The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-09-09
COMPLETELY BAFFLED.

COMPLETELY BAFFLED.
When the three were seated the off,
Ger inquired:
Captain Zenith, what reasons have
you for believing that your daughter
is in this city with this gentleman"
"She disappeared at the same time
as a reason love affair in which she
is concerned"
rs that the extent of your informa-
ton? Are you acting entirely upon
suspicion?"
81 am acting upon a conviction,
the soundness of which do not ques-
ton. This young man has carried off
my daughter and l am here to rescue
her."
Lieutenant, upon what information
are you acting?"
THE very best Her eldest sister,
Miss Zenith, told me that Miss Stella
came to New York with cousin"
who told you that" Captain Ze-
NTH asked sharply.
Miss Zenith"
"Mollie?"
YES"
"That is false! Mollie told you moth
ing of the kind"
Captain Zenith! Be careful! Do
not expect me to be able to restrain
myself without limit! l may not al
ways be able to remember your age!"
Gently, gentlemen We all want
the facts and we want all the facts:
stick to facts and keep your temper.
Let us keep cool and try to get to the
bottom! When did Hiss Zenith tell
you that?"
1.-THE day before yesterday"
BE kind enough to detail the cir
cumstances? What led up to the
statement"
Miss Stella and l had appointed
meeting at the house of one of her
friends; she failed to attend l went
to Captain Zenith's where l saw Miss
Zenith, who told me that Miss Stella
had suddenly left Tor New York the
evening before, with cousin who re-
sides here"
"Who is the cousin?"
Miss Zenith evaded that informa-
ton"
Has your daughter cousin here,
Captain?"
sin. l do not believe this statement;
it is subterfuge employed to deter
me. Mollie could not have told him
anything of the kind for the reason
that she knew better. She not only
knows that she has no cousin here.
but she knew that at that moment
her sister was visiting friend in the
country; Miss Letson, who lives at
Barton, twenty miles from Miners
vale What we have since learned is
that Stella missed the train and told
the Lessons that she would walk
home. They could not dissuade her,
though they made every effort, and she
started. She has been traced some
thing more than half way; to point
where the road divides, one branch
leading to Minersvaie, the other to a
railway station not four miles distant.
She disappeared at that point. She
could have reached that station and
have telegraphed to him why she fail
ed to meet him. She doubtless did so
and under his instructions waited
there for him and then accompanied
him to this city. She is infatuated
with him and have no doubt that he
has induced her to run away to marry
him
Good God, man! Can you be so
crazy? Have you conjured up such
ridiculous idea and acted upon it with
out searching the country along that
road? Officer. how soon will a train
start for Scranton said the adjutant
In great excitement.
Did you employ no detective? Did
you test your theory by any effort to
learn if she had telegraphed to this
gentleman or he to herr"
mo"
who was with herr"
"She was alone"
Had she any admirer who, know
ing her preference for this gentleman,
may have become revengeful?"
No"
why did you not search the coun-
try?"
Il did. Accompanied by my daught-
er Carrie, l drove all night searching
along that road for her. If she had
been on or near that road we could
not have missed her"
What, then, led you to conclude
that she has eloped?"
"Mollie suggested it and it at once
struck me as the only explanation
yet Mollie could not possibly have
believed 1t, for she had seen aim the
day before and positively knew that
he supposed her to have come to New
York. What is her nature? Do not
you think it at least possible that she
knows what has become OF her Sis
ter?"
No"
Ever since you telegraphed us
have been watching this gentleman.
l know positively that he not only ar
rived alone but that he travelled with
out companion all the way from
Scranton. l am confident that he tells
the truth and that Miss Zenith did as
cure him that her sister had come to
New York. You WI see here that he
believed and acted uPon what Miss
Zenith told him: for he has been adj
yertising for Miss Stella" and the de-
teetive handed to Captain Zenith
paper containing the adjutant's ad-
vertisement and continued:
Now, having started the lieutenant
on wild goose chase Mollie started
you after him, knowing that her sister
had not come to New York as she told
him she had, and that she had not
eloped with him as she suggested to