Mexico weekly ledger., 1895-10-17

DOrhOOu. HhSh
sian INV sister / lost my head and
slapped her in the face. At this MIR.
Rhea slapped me and showed me out
80 ,ba house. I was half distracted
and tried to get back. Through the
omen door | could e the poor girl,
her face white with terror, being held
hv two women. Rhea slammed the
door in my face and locked it.
4when that door closed and / was
loft outside in the dark, l nearly went
mad. AS it shut I heard Lydia give
. ~smothered cry for help and I faneied
that T heard them beating her into
onhmission. What happened then /
hord,v know. / remember running
into a house next door and entreating
the people to save my sister. They
treated me kindly, but refused to do
ANYTHING. So / came and slept at Mr..
Jacks.
.cThis morning | determined to Sc
cure legal advice. l was directed to
Mr.. MacManus, who lives in the
neiphborhood. I went to bis house,
INIT he had gone down town. AT last
7 fouud him and told him what had
happeued as best / could. He ad-
vised me to write a letter to my sister
| and get her 10 meet me outside. /
told him the Rheas would never let
her get the letter, as she never got
other letters that / wrote her. By
the lawyers advice I wrote her a let
ter and put a special delivery stamp
upon it. He also told me to go to the
house and demand to see my sister
under police protection"
About 8 O'Clock Saturday afternoon
the reporter rang the bell at the Rhea
residence. Mr.. Rhea came to the
door. The reporter stated his BUSH
ness and Er. Rhea's brow contracted.
~ do not want to discuss the mat
ter; please excuse me-" he said, and
seemed inclined to end the converse
ton.
In spite of questions he remained
noncommittal, but his wife overheard
the talk and entered into it.
"Tell the man about it, papa" she
called, and then she stuck her head
out from behind the door and listen
ed.
'"This girl has keen in our family
for years." said Mr.. Rhea, thus en-
couraged. "Her father gave her to
my wife's mother to raise with the in
junction that she should eve be al
lowed to associate with her relatives.
When my wife's mother died the
girl came to live with us. We have
always treated her as one of the fam
lily and done well by her. We are not
keeping her by force, but on the con
trary she is free to leave US whenever
she pleases. The fact is that she does
not want to go with her sister, neither
do we want her to go, but if she does
/ will buy her a ticket and ship her
Off"
"Why, last summer we tried to get
her to visit her sister, but she said
that if she went up there she would
eve get back" chimed in Mrs. Rhea.
through the door.
eyes, and when she did visit hel
sister once before she came back to
us without a decent dress to heI
back" continued her husband.
GLOW about the trouble last night?'
inquired the reporter.
"Oh, that, didn't amount to much
There was a little scene and the
woman became SO abusive that / was
compelled TO put her out of the house
She struck my wife. / could have el
arrested for it, but won't if she goet
along home and behaves herself"
The reporter asked to see Lydia
After hesitating a moment Mrs. Rhes
said that she would bring her. Tit
reporter could hear Mrs. Rhea ad'
monishing some one in the back par
of the house. Presently she returned
with the girl.
"Hsre she is" said Mrs. Rhea, lead
ing her forward.
Lydia Spence, or Belle Wells as shi
is now known, is q slender girl of 19
Her features ara bright enough, bu
| there is a timid look on her face ant
a marked constraint in her manner.
ado you want to go with your sis
ter?n the reporter asked her.
"No, | don't. 1 have a sweethear
here, and l don't want to go away"
"Are you satisfied here?"
ayes, SIR" in a hesitating tone.
The girl started to say more, Blu
"that is all, Belle" from Mrs. Rhea
checked her, and she retired into tn
house.
"There now" said Mrs. Rhea, "yo'
see what she says herself. Wha
more do you want? Hen relatives ar
not fit to have her."
Mr.. Rhea prudently checked furthe
comment along this line by inter
rupting his wife.
"We have nothing to say agains
Mrs. Dillon" he said. "The leas
said the better.'
The reporter left. AT Eaton an
Belt he met Mrs. Dillo
moving on the enemy in another at
tempt to cov her sister. Sh
was accompanied by two mounte
police officers. A determined woma
with such an escort is quite sufficier
to attract attention in that quiet lo
cality. The reporter joined the pro
cession.
Arriving at the Rhea residence, Mr.
Dillon entered the gate. The report
er waited outside, within easy cal
shot, while the officers remained o
their horses. Before consenting to G
with her the officers had made he
.. promise to leave when they told he
to. Then followed a dramatic seem
Mrs. Dillon boldly rang the bel
The door was opened by Mr.. Rhe'
and the conversation that followe
was heard by the listeners.
"What do you want here?" he aske'
. 81 want to soc my sister,"
/ "Well, you can't come in"
81 don't want to come in, but wal
to see her."
T "She don't want to go with YOU"
eyes, she does"
"No, she don't. Don't you hear b
i saw she does rot?n