Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1892-02-22
A Battling Mystery.

All was excitement at the Mansfield
mansion; it's mistress, the beautiful
and accomplished wife of David
Mansfield, had suddenly and mysteri-
ously disappeared. They were all
ready for an evening ride. Mr.. Mans
field was already at the carriage,
awaiting his wife's coming. She had
appeared at the doorway, but stop
ped and, telling her husband that she
had forgotten her gloves and would
return for them she re-entered the
house and started upstairs to her
room.
That was the last Mr.. Mansfield saw
of his wife. He waited fifteen or
twenty minutes and then sent SER
want to hurry Mrs. Mansfield. The
servant returned and reported that
the door to lady's room was locked
and that there had been no response
when she knocked.
Frightened, Mr.. Mansfield FASTENED
pstairs and tried the door of his
wife's room. 1t was locked as the
servant has said. Mr.. Mansfield call
ed his wife's name but received no
reply. He was now thoroughly fright
ened, and summoning all his strength
glance about the room was sufficient.
The room was empty-his wife was
gone!
But where, and how, and why?
These were the questions that agi-
Gated the mind of the husband, and he
could find no answer for any one of
them. Still she might be in the house,
Mr.. Mansfield thought, and he set the
servants to searching for her. High
and low, upstairs and down they
searched, but no trace of the missing
woman could they find.
Then they extended their search to
the grounds, with the same results,
and Mr.. Mansfield was in despair
The disappearance of his wife was so
sudden, so unexpected, SO mysteri-
Gus, that he was filed with kind of
nameless, numbing feeling of horror,
of fear, of he knew not what.
For hours the search had been kept
up, and at last, disheartened, weary,
anguish stricken, the bereaved hus
band ordered the search discontinued.
What to do next he did not know, I'M
til it was suggested to him to send
for detective.
Mr.. Mansfield caught at the sug-
gestion at once, and telegraphed to
the city. The next train brought one
of the best detectives in the city of
New York and he lost no time in set
i. ting to work.
Accompanied by Mr.. Marshall, he
+. entered the room of the missing lady,
and began an examination of it.
sis everything just as it was when
. her absence was discovered?'' asked
MIR. Ferret, the detective; "has moth
ing been changed or moved in any
way?''
Nothing" replied Mr.. Mansfield
Everything is just as she left it,"
<'Then that window was open," as
serted the detective, Indicating an
opening window at one side of the
room, and Mr. Mansfield nodded as
sent
Mr.. Ferret crossed the room, and
examined sill and floor beneath the
window. The only possible means of
reaching the ground, thirty feet be-
low, was by lightning rod, which
could be reached from the wi ndow
and the detective shook his head 1t
would be a powerful incentive that
would induce a woman to descend by
means of this rod.
After examining every nook and
Granny of the room, the detective sat
down and studied the matter from
every point of view, as he thought.
At last he turned to his companion:
-f'Mr. Mansfield" he said, II wish