Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-05-01
sTAUNTON, VIRGINIA, MAY l, 1891.

her In the carriage"
s'Killed herself, suppose" said one lis
tener.
tsDid you ever find out who she was?" in
quired another.
eyes, 1 did,"
He who had first asked for the story
seemed too impressed to offer a remark.
81 felt it personal duty to follow the
body to the morgue. There I found she
was being described as belonging to the
poorer class, and small wonder, for she
was dressed in rags. Then I told what /
knew and advised that she should be men
toned as of good family though disguised
in common clothing This hint secured
her Identification. Her parents and broth
er came, though they supposed her visiting
friends in the west. The family were very
grateful to me and volunteered little of
her history. It was the common one.
During their absence she had become ac-
quainted with a BLACKBOARD who robbed
her Of money, jewels and her honor. He
persuaded her to conceal his name and
identity and, worse luck, she loved him
and was faithful to him to the end, though
how much he had to do with her death
is uncertain.
that struck me as strange. First, the
doctors could not be positive that she died
by drowning. Second, Teddy Lannan,
boatman, identified the body as that of one
of couple who had hired a boat for a
| row, but had never returned. His boat
was picked up, capsized, two days after the
inquest. He did not think it strange that
woman in rags should be going for a
ly,1no Il laI Of
tice she was in rags. He could not describe
her companion but it was a man. 1t was
not for business to be too inquisitive. 1t
was not till inquiries were made of him by
the police that he mentioned the subject at
all, even the loss Of his boat"
''It's queer tale," observed the friend
at the table; 'but you ought to be a de-
tective with your talent" And there was
slur mingled in the compliment
"Id turn one tonight if thought could
find that scoundrel."
''Why, they were undoubtedly drowned
together. 1 should say, committed sui
eide"
81 don't believe they did," returned the
actor, absorbed in his thoughts.
''And even if you had found your man
alive, you say, there was never a little of
0S1ucuCC W COuuCCO LII WILL GuS SIIl .
death"
"Never a scrap, never clew-till-till-
now" and the speaker brought his fist
down with a crash on the table as he al
lowed his chair to recover it's normal posi-
ton.
"What is it?" asked several in breath.
The actors expressive eyebrows were
drawn down into fierce frown as he
glared at the man opposite him. After a
moments pause he spoke, but he was
struggling with intense excitement.
81 passed a man on the Brooklyn bridge
the night met you who motioned his pipe
toward me in a significant manner, which
might well have been an invitation to me
to ask for light. Your signal. I can
swear that man was Teddy Lannan, the
boatman. Your appointment was with
him a few days before the girls death.
And now know you for her escort that
day on Broadway when 1 first saw her face
and yours"
Murmurs of ''shame"-'s ARREST him''-
"get an officer" were heard on all sides.
"You're FOOL" was the savage answer;
but he had turned deathly pale.
81 have a very good memory for faces,
sir" cried the actor, 'and don't believe
in chance. Stay where you are. Richard
Ganthony in Home journal.