The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-11-28
MYSTERY OF PARIS.
Remarkable Disappearance of an
American Woman.
From the Washington Star.

| world people and their baggage were
being deposited in the attractive catch
all offered them, and. except for a con-
tinuous shifting of her contents, in this
state Paris was to remain for months
until the end of the exposition came to
straighten her disorder and empty her
| out.
| Among the many who arrived in Paris
at an early period of the exposition was
a party of three Americans-a mother
and her two daughters. 1t was evident
| that they had been accustomed to travel
much and independent which might
pc accounted for by the fact that they
nad scarcely a relation to bind them to
one place and not a relative to offer
| them a protecting hand. They came
after dark and registered at a hotel
There were only two rooms left, but
they were on the same corridor. Ma
Dame might like the front room, and the
TWO mademoiselles would perhaps be
suited with the other, few doors away"
Thus said the clerk, and after some in
| speetion the travellers agreed with him.
1T Is very good ROOM" the matron
remarked, leaning back in her chair and
watching her daughters, who were busy
with the contents of her satchel 81
| think, though, that 1 might enjoy 1t
more If did not feel so wretched."
The young ladies treasured her with
the remainder that she was tired; she
mad not yet become accustomed to the
| climate; as for calling in a physician
she mad done that her first night in every
new city; suppose she try the cure of O.
long sleep this time. In fact, they fully
persuaded her of her foolishness before
| they left her for the night. In spite of
their convincing argunfe nts, a specula-
| ton as to their mothers health was the
| first word uttered by the two girls next
morning. and they made haste to go to
| her room.
The Mysterious Room.
| A light knock brought no response.
with satisfied nod to her sister, the
younger girl opened the door softly and
| tiptoed into the room. The elder started
to follow, but stopped with a little cry
we are in the wrong placer she said.
impossible" her sister replied. This
IS the only front room there can be on
| this side of the corridor"
But the room was certainly not their
mothers Last night the hangings and
| papering had been green. this morning
! they were red; last night the furniture
| had been of oak. now it was some dark
stained wood; last night the floor had
| been carpeted, this morning it was bare
except for a few rugs; strangest of all
last night they had left their mother
here, but now she was gone and the
room was empty.
The two girls surveyed 1t in silence
and counted doors. 1.-THE fifth one from
| u.s." she asserted, "just as we counted
last night" They looked out of the
window The sun was shining down on
| the same great tree through which they
had seen the street lights the night be-
| fore.
| A trim little maid was sweeping the
corridor, and of her they inquired anx-
| iously: Can you tell US where the lady
ifs who occupied that room last night?"
1 Mo- 1IA
crossing herself. mo one was in that
| roomn
"I left my mother there last night"
was the rejonder.
Ma 'mselle must be mistaken" the
| maid insisted mo person has slept
there for years. 1t is the order Of lie
proprietaire'
| The two girls sent her to summon the
proprietor to the spot. waited for him
| impatiently, and interrupted his polite
| greeting with the qus stion If his was
not the room he had given to their moth
| er the night before.
| The proprietor surveyed them curl
| ously "Your mother?" he repeated
| when did madame Gomez"
| The sisters stared at him. He had
| seen them last night.
| You arrived alone" he continued did
you mean she is to come today, and
| you want the room for tonight?"
An impatient explanation came from
the elder sister. 1--WE three my mother,
| my sister and T. came last night"
The man interrupted her with a ges-
ture Pardon. mademoiselle" he cor
| rected, ''you and your sister were the
| only ones who came"
| Her Name Had Disappeared
| The girl smiled an annoyed smile and
| suggested that the hotel lists would cor
roborate her words But her face peeled
when the clerk repeated what the pro-
1 tNHN 4 i
unsteadily down the line. Her name,
her sisters, yes-her mothers was not
| thenei
With a growing sense of dread, the
| two girls demanded the inspector of po-
lice. AS they waited for him in the re
c5ption room, they caught the angry
tones of an old mans voice. The elder
sister stopped pacing the floor to listen.
Such a commotion!" he exclaimed.
I'll publish it to every, foreigner in the
city, and then where is the reputation Of
| your house?"
! The soothing murmur of another voice
| followed
| Second story front" was the old
mans reply. "but I'll not stay there to-
night if 1 have to be awaked up by all
| sorts of noises from the room above me!
They might have been tearing the house
| DOWN.
Still grumbllng, he passed the girl to
go upstairs. Seized with sudden idea,
she ran lightly up after him and watched
him enter his room. Then, she came
down again. HE went into the room
under mothers" she said, grasping her
sisters arm tightly. I'VE were not mis-
taken! Merciful heavens, what does
it mean?"
Even the inspector of police, the ON
niscient of Paris, could not tell them
that He took their evidence gravely
promised them all possible help and
advised them to wait patiently in the
same hotel for further developments
With little calmness of mind they finally
accepted his advics.
1t was q long. anxious wait for the
girls. Weeks passed without bringing
any trace of their mother. The exposi-
ton was over, and Paris was almost
emptied of her crowds before the in
spector came to them with any definite
news. .i
Then, one day, the look on his face
told them that at last they were to hear
and they listened breathlessly for his
explanation. ~
The Problem Solved.
He began at the beginning. He told