Middletown transcript., 1891-08-06

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my highly-strung nerves. I was no
the victim of delusion. Assured O
this, began to dress, with quaking
fumbling fingers, and in the dark.
Plan had none as yet, and my actual
ing purpose was merely to reach and
alarm the rest Of the household. Il
was Just blind instinct, for did mol
pause to ask what effectual resistance
to gang of robbers could be offered
by pack of scared women, an in
valid boy, and one tottering old man.
I thought fret of Miss Turpin, our
goyerDess. 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. 1t was an
ugly venture to get to them. As /
was debating | remembered my
| mothers Jewels. These were deposit
ed in dressing.case locked into q
wardrobe strong box in papa,s room.
Had they escaped The thieves? Would
they escape? By almost mechanic
impulse 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 q
light within other than that of the
wan young moon, which glimmered
feebly through lozenge-shaped panes
in window high over my head. /
sucked in my breath with well-nigh
audible gasp and shivered ; but it
was as though a subtle fascination
drew me nearer in spite of the peril.
| crept to the tell.tale crack through
which the penciled line of light fell.
A single peep and I knew the worst !;
we were betrayed. Kneeling before
the receptacle of my mothers family
heirlooms was woman; holding
lamp for the guidance Of male con-
federate, who busted himself with a
file at the wardrobe lock. They SEEM
ed equally absorbed in their nefarious
task. The man 1 had never before
seen, the woman was Mrs. Climber.
I believe | was higher to swooning
than on any previous or subsequent
occasion. Luckily with supreme
effort l was able to recover the self
possession wrested from me by the
double shock. | 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
disliked the newcomer, no suspicion of
her fidelity had entered my mind ; yet
my eyes had testified that she was an
accomplice in sinister plot. Very
possibly she was IFS originator.
It gave me intense anxiety to de-
eide upon my next step. A daring
suggestion few to my brain, but dis
missed it, not SO much as impracti-s
cable as useless. It 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
papa's 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 we'll to trust them
to excess. And now the adventures
had left the key on the outside. But
what would the counter-move avail !?
There were villains below making
away With che plate !; / had heard
them they would come to the rescue,
and had no means Of successfully
following up the temporary advan-
tage. Yet my finger itched to drag
to that door and imprison my foes.
Clang! clatter! all our bells seem
ed to be ringing at once, and Mrs.
Climbers precious confederates would
not have given the alarm /; it must
mean for them interruption and dis
comiture. And in a trice / had act
ed on my wild idea. The great oak
door was fast-fast !! I had the key.
and with it I fed to my own room.
There | covered as children do under
the bed clothes, and suffered parox-
ysm after paroxysm of helpless, ad-
ject terror. Every vestige Of bravery,
deliberate or fortuitous, had forsaken
me. But was not molested.
What happened on the other side
of my fortress can be simply and sue
cinctly related in the words with
which on the morrow our friend and
benefactor, Mr.. Lidlaw. enlighted
papa. 1t will be needful to resume
from the point Of his recognition of
Mrs. Climbers handwriting when
chatting in our drawing-room.
You see, l am an expert in these
matters" be said. Probably you
may have seen my name in the news.
papers in connection with some trial.
civil or criminal, in which the identi-
fcation of handwriting has formed
leading feature in the proceeding ?"
Il have" papa answered.
Exactly. And two months ago |
had to make professional study of
various documents and signatures in
north country case of systematic and
iong-continued frauc. I am pre-
pared to swear that the specimen of
Mrs Climbers, alias Mrs. Clegg's,
hand, shown me by you son, is the fac
simile of large number of those
forged papers. The writer is the
same. And now that I have seen
her-she had a most valid reason for
keeping in the background yesterday
evening" recognize the woman, too
She only escaped a long term of penal
servitude through the plea that she
was her husbands tool. And another
thing made me startled and suspicious.
1t was this: At Daleford a man let
the same train, whom I identified in
spite of his wrappings as the brother
of the condemned Long Firm swindler
who stood in the dock with Mrs.
Clegg. He'll soon follow him into a
convict cell. He was involved in the
Manchester case, though there was a
flaw in the evidence, and he eluded
the grasp of Justice"