The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-10-16
A BAFFLING MYSTERY.
Strange, Remarkable Case Of Mr..
1dansfcld's Wife.

All was excitement at the Mansfield
mansion; its mistress, the beautiful
and accomplished wife OF David Mans
field. had suddenly and mysteriously
disappeared. They were all ready for
an evening ride Mr.. Mansfield was
already at the carriage. awaiting his
wifc's coming. She had appeared AT
the doorway, but stopped. and, telling
her husband that she had forgotten her
gloves and would return for them. She
rccntered the house and started up
stairs to her room.
That was the last Mr.. Mansfield saw
of his wife. lie waited fifteen or twcn-
ty minutes, and then sent a servant 10
hurry Mrs. Mansfield The servant re
turned and reported that the door TO
the lady's room was locked, and that
there had been no response when she
knocked
Frightened, Mr.. Mansfield hastened
upstairs and tried the door of his wifc's
room. 1t was locked. as the servant
had said Mr.. Mansfield called his
wifc's name, but received no reply.
He was now thoroughly frightened.
and summoning all his strength, ne
burst the door open One hasty glance
about the room was sufficient
The room was empty-his wife was
gone.
But where, and how, and why?
These were the questions that agi-
tated the mind of the husband. and he
could find no answer for any one of
them. Still. she might be in the house,
Mr. Mansfield thought and he set the
servants to searching for her. High
and low, upstairs and down they
searched, but no trace of the missing
woman could they find.
Then they extended their search to
the grounds, with the same results, and
Mr.. Mansfield was IN despair. The
disappearance of his wife was so sud
den, so unexpected, so mysterious, that
he was filed with a kind of nameless,
numbing feeling of horror, of fear, of
he knew not what
For hours the search had been kept
up, and at last, dishcartencd, weary,
anguish-striskcn,t the bereaved husband
ordered the search discontinued. What
to do next he did not know. until it
was suggested to him TO send for a de
tective-
Mr. Mansfield caught at the sug-
gestion at once, and telegraphed TO the
city for a detective. The next train
brought one of the best detectives in
the city of New York, and he lost no
time in setting to work
Accom- panied by Mr.. Mansfield, he
entered the room of the missing lady,
and began an examination of it.
as everything just as it was when
her absence was discovered?" aslIeu
Mr. Ferret, the detective; ''has nothing
been moved or changed in any way?''
Nothing" replied Mr.. Mansfield.
Everything is just as she left it
Then that window was open" as
serted the detective, indicating an
open window at one side of the room,
and Mr.. Mansfield nodded assent.
Mr.. Ferret crossed the room, and ex-
amined the sill and floor beneath the
window. Then he looked out. The
only possible means of reaching the
ground, thirty feet below, was 10y i
lightning rod, which could be reached
from the window, and the detective
shook his head. 1t would be a power
full incentive that would induce a wom-
an to descend by means of tins rod.
After examining every nook and
Granny of the room, the detective sat
down and studied the matter from
every point of view, as he thought. At
last he turned to his companion:
Mr.. Mansfield" he said, Il wish to
ask you question. 1t is of rather a
delicate nature, but hope you viii not
be angry. Did you and your wife have
any trouble? Do you know any reason
why she should wish to get away from
you?"
II do not, was the reply. my wife
and were on the best terms; we never
quarreled in our lives
The detective looked puzzled. Il
don't understand it," he said; 1.-The only
theory that ! can advance is that She
has committed suicide, though if you
were on good terms there would be no
reason for her doing this
The detective spent a week searching
for a clew, but could find none a sys-
tematic search was made for miles
around; advertisements were inserted
in all the papers. but il availed moth
ing. Nothing could be discovered. The
disappearance of the woman was as
complete and unfathomable a mystery
as ever.
Mr.. Mansfield grew pale and thin.
He had loved his beautiful wife as few
men do love. and the uncertainty at
tending the disappearance of his loved
one made his sorrow all the harder TO
bear IL was worse really than it
would have been had he known his wife
was dead. lie was unwilling the de-
tective should give up the search, and
the week grew into a month.
Two, three, four months the de-
tective kept at it, He exhausted every
resource. sifted every semblanee of a
clew, and finally at the end of five
months, refused to work longer
Its waste of my time and yom
money" he declared and Mr.. MANSFIELD
reluctantly acquiesced in the detectives
decision.