The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1885-05-02

| S"ihNopiJ iCi pii iiiioi hlutiohi NOii
cerning her. The description given
certainly co.ncided very closely
with Mrs. joys appearance tall,
dark-complected, handsome lady,
dressed in black, and about thirty
or thirty-fve years of age, name
Jaynes. But the fact did not cleo
trify me as Mrs. Smith seemed to
wish.
Don't you see ?" she exclaimed
"Joy, Jay. She has just changed
a letter, and dropped mes. That
was conclusive, of course, but / was
always deplorably dull, and that
and all other arguments failing to
convince me of Mrs. joys guilt, my
worthy neighbor went away dissat-
isfed.
However, this was not the end.
A week after, she came again to say
she had seen a strange gentleman
go in there at 8 o'clock the evening
before, and that he stayed until Just
before the nine o'clock train passed
for b. $50, you see, he
must have come direct from the
city," she said, "and 1 for one, say
he come for no good" Again
failed to see anything significant,
but Mrs. S. did, and the significance
grew infinite when, after a months
patient watching, she discovered
that the mysterious stranger came
regularly once a week.
| cannot tell you all the steps by |
which this woman seemed helped |
tothe discovery of what she declared |
grand piece of villainy. All other
things were forgotten in this one
engrossing pursuit. Mrs. Thomas
could now wear her new sky-scraper
the first seen in l. after Mrs.
joys, without causing Mrs. Smith
to burst out laughing" every time
she saw it, even at funeral. Pret-
ty Fannie Wait, engaged to a gem
tleman living at a distant place,
ran into Mrs. Martins twice week
and even walked down street with
that lady's tall brother, and Mrs. S.
forgot to raise her hands in holy
horror, and tell that after she was
engaged she never thought of going
with any one but John. Zone can't
help wondering if she ever had the
chance.) Even l escaped, and hired
out all the children's fall sewing
without hearing a word Of it after
ward.
At last matters approached a
crisis. Charlie and | were sitting
on our doorstep one evening talking
with Mr.. Fenton, who was justice
of peace in II, and a pleasant,
shrewd, and intelligent gentleman.
In the midst of the talk Mrs. Smith
crossed over to us, and took a seat
with great assumption of deliber-
ate calmness and dignity. "Now,"
she exclaimed, "you can use your
own eyes. For the last twenty
minutes that carriage has been
standing before that door, and I've
counted no less than thirty parcels
large and small that have been car
ried into the house. They are as
secret and sly as the grave, too, but
| can see through a millstone."
Sure enough, on looking, we could
just discern, in the deepening twi-
light, carriage moving away from
Mrs. joys door. "Now, what more
proof do you want2" continued
Mrs. Smith; "that carriage never
belonged in this place, for l went
near enough to see."
proof of what, Mrs. Smith ?" said
Mr.. Fenton, coolly, causing that
lady to start suddenly. In her
surprise at seeing, for he had stood
in the shadow of the honeysuckles,
she forgot her customary awe ofhim
and she rapidly poured forth all
her mountain of suspicion and the
few crumbs Of facts she had gathered.
Atlas bearing the world on his
shoulders makes a fair picture of
the proportion between the two.
Mr. Fenton listened patiently to the
end, and then electrified us all by
saying "This is a very grave charge
Mrs. Smith, and requires immedi-
ate attention. l will investigate
matters tomorrow, and you, l pre-
sumo, will be ready to give in your
evidence whenever required" Mrs.
s., both frightened and elated at the
turn affairs had taken, said yes, and
Mr.. Fenton walked off up the street
accompanied by Charlie.
Next evening, to our amazement,
the constable appeared first at Mrs.
Smiths and then at my door, and
demanded our immediate attention
at Mrs. joys house. Mrs. S. walked |
offwith a ridiculous air of impor-
tance, but assure you went with
fear and trembling. Yet through |