The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-10-16

My opinion" said Mr. Ferret, ''ii
that your wife is dead. ! think you ha'
better accept that as fact"
Il win not accept that as true until
! know il is true. declared Mr.. Mans
field. and. unable 70 produce proof tina
his theory was the correct one, the de-
tectivc said no more. but bade 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 hc had been
engaged upon. Mr.. Ferrct's mind re-
ver;,d 10 the Mansfield case and he gave
a start. as a sudden idea occurred to
him.
II have it, he exclaimed. aloud
'Ill wager ! have fathom-d the mys-
ter, IF Mrs. NausGeld's disappearance!
Why tdn't : think Of il before, j
wonder? Let's see and he looked at
his watch. u have just time enough TO
catch the train. ! believe IN run down
and pat the matter 10 the test AT once"
Two hours later Mr.. Ferret stood in
the presence Of Mr.. Mansfield. The
detective was shocked at the change in
has late employer. He was aged
score of years. and his hair. lately
beautiful brown. was siivcred with
gray. He had hopeless expression Of
countenance that was pitiful 70 see,
but frightened mp little. at sight of
the detective.
Have you--do you bring me any
news?" lac asked, eagerly.
.'Mr. Mansfield. | wish to ask You a
question or two said the detective
'.Do you know anything regarding your
VyIfe's auceStorS2''
'Only that they were excellent peo-
pie" quickly. Il never heard aught
said against any relative Of hers. -
wen, 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. '.is an occu-
pant of an insane asylum now. Ny
God! DO you think-do you suspect
THAT your wife was insane when
She disappeared so mystcriously? Yes,
that is what 1 think. and now ] would
advise that the different establishments
for the care of the insane, that are dis
tributed throughout the country. be
looked through for your wife: She
might be found. Mind you. ] say Hiqht
be found; my own opinion is that she is
dead"
Wen begin the search tomorrow
declared Mr.. Mansfield. Name your
price 70 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
~ hundred miles from her home, Mrs.
Mansfield was found
she was sane, 100, as any body. but
prematurely old. from confinement in
such horrible place; but how happy
the two were over their reunion. after
being eparated for so long
Mrs Mausield'., story WIS 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 Co-
ing TO take her off somewhere and
murder her. With this fear 10 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 z.ade her escape She had
wandered away, through the timber
and across the country, to the rail-
road; boarding a train, she rode TO a
town nearly a 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 a
few weeks after entering the asylum,
but when she told them 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
heartbroken. the poor woman was
forced to remain an inmate of a mad
house, n companion of mad men and
women. 1t was terrible. and her Joy
at regaining her freedom aud being re-
stored TO her home and the arms of her
loving husband, can be better imag-
ined than described
She never had a second touch of the
dread malady, and among all their
many friends, there was never one who
was a more welcome visitor than the
man who. sitting at his home thinking,
had figured out the cause Of Mrs
Mansfeld's mysterious disappearance
Mr.. Ferret, the detectives. a ID.
Cox. in Yankee Blade.