The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-10-09

'ther woman whose name she re-
used to divulge. into the plot.
The unknown woman was set To
watch the child when 1t was taken
out for its daily airing. for it had
oeen observed that the nurse was in
the habit Of leaving her charge and
It's cab on the sidewalk, while she
went into talk q few minutes with
the servants OF one Of the houses
up the avenue.
For days the child and the nurse
were Swallowed and at last the WON
an saw her opportunity. She seized
the sleeping child. unseen By any
one. She and Mother Lundie had
figured that there was small risk OF
any one suspecting that the baby
would be concealed on the very
premises of its parents. so the wona-
an, scudding down back alleys car
iied the child in a circuitous route
- the Methyen stables over which
mother Lundie and her husband the
coaehman lived. Mrs Lundie had been
'aAlhs care of her sisters baby which
was OF the same age as the little
Methven heiress. So if the child
cried those who might overhear
would take It for granted that Mother
Lundie's young niece was responsible
for the noise. Meanwhile It would
be easy to keep the Methyen infant
out of sight.
AS dangerous as the scheme ap-
peared, 1t worked exceedingly well
Its very boldness threw AL the do
tective Off the track. So it came 10
pass that for several days while the
excitement over the missing child
was at its height. the little one was
being harbored within its fathers
stable. Then one dark night the
little Margaret Methven was spirited
away to the sisters house in a dis
tant part of the city.
Meanwhile the city police and
every private detective agency of
repute in the entire country, had
been set on the trail. A veritable
kings ransom was offered for the
child's return, and descriptions of
her appearance and of what she wore
when stolen, were scattered broad
cast. But the more Mother Lundie
contemplated her crime and the
greater became the Juror - the more
fearful was the woman to disclose
the little ones whereabouts. She
was not anxious to take a. chance on
being sent to the penitentiary and
she could figure no safe scheme of
restoring the child to its parents
In her guilty heart she was afraid
suspicion would be directed against
her il she brought 1t back, CLAIMING
to have found it on the street, &C.
cording to her original plan. Her
accomplices, on the other hand would
consent to no other method that she
could suggest.
Mother Lundie finally washed her
; hands of the entire matter, having
shouldered the burden onto her
sister.
Rumors Of detectives prowling
about the neighborhood caused the
sister to finally seek safety in fight,
taking with her the little Margaret
: to whom she had become really
somewhat attached in spite of her
evil heart. Meanwhile the latter
: had quite outgrown the description
: furnished the police and the detec-
8 tives, and published far and wide.
( Two or three years passed and
finally. the sister, wearied of the re-
/ sponsibility of caring for the little
e one. and wishing TO return to her
j native city, decided to run the risk
s of getting herself into trouble, by
i boldly placing Margaret as an or
phan, within St. Luke's asylum.
S Mother Lundie had since kept more
or less track of the child, from mere
! motives of curiosity. Then too. she
s thought she might some day sum-
! mon up the courage to offer her in
formation to Mr.. Methven for money.
on his promise to hold her harm
less for all blame. But she never
reached this point of courage until
the day of her death, and then either
fear of punishment in the next
world, or remorse for what she had
done. prompted her to make what
amends she could for her evil deed
When Father Nolan had finished
his narrative, Mr.. Methven said:
q have favor to ask of both Of
you, which 1 am sure, even before
asking, you will honor. This is thai
until the matter has been thorough!
investigated. you will keep what yol
have learned a profound secret.
las anxious az I have always beer