Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-04-29
AN EAvESDaOpPER CAUTIONED.
A STORY FOUNDED ON FACT.


A STORY FOUNDED ON FACT,
Mrs. Crane, very respectable
New York landlady, entertains
very decided ideas on the folly and
manners of eavesdropping since a
night or two after New Year. The
circumstances which lead to the de-
posit of this opinion in her convic-
tions may be briefly told.
Mrs. Crane let's lodging in a once
fashionable and highly respected
quarter of the city, aud was more
than suspected of keeping much
more then friendly eye on the affairs
of persons seeking home with her.
Miss Crittenton, young lady of
slender figure and gentle appearance
who had the front parlor was GER
tain that the letters in her trunk
we're regularly inspected. and her
toilet bottles were tempered with.
Mrs. De Young on the second floor
back, who was proof-resrder for q
large publishing house, found the
leaves of her manuscripts mysteri.
ously disordered on he. table. She
kept no cat; indeed she had con.
suited the landlady's preferences so
far as to give away her pet maltese
and her dog to the country, and put
her boy 10 the boarding school in
obedience to that potentate's ex-
pressed ipjunctiona. When Mrs
Crane objected to having the win.
dows open in the close muggy VIM
ter weather, Mrs. De Young obe-
IDENTITY sealed hers, and sweltered in
company with an open fire and the
odor from an untrapped washbasin.
When Mrs. Crane turned off tho gas
all over the house at half past nine,
no remonstrance was made, but an
investment was made in paraffine
candles. The water was cut off
from the upper stories, and only
turned on when the landlady went
to bed, 80 that additions were re-
duced to the facilities ola hand basin
but no complaint was made by the
all enduring feminine, aware of the
gross imposition on the world she
had practiced in being born a wo-
man, and the consideration extend.
ed in allowing her a roof over her
head and rest for her feet for only
three dollars a week more than a
man would pay for the same accom-
mediation. But mysterious influences
were at work in the Crane mansion.
The young German on the ton floor
missed half a dozen pairs of gloves
and a silf kerchief from his bureau,
and rs bis door was locked and the
key with Mrs. Crane all day, injur>
ious suspicious formed 10 his mind
The Lestrade family on the third
floor traced letters addressed to
dodgers in the back parlor, where
Mrs. Crane sat In company with
turned-up bedstead when not other
wise employed, and the same let
ters went up stairs some hours
afterward rather thickly gummed,
and With fogermarks about the flap
quite legiblc TO au observer Of ordin
airy experience 10 the dead of night
floors creaksd ominoasly, keyhoIes
were mysteiously obscured about
bedtime, and an ear placed against
q door-panel, could detect the faint
wbish of retreating fiounces. Add
to this Mrs. De Young found let
ter of Mrs. Cranes dropped at her
bedside. in her own room, where
not servant was allowed to pene.
trate, and which she swept and
busted with her own hands. As
the doors were locked every time
she went out, the conclusion was
evident that the letter did not blow
there by chance. and the discovery
that Mrs. Cranes keys fitted every
door in the house, settled any doubts
on her matter. Mrs. De Young's
subsequent action in putting spring
locks and bolts on her door, and 10
asking leave to have private let.
ter box in the hall, was denounced
by Mrs. Crane as highly unlady.
like and insinuating, not to cay sus-
picious, The letter box was indig.
nantly forbidden but as Mrs. De
Young bad the spring lock put on
without asking or demanding leave.
no action could De taken on that
account.
Soon after this, a marked in
crease was apparent in the letters
which came for Mrs. De Young.
These were mostly directed in bold
masculine hand, scented with cigar
smoke, and rather.lightly sealed. By
means not specified, Mrs. Crane
possessed herself of the facts that q
well .to-do gentleman was violently
in love with Mrs. De Young, was
making appointments with her for
lunches and drives, and conducting
himself in most loverlike fashion.
Large bouquets and baskets oil
flowers were anonymously sent to
the house in the dusk of the evening
on receipt of which Mrs. De Young
was observed to blush deeply, and
% scrutiny applied to the proper
point, viz. the key-hole, was seen to
press the flowers conynlsiveiy to
her lips. Corded boxes with deli.
cate articles of ladies wear, lace.
and jewelry came directed IN the
same hand as the letters, with refer
ences to blissful hours spent in the
society of his charmer, and sllusious
not altogether complimentary to