The Penn's Grove record., 1882-06-24
ascent is devious and hard to sur

LL III
One day l stood leaning ~negligently
on the counter Of a fashionable jeweler.
/ loved to gaze upon the brilliant gems
that stIewed the case. My attention
was absorbed in viewing them, and L
did not notice the entrance Of q lady
her foreign accent In addressing the
jeweler caused me to turn around.
She held IN EARRING in her hand, and
was inquiring the cost of one, II made
to match 1t. The first glance | had of
1T made blood leap like fire in my veins
1t was the cot nterpart Of the n
found in the theater.
You may imagine / do not lose sight
of that woman. | knew that L lac
struck on The right clew.
/ traced her home. The panther
never stole ON his victim more silently
than 1 on the footsteps of the dark
brown stranger.
/ scarcely knew how to get back 70
the office. I seemed to have triumpbed
owe space and time. More like .
maniac than a detective, I rushed up
to Mr.I-and impaired my intelli-
gence. He was not less excited than L.
We both felt an interest in the beauti
full girl as strong as ii she had been q
sister. But we knew that . steps
must be wary and u movements
secret as the grave. We had no COM
mon criminal to deal with. If not
the arch fiend himself, we knew she
was almost as cunning. The myster-
ious abduction of the actress disclosed
q quickness and sagacity at once in
genious and profound. Thssame spirit
w did not doubt we should have to
encounter again. 1t wa not, there
fore, with a feeling of success that we
prepared to enter the residence to
which / had traced the foreign lady.
1t was not as { Ulcers of the law
usually go that we went on the occa-
sion. We employed rather the subtle
cunning and perfect skill of a man
brought up 10 the business. For once
his nefarious art helped him TO do~a
noble deed. A lie of crime was
wbitened by a single virtue. Before
the skill of this man the door sprung
back on its hinges and WI stood
within the portals where the issues of
this strange mystery were to be de
cided. Silently we ascendedthe steps.
A gas flame flung ameIlow light along
the stately corridor. At the further
end Of the ball a door opened into .
large apartment. We moved toward
this and as we approached it sounds of
weeping struck on u ears, and then
we heard asvoice of supplication. Sor-
rowful and sad the strange sweet voice
fioated ont on the air. 1t was like the
wall of a broken heart, that cry of one
In distress. ~
"Oh, God lis there no help ?ns j
1t thrilled to my heart. Even in
that pitiful cadence / knew those we'll
remembered tones. Burdened with
anguish, / knew them well.
LII dAOtASA lAStAiV lAC AoOA INV OPCA
before our impetuous weight, and
there, in the gloom of q luxurious
room, her young limbs fettered and
a single garment shrouding the wasted
form, was the young actress. We
were not a moment too SOON for the
next instant, furious as a demon, the
do b -hrouod Unman antarad rho |
room.
1t took q moment to secure her and
then the mystery was solved.
She was the aunt of the actress.
Her niece was heiress to q fortune in
France; she removed, her own child
would inherit the wealth. 1t must be
done secretly and silently, SO that no
clew could be found. She had secreted
herself In the passage way Of the
theater, and taking advantage of q
momentary delay, had secured her
victim. In the struggle an earring
was torn off. A powerful narcotic, |
suddenly applied, drowned her senses
and stopped resistance. She was be-
hind the drop curtain as we rushed in.
Leaving while we were yet In the
green room, she made her es cape along
the aisle that led to the street.
This was the end. 1t made q sensa-
tion at the time, but it was an un.
written history Of crime in New
Orleans about thirty years ago.