The Press., 1911-08-23

..sl H gne ne1ress at me ume should
 be incapacitated by. illness, be feeble
 minded or in any way united to care
 for her estate, she should remain un-
 der her aunt's guardianship and the
 property pass to Miss Markley for life.
 after which other disposition should
 be made of it. The heiress would
 come of age in few weeks.
 It was evident to me that Miss
 Markley's object was to keep her ward fin the background till after she was
 eighteen. and she was doubtless hatch
 ing plan to prove her feeble minded. It was my part to concoct plan to Outwit this scheme. My weakness lay
 in the fact that at the slightest demon Stration on my part Miss Benham
 would likely be spirited away, that till
 she came of age her aunt was her legal guardian and that had nothing to
 show that had been retained as the young lady's counsel. Besides this, l had never seen her and had no evil
 dence that she was of sound mind.
 Should apply to the courts my inter ference would at once become public property, and no judge would order Miss Benham brought before him on
 such scant evidence as might furnish.
 I could do nothing that was legal; therefore must break the law, at the
 same time getting such advantage as
 would protect both me and my client. Realizing the fact that possession Is nine points in the law" resolved to ! transfer the keeping of Miss Benham
 to some other person than her amt.
 This must either be done by Kidnapping
 her or giving her an opportunity to come of her own accord under the care of new keeper.
 Having opened communication with her surreptitiously. 1t was to be expect ed that she would look for meaning in anything I would send her. dare not bribe any of the servants in the employ of her aunt, for it was to be supposed that she controlled them. l concluded to use a method of the same kind as the first had tried. I sent her a magazine marked Sample Copy" Under certain words that em- bodied my message pricked7 pin holes. l felt more confidence in her noticing this device than the. first, though it was not as plain. told her what was necessary for her to do and why, advising her to send me word when 1t would be possible for her to leave her aunt that 1 might meet her and t~ke her to place where she would be out of her aunt's reach and secure the benefit of the law. also suggested a method of reply. On a certain day and hour she was to drop from a window one or more papers with figures denoting, first, the day of the month; second, the hour (one to twenty -four) that she expected to be able to leave the house. The letter 'F"' was to stand for front and 'R" for rear. The letters "A," "B' and ''C" would denote the story from which she would leave or must be taken.
 It was between light and dark of the day appointed for her to drop the paper that I strolled by the house. for I saw something white flntteE
 
 eyes fixed on it and when 1t reached the sidewalk picked it up. On it was 'tS. 23-24. R, B." which ] knew meant the eighth day of the month between II and F o'clock at night, from second story rear room. This, of course, threw upon me the respon- sibility of providing a means of de- scent from an upper story. besides a method of flight. Had the paper fallen into the hands of 8 watcher there would have been nothing intelligible in 1t.
 I made an examination of the rear of the house and found that there was an alley there. The yard was in- closed in a high fence. the door of which was kept locked. I provided 8 ladder long enough to reach the sec ond story and & circular saw in order to burglarize the door.
 On the appointed night, repairing to the alley, cut hole in the door and removed the lock. Then I watched till about half past II O. ock, when there was the flash at ertain win dow. on the second story. probably of an electric hand light. Understanding this to be a signal. raised the ladder. The window was noiselessly opened, and a figure descended. I removed the ladder and led the way to car riage waiting on the nearest street. At the doorfI saw by a street lamp for the first time the features of my client. I was well satisfied with the ai&ht.
 put her in . carriage and told the driver to take her to the house of an elderly lady with whom had arrang- cd for her reception.
 I secured Miss Benham's fortune to her, and when she paid my bill sho | threw in her own sweet self.