The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-05-24


believed tho world divided into three great
clnsscs-clerEymen, most respectable cou-
grcgations and Incst obscquious and ODE
dent servants.
1t had been arranged to send Mag Stan-
10y (sho was always called Macy to n
famous and fashionable school near Lon.
don, where tho daughters Of tho nristo-
cratic and wealthy were prepared to hold
their own In tho ceasclcss struggle for So
cial pre-cminonco and success Tho depar-
ture from home was to follow tho celsbra-
ton of tho beautiful girls birthday. At
homo and all through the parish, where
the young lndy's father was descrvcdly
popular, unusual preparations were mndo
for tho observance of this great social
event.
A week, to day, before tho time set
for the celebration Mag, always prompt Mt
meals and prayers, did not appear ut
breakfast
A servant went to her room and came
back white fnced and breathlcss TO report
that Miss Marguerite was gono and that
ber bod had not been slept in the night be-
fore.
The peaceful parsonage was at once I'm
state Of horror and alarm. Search was
medo all over tho quaint old building
Possible and impossible plnces wero looked
into without revealing u trace, sign or
limo of tho beautiful girl. Servants were
mounted and sent 10 all the nUighboring
estates. Tho nlHrin spread, and before
night from Lands End to Scotland telo-
graphic messages were dying.
From Plymouth, Salisbury, Exeter and
Torquay, the Inter then in tho height of
e1e Inc t,t al E...
and private detectives FASTENED to tho par
sonage of Crag's Height to inquire about
tho girl and to tender their services In
finding her.
Weeks passed, weeks of anguish that
sent tho gentle mother 20 bed from which
sho never roso and deopepod the burrows
ON tho parsons cheeks and changed tho
gray hair to white. IN tho mnantimc not
only all the United Kingdom, hut all Eu-
rope had heard of the mysterious disap-
pea rance Of tho beautiful girl, marguerite,
and every man with n sister, daughter or
sweetheart felt it was his duty To discover
tho whereabouts of the girl il she wore
living.
Suicide and murder werc limited at, ard
ponds were dragged and rivers, searched in
vain. zoe .s
From the first tho hard headed. detectives
OF Scotland Yard London, DECLARED that
love was mt tho bottom of the Girl's disap-
pearance but as she had ever lived ut homo
and all her doings were known to her par
ents this suggestion was ignored, II not
scofred at.
After three months. ard when tho eler.
gynan and his friends had reached tho
conclusion that the girl was dead, news
came from Vienna that young woman
answering MRg's description had been seen
In gypsy camp on the plains Of eastern
Hungary.
Tho telegraph confirmed the first story,
and the Clergyman and some friends pro-
vided with letters to the British minister
at tho Austrian court, at once started for
Vienna.
Tho report was true, and Just hero q
word OF explanation is necessary. For
many centuries the gypsies havo been
picturesque If not conspicuous figures in
rural England. Tho popular gypsy name
In Great Britain is Stanley, or Wis
Stanley, the names being assumed. 1t
may have been the parsons name, but
moro likely it was tho credulity of tho
ser wants, that, unknown TO the master and
his wife, brought n strange crowd OF Typ
sizes to the kitchen, where fortunes were
told for tho invariable "silver" considera-
ton.
That ono or more Of the servants wero
responsible for bringing Mag Stanley into
contact with the gypsies thore can be no
doubt, but as all deniod tho crime-for
such 1t turned out to be--the responsibility
was never fixed.
The gypsy qucen--theso people always
name one the queen for business reasons,
even IL there are but three in tho gang
called herself Stanley. Sho was an I'm
posing woman of 40, who from the first
meeting with the parsons daughter con-
trolled her thoughts and dominated her
Hfa We should now raaopniLa this com