbery of the body of
lady from its grave. The whole affair
was shrouded in mystery. On the l4th
of the month there died in an American
city the beautiful wife of an English
man travelling for pleasure In the
same paper which contained this para
graph I found the heading of " Cradle,
Altar, Tomb" the following: "On the
14th inst, in this city, Drusilla, the
beloved wife of Blisset Emerton, of Lon
don, England, aged twenty-four." In
due course the poor lady was buried,
and during the night the church-yard
was entered and the coffin carried away.
No motive is suggested in this American
paper for the crime. The husband Is
interviewed at his hotel. He is incon-
solsble for the loss of his beautiful
young wife with mingled rage
and horror at the desecration OF her
remains. He tells his story TO the
reporter. He had only been married
few months. They were travelling iof
Measure in America. His poor wife
caught cold fortnight since, return
ing from the theater. He had medical
advice, but the cold increased and IN
ilammation of the lungs set in, and soon
all was over. He buries his head in his
hands and weeps, and the reporter leaves
him alone with his sacred sorrow. The
accountin the paper was reading by
the freight concludes thus: up to
the present no clue to this mysterious
affair has been obtained" glanced at
the date of the paper, and flung it down
in disgust. 1t was two years old.
had grown interested in the affair, ard
here it was two years old already, and
probably forgotten. Where should L
ind out how it ended2 The shadows
had grown darker and darker; the fitful
iIare of the fire had died down into O
dull red glow, and the riverside lamps
were being lighted. 1 flung myself
back into the easy-chair, thrust my
hands into my pockets, and half closed
my eyes. Suddenly was aware that
was not alone in the room. From the
darkest corner there was long black
figure. 1t glided slowly toward me.
had placed the paper where had found
it, on the table, by my side. The figure
seemed to be looking for something. 1t
passed its hands over the tables and
peered down among the papers. Pres
emily it came to the table at my elbow.
In the gloom, as sat in the deep arm
chair, L believe was almost invisible.
The figure came right up to me, and,
reaching out his hand, passed it over
my table. Presently it seized some
thing, and glided away with it to the
window, on which the lamps without
flung flicker of light. Then l saw
that it was man, and that in his hand
he held the American paper in which L
had just read the account of mysteri-
Gus crime. He glanced at it, and NUT
tered something that sounded like "how
careless of me !" then folded the paper,
thrust it into his breast pocket, and
walked out Of the room. Hardly had
the door closed behind him when the
attendant came in with lights.
"Who is that gentleman who has
Just gone out Y'' I said.
g Don't know his name, sir. Amt
seen him here often"
remembered that at this club every
man had to sign his name in daily
book kept in the hall for that purpose. 1
ran down stairs, and looked at the open
leaf to see If that would afford me any
clue. The first name that caught my
eye was that of Blissett Emerton.
No wonder fhe figure had seen in
the darkness had been so anxious to
ind that paper. 1 saw at once what
had happened. He had been in the
room reading, fancying himself alone.
He had laid the paper down thought
lessly and dropped off to sleep. had
not noticed him in the gloom, and he
was quite unaware of my presence.
One thing more did before left.