The Bossier banner., 1891-11-26


disappearance of the woman was as
complete and unfathomable 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 ia
bear. 1t was worse really than il
would have been had he known his wife
was dead He was unwilling the de.
tective should give up the search, and
the week grew into q month.
Two, three, four months the de.
tective kept at it. He exhausted every
resource, sifted every semblance of
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.
My opinion" said Mr. Ferret, sis
that your wife is dead. l think you hac
better accept that as fact"
Il will not accept that as true until
know it is true" declared Mr. Mans
! field, and, unable to produce proof that
his theory was the correct one, the de-
tective said no more, but bade the sor.
rowing man good-by and returned tc
the city.
A couple Of months later, as he was
sitting at home, turning over in his
mind different cases that he had been
engaged upon, Mr.. Ferret's mind re.
verted to the Mansfield case and he gave
& start, as sudden idea occurred to
him.
II have It'll" he exclaimed, aloud
"I'll wager l have fathomed the mys-
terry of Mrs. Mausfelds disappearance
Why didn't l think of it before,
wonder? Let's see" and he looked al
his watch, Il have just time enough tc
catch the train. l believe I'll run dowr
and put the matter to the test at once.
Two hours later Mr.. Ferret stood in
the presence of Mr.. Mansfield. The
detective was shocked at the change in
his late employer. He was aged &
score cf years, and his hair, lately {
beautiful brown, was silvered witt
gray. He had a hopeless expression o
| L1AebO w tbo tIlbAAu4 w oNS
but frightened up little, at sight o
the detective.
Have you-do you bring me AM
news" he asked, eagerly.
, ''Mr Mansfield, l wish to ask you ;
question or two," said the dctectiv e
''Do you know anything regarding YOU
; wife's ancestors?"
, "Only that they were excellent pee
ple,' quickly. Il never heard augh
5 said against any relative of hers"
s'Well, answer me this: Did you eve
hear of, or know of any relative o
: hers being afflicted with insanity?'
, This shot struck home. Mr.. Mans
f fields face paled, and he reeled bacl
against the wall.
e ''Her uncle" he gasped, ''is an occr
4 pant of an insane asylum now. NJ
Y God! Do you think-do you suspect
p THAT your wife was insane whe
she disappeared SO mysteriously? Ye!
o that is what ! think and now | wOul
d advise that the different establishment
e for the care of the insane, that are di
/ tributed throughout the country, b
It looked through for your wife; sh
), might be found. Mind you, say mfgl
# be found; my own opinion is that she
dead"
It 'We'll begin the search tomorrow
:, declared Mr. Mansfield. Name yoI
d price to help me and consider yourse
1t engaged"
it The search through the different i
> sane asylums began next day, and in
private institution of this kind, nea
= ly hundred miles from her home, Mr.
70 Mansfield was found.
n She was sane, too, as anybody. b
n prematurely old, from confinement
10 such horrible place; but how hapT
the two were over their reunion, aft
le being separated for so long.
Y, Mrs. Mansfeld's story was soon tol
She had been taken with a sudden
n sane notion that her husband hat
d her and wished to make away wi
10 her. She thought that, instead of
~ ing to the opera, her husband was e
4. ing to take her off somewhere al
murder her. With this fear to ur
s. her on, she had returned to her roc
IN on that evening two years befoI
n, locked the door, climbed out of t
window, descended by the lightnin
X rod and made her escape. She h
le wandered away, through the timb
ne and across the country, to the ra
ne road; boarding train, she rode tc
a town nearly hundred miles distar
ed Here she left the train, and wander
We again, until picked up by kind peoT
r. and sent to the asylum for the insa'
n She came back to her right sense;
few weeks after entering the asylu
nd but when she told them she was sal
at and gave her name and address, tn
M laughed at her, and never even thoug
At of writing to the address she ga
them. So despairing, ari alm'
to heartbroken. the poor woman
a forced to remain an inmate of m;
OF house, companion of mad men
We women. It was terrible, and her
On at regaining her freedom and being
I'M stored to her home and the arms OF
loving husband, can be better inn
Ife ined than described
.er She never had second touch OF
dread malady, and among all tn
l. Al rr1n u