The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-07-09
~ have heard nothing" I replied,

your daughter; she has been taken from
you. Lament not too deeply an carly
death; she has been removed, but,
trust, to happier coontry."
The old man groaned.
"Joscph," said he to the young sailor,
"tell him your sisters state; cannot. "
"Although all Denmark was to pro-
nounce her guilty, I will not credit 1t!
exclaimed Joseph, with impetuoslty.
sBut what difference does that make2'
continued he, dashing away tear.
"Who will believe me2"
A considerable time elapsed before the
sufferers were sufficiently composed to in
form me of the cause of their grief, of
which at length collected the follow
ing particulars: A few days after I had
last visited them, Elise returned to the
family in whose service she was engaged.
About this period, her mistress, Madame
Muller, began to complain of missing
valuable articles of wearing apparel,
which Elise, under whose charge tho ar.
ticles were placed, declared must have
been stolen from tho paddock in which
the clothes were dried. The losses at
first were few, and Madame Muller, after
enjoining more strict watch to be kept,
passed them over; but this seemed only
to embolden the culprit; and when dam
ask napkins, laces and many other expcn-
sivc articles disappeared, madame be-
came exasperated, and charge Elise with
having secreted them. Elise protested
her total innocence, but in vain.
The articles had been es-
pecially committed to her charge;
they had been put into the paddock to
dry; this paddock, which had afforded
pasture for a COW, was surrounded by q
wall so exceedingly high as to render it
impossible that any one would venture
over it. What made the affair appear
still more against poor Elise was the fact
that these thefts were committed in open
day, the clothes never being left in the
green after dusk, and also that the win
dow of the laundry looked into the pad
dock; so that, if any one had come over
the wall, Elise must have seen them.
Poor Elise could only declare that she
had put out the things to dry, that she
had seen no person enter the paddock;
but what became of the things she knew
not.
Matters were in this state when q
small silver spoon disappeared. A SER
want recollected having seen it in Elises
hand, who said that she had been using
it for making starch, and that she had
laid it down on the outer sill of the laun-
dry window for few minutes, while she
went up to her mistress's chamber with
some clothes, and that when she re-
turned the spoon was gone. The SER
wants, all being examined, swore that
they had never gone near the window,
and that no one but the family had en-
tered the house. In short, everyone be-
lievcd that Elise was secreting these
things for her new household. She was
charged with theft and committed to
prison, and the time appointed for her
trial was fast approaching
You may we'll suppose how much l was
distressed by the account. The silent
af1iction of the parents and the more
stormy grief of the young and ardent
sailor affected me deeply.
"My friends" said L, "do not despair.
She is innocent; I am certain shs is iu-
nocent."
AS said this the young man wrung
my hand.
"Oh, SIR" he exclaimed, "what q
comfort it is to hear these words; but
how shall we be able to prove her inno-
cence?"
II can declare what at least is pre-
sumptive proof, that she is incapable of
committing this crime," replied; and !
then reminded them of the incident OF
her bringing ME the purse and of her re-
fusal to accept of the gold I offered her
circumstances which hoped would
weigh greatly in her favor.
My exertions to console these good
people were not without effect, and they
gradually became composed. I learned
from them that Joseph was to return
next day to Copenhagen to take every
possible step to prove the innocence OF
his sister, and that Eric Poison was al
ready there and eager to assist in clear
ing the fame of his betrothed. The
greater part of the night was spent in
discoursing on this melancholy subject.
Early next morning 1 returned to the
city, accompanied by Joseph; and I re-
paired without delay to the prison, where
1 was permitted to see my young friend,
with whom I had long interview. If
any doubt of her innocence had arisen in
my mind, her demeanor would alone
have been sufficient to dispel them. Her
ingenious countenance was indeed
clouded with grief, but no secret feeling
of guilt troubled her calm brow.
I coaversed long time with her, but
without gaining any information which
could lead to the discovery of the real
culprit. I learned that she was on the
most friendly terms with all her fellow
servants; that they gave evidence against
her with the greatest reluctance; and that
they all bore the highest testimony to her
character previous to the time at which
these thefts were committed. Ishall not
dwell on the details of the trial; suffice
it to say, that the proofs of her guilt,
upon the strongest circumstantial evi-
dence that could be produced, appeared
beyond a doubt. 1t was proved by the
witnesses that the articles missing had
been in Elise's hands the last time they
were seen; and it was shown in an espe-
o;oj poonpnr tbot fhe silver SIMON Of