The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-09-25

the week grew into month.
Two, three, four months the de-
tective kept at it, He exhausted every
resource, sifted every semblance of a
clew, and finally at the end of five
months, refused to work longer.
Its waste of my time and your
money" he declared, and Mr.. Mansfield
reluctantly acquiesced in the detectives
decision.
My opinion" said Mr. Ferret, sis
that your wife is dead. think you had
better accept that as a fact"
Il will not accept that as true until
1 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 babe the sor-
rowing man good-by and returned to
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-
verified to the Mansfield case and he gave
start, as a sudden idea occurred to
him.
Il have it," he exclaimed, aloud.
''Ill wager l have fathomed the mys-
terry of Mrs. Mausfeld's Disappearance
Why didn't l think of it before, l
wonder? Let's see" and he looked at
his watch, Il have just time enough to
catch the train. l believe I'll run down
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 a
score of years, and his hair, lately a
beautiful brown, was silvercd with
gray. He had a hopeless expression of
countcnar"c that was pitiful to see,
but frightened up little, at sight of
the detective.
Have you-do you bring me any
news?" he asked, eagerly.
"Mr. Mansfield, l wish to ask you a
question or two" said the detective
do you know anything regarding your
wifc's anccstors?"
''Only that they were excellent peo-
ple," quickly. 81 never heard aught
said against any relative of hers"
'Well, answer me this: Did you ever
hear of, or know of any relative of
hers being afflicted with insanity"
This shot struck home. Mr.. Mans
fields face paled, and he reeled back
against the wall.
Her uncle" he gasped, sis an occu-
pant of an insane asylum now. My
God! Do you think-do you suspect
That your wife was insane when
she disappeared SO mysteriously? Yes,
that is what | think, and now would
advise that the different esta blishments
for the care of the insane, that are dis
tributcd throughout the country, be
looked through for your wife; she
might be found. Mind you, l say might
be found; my own opinion is that she is
dead"
''Well begin the search tomorrow"
declared Mr.. Mansfield. "Name your
price to help me and consider yourself
engaged"
The search through the different in
sane asylums began next day, and in a
private" institution of this kind, near
ly a hundred miles from her home Mrs.
Mansfield was found
She was sane, too, as anybody. but
prematurely old, from confinement in
si:ch horrible place; but how happy
the two were over their reunion, after
b. ing separated for SO long.
Mrs. Mansfeld's story was soon told.
She had been taken with sudden in
sane notion that her husband hated
her and wished to make away with
her. She thought that, instead OF go
ing to the opera, her husband was go
ing to take her off somewhere and
murder her. With this fear to urge
her on, she had returned to her room
on that evening, two years before,
locked the door, climbed out of the
window, descended by the lightning
rod and made her escape. She had
wandered away, through the timber
and across the country, to the rail
road; boarding train, she rode to
town nearly hundred miles distant.
Here she left the train, and wandered
again, until picked up by kind people
and sent to the asylum for the insane.
She came back to her right senses
few weeks after entering the asylum,
DuI WITCH Snc JOlu UnC1n she was sane,
and gave her name and address, they
laughed at her, and never even thought
of writing to the address she gave
them. SO despairing, and almost
heartbrollen, the poor woman was
forced to remain an inmate of mad
house, companion of mad men and
women. 1t was terrible, and her Joy
at regaining her freedom and being re-
stored to her home and the arms of her
loving husband, can be better imag-
incd than described.
She never had second touch of the
dread malady, and among all their
many friends, there was never one who
was more welcome visitor than the
man who, sitting at his home thinking,
had figured out the cause of Mrs
Mansfield's mysterious disappearance
Mr. Ferret, the detectives. A. d.
Cox, in Yankee Blade.
Evening Things Up.
Never was the old proverb illustrated
I