Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-14
COuRTsHIP BY PROXY.
APennsyIVania Girls Ingenious methos'
of Keeping Herself In Pocket Money.

of Keeping Herself In Pocket money
/ FRAN the PhH1de5Dhia Press.
/ EAsToN, Aug. 11.-Rumors afioat for
| some time 20 the effect that ex-Council-
man Theo. Oliver, OF the firm Of Oliver Il
4 Co., sheet-iron manufacturers, had Sc
/ cured considerable sums Of money from
| Mrs. Mann, a divorced woman, and had
| Tilted the lady after becoming engaged to
marry her, were efectualiy act 20 rest
/ to-day in a very peculiar manner.
About year since MIR. Oliver became a
1 widOwer, and shortly after Mrs. Mann's
daughter, pretty girl Of IA, got to be a
| frequent visitor Of the Oliver children. A
month later the girl handed her mother a
/ letter signed with sir. divers name, and
saying that be had become financially en-
barrassed and would like TO borrow
money. A long correspondence followed.
From time TO tine Mrs. Mann gave her
daughter money 10 be given TO Mr. Oliver,
and received, in return, letters that led
her 20 believe that Mr.. Oliver had fallen
deeply in love with ner. Mrs. Mann re-
piled not unkindly TO the letters aud con-
tnued sending money through her
daughter.
AN ENGAGEMENT RING.
One day the girl came home with gold
| ring, placed it on her mothers finger, and
0
was pleased with this evidence Of regard,
and more pleased when a subsequent let
ter directly proposed marriage. The let
ter requested Mrs. Mann TO consult a
clergyman, which she did, and arrange
ments were made for wedding Mrs.
Mann meanwhile ordered a bridal outfit,
and learned from another letter that
Mr.. Oliver was making arrangements
for his marriage. Another letter asked
for money, aud it was given, and from
time TO time Mrs. Mann gave her daugh-
ter small sums in response to alleged
verbal messages from Mr.. Oliver. Sey-
eral times when the mother returned home
alter being absent the daughter told her
that Mr.. Oliver had called. AS yet, how
ever, Mrs. Mann had never received Mir
oliver IN her own house. This she had
all along ascribed TO the fact of his some
what recently having become widower.
GOssIRs BUSY.
Meanwhile gOssips were busy with the
approaching marriage and with stories Of
Mr.. divers borrowing money from the
woman who was to be his wife. These
stories reached the ears of a friend of Mr..
Oliver, and the latter was questioned
about the matter. He replied with an alb
sOlute denial that he had ever borrowed a
penny from Mrs. Mann or written her
line. The friend looked sur
prised and incredulOus, and Mr..
Oliver. annoyed beyond expression, in
sisted that two friends should accompany
him to Mrs. Mann's and hear her denial
of the correspondence aud loans, but Mrs.
Mann made no such denial. On the CON
trarY, she said that she had Mr.. divers
letters IN proof of his duplicity. With
feminine pluck she declared that she
wished to have nothing further 20 do with
him or his big brick house, but would
have her money back.
THE MYSTERY SOLVED.
The puzzled Oliver, with his half-in-
credulOus friends. left the angry Woman's
house in great discomfort, and Mr.. Oliver
at once put the case in the hands Of De-
tective SimOns. Armed with Mr.. divers
genuine signature, the detective exam
ined the ardent lOve-letters in Mrs.
Mann's possession, questioned the little
gO-between, and to-day extracted from the
/ frightened child a confession that she had
/ written all the letters and manufactured
! all the messages from MIR. Oliver to
! her mother, and thus obtained for her
own use $500 of her mothers money.
With the money thus obtained she had
bought the supposed engagement ring. an
| alarm clock, handsome vases and the like,
and persuaded her mother that they were
all presents from Mr.. Oliver. The letters
/ from her mother to Mir. Oliver she had de-
stroyed.
Mr.. divers friends congratulate him
upon the solution of the mystery, while
/ Mrs Mann is deeply chagrined over her
daughters conduct and her own mortify-
/ ing mistake.