The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-06-25

in our third-story front, and we only
took out silver for our daily use.
One warm morning in June I was in
the kitchen rolling out some pie crust,
when there came gentle knock at the
door, and opening it, there stood q
neat, pleasant-faced girl, who inquired
if l needed cook. eagerly answered.:
Yes" Was she looking for place?
And with a few questions on both
sides the agreement was concluded and
she was to come to me the next day.
Mary came the following morning and
soon had things Strengthened out and
everything in good order.
We congratulated. ourselves on the
treasure we had secured. Our neatly
served meals appeared as if by magic
on the stroke of the clock. Mary never
complained of the work, but lent a
willing hand to help in the housework
as we'll as her own department.
She had no visitors, for she said she
was stranger in the place. AL her
family were dead long since and she
was quite alone in the world, she told
me, with tears in her honest blue eyes.
I soon felt l could trust her with
everything, she was so faithful and
careful and seemed to have our inter
ests so at heart.
One evening Harry and were going
to a concert and l told Mary she need
not sit up for us, as we should probab bly,
be late. 1t was after ten when we en-
tered our gate. l was surprised to see
light in the parlor, when had left the
gas turned low. The front door was
bolted and could not be opened with
our night key, neither was there any
response to our repeated ringing of the
bell, which we could distinctly hear re-
verberating through the house. We
waited several minutes in GREATNESS
suspense, and as no response came to
.Harry's last frantic efforts, which fair
ly pulled the bell out by the roots, we
went around to the back door to see if
we could gain an entrance there.
1t stood open. AS we came up the
steps we could see the interior of the
kitchen at glance. EVERYTHING was in
confusion, chairs were overturned,
Mary's work basket and it's contents
strewed over the floor, and Mary her.
self, bound hand and foot and gagged,
lying in helpless heap under the
kitchen table.
She turned her beseeching eyes to
us, hearing steps approaching, and we
flew to her assistance. My husband
carried her into the sitting-room,
while ran for camphor and ammonia,
70 oh %
| some time could not tell us connected
story. What we finally gathered was
this: AS the evening was warm, Mary
sat in the kitchen with her work,
leaving the outside door open to catch
the breeze from the west. She was
| sewing quietly. never thinking of harm,
| when she heard stealthy steps and
looking up saw two masked figures on
the very threshold. In a moment they
had seized and gagged her, and with a
| pistol at her head compelled her to show
them where the silver and my jewel
ry were kept. Not content with what
| they found, they made up large bun
dies of Harry's and my best clothes,
then binding her hand and foot, so she
could not give the alarm, they had left
her in the pitiable state in which we
found her. She showed us her poor
bruised wrists, where the rope had been
pulled SO tight the flesh was cut and
swollen.
Our sympathy for poor Mary was sc
great that we hardly realized our loss
but in looking through the house we
found that the burglars had made a
pretty clean sweep of everything Of
value. They took such odd things, TO,
besides the basket of silver my choicest
tablecloths and napkins had beer
taken, underclothes, linen sheets anc
pillowcases and several of my best
dresses and Harry's wardrobe had also
suffered They had not secured much
of my jewelry, as most of it l kept in
a small safe which weighed two hun
| dred pounds, and was too heavy for one
man to lift alone.
| Mary could give no description of the
men, as they were closely masked. My
husband telegraphed to Philadelphia
for detectives and two were sent up
After spending several days in shad
owing innocent people they returned tt
the city, leaving us no wiser than be
fore their visit, but with our purse.
considerably lighter. The chest O.
silver in the attic now opened to sup
ply the place of what had been taken
l called Mary to help me carry it down
stairs. How her eyes danced when she
saw the rich contents of the chest, anc
how fervent were her thanks that the
burglars had not known of this extra
| amount.
We felt very grateful to Mary ant
cared tenderly for her until she wa.
quite strong again. She said she sui
fered greatly with her teeth. The gas
had been put in her mouth so roughly
that it had loosened some of them, ant
she now made frequent visits to tn,
dentists. Often she was: gone the en-
tire afternoon. She always took :
bundle with her. Once when ques
toned her about it, she said that sh,
wrapped up the waist of an old dress t.
wear in the dentists chair to keep he,
dress fresh, and could but commend
her prudence and careful forethought
One evening at dusk, when Mary wa:
out, went for stroll with my hus
band. AS we were ascending steer
hill on the outskirts of the town W.
saw two figures at the top, clearly out
lined against the evening sky. My
husband hastily drew me into thicke
at the side of the road. AS the figure.
approached, I saw in the faint ligh'
that one was Mary, and an evil-lookine
man was with her. They stopped nea,
us, and Mary, handing him the bundle
she carried, said something abou,
melting" l thought she was refer
ring to the very warm day just over
then hastily separating, as a carriage
was seen coming up the hill, she called
out: 81 will be here next week at the
same hour" and walked rapidly away
Ny confidence in Mary was somewhat
shaken in finding that she did have &C
quaintances in the place, when she had
told me she knew no one; but did not
refer to the meeting we had witnessed
when l went to the kitchen to give he,
the order for breakfast.
Harry looked unusually gra We the
newt few DAVIS and he would not a. ,,,<