Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-06-17

jscent TO tire partition which closed in
the second fight OF stairs. This &C
counted for the transmission OF the noise.
But the noise was an ominous disclosure.
In the dead OF night it was surely ille-
climate, and spoke OF crime.
The veriest craven will sometimes OBJ
tain an access of courage as mysterious
in its source as, generally, transient in
Its sway. am not calling myself hard
names. Indeed, l should be sorry to
believe that / absolutely belong to the
class whose badge is white feather. But
have owned to trepidation and now l
mastered for ut least few minutes the
first paralysis OF fright. l pressed my
throbbing temples hard against the
wainscot, and found that the wood was q
faithful conductor Of sound. A rumbling
and grating that could have no honest
and satisfactory cause Jared upon my
highly-strung nerves. | was not the
victim OF delusion. Assured Of this, l
began to dress, with qusking, fumbling
fingers, and in the dark. Plan / had
none as yet, and my actuating purpose
was merely to reach and alarm the rest
OF the household. 1t was just blind in
stinct, for did not pause to ask what
effectual resistance to a gang of robbers
could DO offered by pack Of scared wo-
men, an invalid boy. and one lettering
old man.
1 thought first of Miss Turpin, our
governess, and Mrs. Climber, and in this
order. They both occupied rooms on the
same floor as myself, but far in the rear
OF the building. II was an ugly venture
to get to them. As was debating re-
membered my mothers jewels. These
were deposited in dressing case locked
into wardrobe strong box in 'papas
room. Had they escaped the thieves ?
Would they escape? BY almost a me-
chapical impulse 1 unfastened and
opened my door and stepped lightly
the five or six PAGES to that
Of the vast cavern-like chamber
in which, the fable goes, a queen once
slept. There was light within other
than that of the wan young moon, which
glimmered feebly through lozenge-
shaped panes in a window high over my
head. / sucked in my breath with
we'll nigh audible gasp and shivered
but it was as though subtle fascination
drew me nearer IN spite of the peril. L
crept to the tell-tale crack through which
the pencilled line of light fell. A single
peep and l knew the worst we were be-
trayed. Kneeling before the recepta-
Gle OF my mothers family heirlooms
was a woman, holding lamp for the
guidance OF male confederate,
who busted himself with a file at the
wardrobe lock. They seemed equally
absorbed in their nefarious task. The
man had never before seen the woman
was Mrs. Climber. | believe / was
higher TO swooning than on any previous
or subsequent occasion. Luckily with
supreme effort | was able to recover the
self possession wrested from me by the
double shock. l dare not think what
might have been the denouement in the
contrary event
How papa had been deceived and
all of us, for, though / had vaguely dis
liked the newcomer, no suspicion OF her
fidelity had entered my mind yet my
eyes had testified that she was an accom-
plice in sinister plot. Very possibly
she was its originator.
1t gave ne intense anxiety to decide
upon my next step. A daring sugges-
ton flew 10 my brain, but dismissed it,
not so much as impracticable as useless.
1t was to lock the two thieves in. This
was possible, if managed with adroitness,
for the key cast shadow on the polished
floor. Mrs. Climber had locked the door
OF papas room with hypocritical care,
as We retired that night, saying
that housemaids were curious, and
had been known to walk in their sleep,
and that it was not well to trust them 10
excess. And now the adventures had
left the key on the outside. But what
would the coupter-moye avail? There
were villains below making away with the
plate / had heard them they would
come to the rescue, and had no means
of successfully following up the tempo
rary advantage. Yet my fingers itched
TO drag to that door and imprison my
foes.
Clang clatter all our bells seemed to
be ringing at once, aud Mrs. Climbers
precious confederates would not have
given the alarm it must mean for them
and discontinue. And in
a trice / had acted on my wild idea. The
great oak door was fast-fast had
the key, and with it l fled to my own
room. There covered as children do
under tho bedclothes, and suffered par
oxysm after paroxysm of helpless, abject
terror. Every vestige OF bravery, de-
liberate or fortuitous. had forsaken me.
But was not molested.
What happened on the other side Of
my fortress can be simply and succinctly
related in the words with which on the
morrow our friend and benefactor, Mr..
Lidlaw, enlightened papa. 1t will be
needful to resume from the point of his
recognition of Mrs Climbers hand
writing when chatting in our drawing
room.
"You see, l am an expert in these
he said. Probably you may
have seen my name in the newspapers in
connection with some trial, civil or crimi-
nal, in which the identification of hand
writing has formed leading feature in
the proceedings ?"
81 have, papa answered.
Exactly. And two months ago had |
to make professional study of various
documents and signatures in a north
country case of Systematic and long con-
timed fraud. l am prepared to swear
that the specimen OF Mrs. Climbers
alias Mrs. Clegg's hand shown me- by
your son is the fac-simile OF large
number of those forged papers. The
writer is the same. And now that
[ have seen her-she had a most
valid reason for keeping in the
back ground yesterday EVENING"
the woman, too. She only
escaped long term OF penal servitude
through the plea that she was her hus-
oand's tool And another thing made
ne startled and suspicious. 1t was this:
1t Daleford a mao left the same train,
whom l identified in spite OF his wrap
pings as the brother of the condemned
Long Firm swindler who stood in the
lock with Mrs. Clegg. He'll soon follow
lin into aconvict cell. He was involved
n the Manchester case, though there was
flaw in the evidence, and he eluded the
,rasp OF justice"
"But Mrs. Climbers testimonials
hey were most excellent" murmured