Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-02-19
Foiled by a Woman
tFrOm the diary Ofs Detective,

'You dare not !"
The lips were white with passion
rather than fear, and the lady stood
before me like lioness at bay. Ever
then | could not help but note the
splendid beauty of this grand lady
Tall and slender, eyes black and
fashing-almost lurid now; the
spectacle she presented, standing
there in the middle of the apartment,
4 was more the appearance of queen
than hanted criminal.
81 must replied. 81 do NOT
doubt your innocence looking in
| your face, it is with guilt, But am
constrained to do my duty. madam,
however inlmical it may be to my
feelings"
"Will you allow me to change my
dress ?" she said, in a tone almost
pleasant. The hard lines around the
mouth had relaxed, and the passion.
ate glow on the face gave way to a
pleasant smile
Certainly, l will wait for you
here"
81 wish to send a messenger for a
friend will you allow him to pass p
| Certainly"
/ This was my first interview with
Eugenia Cormile,. / had seen her
here for months, the leader of our
| gayest and most fashionable society.
In her splendid mansion she dis
pensed the most profnse and elegant
hospitality.
A Spanish lady--a widow she had
represented herself-and had been a
resident here almost year. No one
ever suspected her of being aught
but what she seemed, until one day
III was ordered to arrest her as
murderess. 3
1t was now alleged, said Mr.. F.,
that this young beauty was none
other than the woman who had pois-
ened her husband in Havana, and fled
with all his wealth. An immense
reward was offered for her apprehen-
sion. and the circumstances that had
come to our knowledge pointed her
out beyond all doubt as the person
we were in search of. Yet the per.
son who had recognized her the
evening before at the theater advised
us to be careful lest che should es-
cape us. / laughed at the idea. Mr..
and myself were sufficient to
arrest lady. We were old enough
in the ways of cunning to defeat any
such attempt. When the lady left
mel stepped to the window and said
to Mr.. l., who was waiting at the
door:
"The lady desires to send mes.
senger for a friend suffer him to
pass"
Almost at the same instant the
door of the apartment the lady en-
tered was opened, and a youth--ap.
parently mulatto boy-came out
room into the hall, and from thence
into the street. 1t was no doubt the
messenger, | thought, and | picked
up book and commenced reading.
Nearly an hour passed, and still
the lady did not make her appearance
nor did the boy return. The friend
she had sent for must live at some
distance, or the lady is unusually
careful about her toilet, | thought
and so another hour went by. At
last grew impatient. and knocked
at the door.
"Madam, can wait no longer
There was no reply. knocked
repeatedly, and at last determined to
force an entrance. Strange fears
harrassed me; began to suspect, /
knew not what. II took but mo.
ment to drive in the door, and once
in that apartment the mystery was
revealed. The robes of the lady lay
upon The floor, and scattered over
the room were suits of boys wearing
apparel, simill ar to that worn by the
mulatto. On the table was a cos.
metic that would stain the skin a
light, delicate brown.
Twas foilcd, for surety the lady
had escaped in the guise of a mes
senger. l should have detected the
ruse | felt Inundated. and DETER
mined to redress my error. | knew
she would not remain in the city an
instant longer than necessary. I
hurried to her bankers aud found she
/ had drawn the amount due her an
hour before.
"Who presented the check r.
asked the clerk.
GA mulatto boy. 1t was made
payable to bearer"
There was yet chance. The
French steamer left within an hour !;
it was possible she would seek that
means of escape. | jumped into a
cab, and arrived there ten minutes
before she left the wharf,-just in
time to assist an aged, decrepit gen.
tleman into the cabin.
There were few passengers +; none
answering the description of the per-
son sought. / stood on the wharf
watching the receding vessel until it
disappeared. / was in the act of
turning away when a hackman ap-
preached me with the remark !:
"Mr. f., did you see that old man
on board be had long white beard
and hair that fell on his shoulders ?'
"Ye s."
swell, sir, there's something cur
ious about him.
"Why ?"
| "Thy, sir. when he got into my
carriage he was mufatto boy, and
when be got out be was an old man. !"
| | will not repeat the expression
used then-it was neither polite nor
refined--for ! knew the vessel would
be far out to sea before she could be
oyertaken. | was foiled by a woman.
| Nor could help rejoicing, now that
the chase was over, that she had es.
capped.
Innocent or guilty, there was a
charm about her none could resist.
The spell of her wondrous beauty af.
fected all who approached her. 1t lin
gers 10 my memory yet and | could
not have the sin of her blood upon
my conscience.
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