Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-12
The Sturw Teller.
THE DETECTIVES STORY.

I had been down to Liverpool on some
incendiary joband was returning to town by
early train one morning. At CreWe pur-
chased a London paper, and while unfold
ing it, my eye caught the following adver-
tisement in what is now called the Agony
Column
GoLD1E TO WEE WIFIE.--Aabmcoduet fagnhdlk
inokolwmwnh oe prqe rysotu unvweX Myezeat
Bmce dteofm gohrir tokwln mlngohpt Qorns
Sttuevpws zoyfzasat bmcadrettignhs CJhkulr-
menhoop rqirlsit vuivswiNtyaz nanbccldeeafrS
Philiaickel amtnaonpydrr isstkuLvew wXayr
zeaf bacidle afnghiijlk dlomfnoor pyqoru
Now, have method of solving simple
mysteries of this kind which is infallible.
postponed the process oft in this case, how
ever, until I had called to mind where l
had before seen the words 'Goldie" and
"Wee Wife" together.
In a few minutes / remembered "the
Marquis''-the most ingenious and daring
of all the burglars and swindlers | have
ever known who had not been trained to
been chemist in good way in South Lon
don, but 'went wrong" through drink and
gambling.
Ten years before had sent ''the Marquis
away to prison for that period. At that
time bunch of old love letters fell into
my hands. They were memories OF better
days, when he and his pretty wife called
each other by pet names. -.
knew that Goldie, or ''the Marquis" !"
had been liberated on ticket nearly twelve
months before, and was surprised that had
not already seen him back in town. Here
was clue to his whereabouts and mode of
90 I Spf fn J1Y1rQ oval
Long before reaching Stafford had de-
ciphered the mysterious advertisement.
How few people understand the tragedies
that underlie some of those announcements
occasionally This plainly told me that
a burglary-with violence, if necessary
was contemplated. 1t contained an assign
ment of a place Of meeting between the re-
leased burglar and his wife, and l deter
mined to be witness of that meeting, safe
ly disguised.
That, however, was not to be. Before
reaching Rugby there occurred one OF the
most fatal Of railway collisions, and l was
one of the most seriously injured.
The terrible accident happened on Thurs
day. The meeting was to have taken
place on the evening of Friday. Weak, ill,
and nearly PROSTATE from cold, [ arrived
in London late on Saturday night, and
after forwarding message to headquarters,
I re-booked for the Countess of Denvers'
residence, Roycliffe, near ST. Albans.
The snow was being swirled about in be-
wildering eddies by the cutting wind, and
although am the abstinentest of men, was
impelled to visit the refreshment rooms
and indulge in some hot drink. My illness
had made me less acute than usual, and yet
could not help noticing a very old man
with thin grey hair, wearing blue specta-
cles and black clothes several sizes too large
for him, because he appeared to hover about
me curiouSly. He wore a VoluminOus
white neckcl0th, and put him down for
a Methodist parson.
At st. Albans he got out of the same train,
and entered the Railroad Hotel after me.
He stood beside me while drank my warm
whisky. l certainly was not myself that
night.
A fly brought me to the door of Roycliffe-
a fine mansion surrounded by terraced
park, semi-crcular drives sweeping from
one elevation to the other.
1t was nearly eleven O'Clock, and the
household were about retiring to bed, when
my arrival was the means of postponing that
arrangement. My card was sent up stairs.
/ longed for bed myself, but duty made me
struggle against sleep. Icould scarcely keep
my eyes open. | determined to come to the
point at once. Upon being introduced to
Lady Denvers-a TALL handsome, and still
youthful widow-1 began:
"Your ladyship took into your service
about ten years ago the presumably lnno-
cent wife of man who had been imprison-
ed several times for burglary ~
81 did," she returned. I pitied the poor
creature. Has anything occurred ?" and
the lady paused.
drew the newspaper from my pocket,
and indicated the advertisement.
"Oh, that is Greek to me, laughed the
beautiful dark woman.
"Pardon me-" l said, absently.
began to imagine | had been drugged
and was thinking when and where that
could have been accomplished.
81 have been ill, my lady," l continued
81 saw that on Thursday while travelling
from Liverpool. was hurt in the collision
and could not come quicker"
''You must have some refreshment;" ;" and
she was about to ring the bell.
"Presently, madam, if you please" fal,
tered. "The advertisement, puZzling as ii
appears, it is simple enough. threads thus
"Goldie to Wee Wife. Am out, and know
where you are. Meet me tomorrow night
on steps of st. Martins Church, or I'll visit
and clear place at any risk. Beware Fail
and I'll do for you.'"
''That accounts for Mary Carson's absence
then," cried Lady Denvers. 'She left to &C
to town yesterday, and has not returned
But how do you make that message out ?"
"You perceive, my lady," replied, ''the
first five letters are A. a, b, NJ, c. Take the
first, third, and fifth away, and you isolate
the A, m, or "Am." The first, third, and
fifth being the first three of the alphabet, il
leads one to take every following alternate
letter, and we find the whole alphabet re-
peated over and over to the end. Cutting
out these alternate letters leaves the mes
sage have read, bare and clear"
every ingenious" said Lady Denvers.
every simple-to Us" proceeded. "Gol
die and Wee Wife were the pet names
years ago."