Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-06-24

eighteen. and she was doubtless hatch
ing plan TO prove her feeble minded.
1t was my part to concoct plan TO
outwft 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 l had nothing to
show that 1 had been retained as the
young lady's counsel. Besides this,
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 1 might furnish.
1 could do nothing that was legal;
therefore 1 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" l resolved to
transfer the keeping of Miss Benham
to some other person than her aunt.
This must either be done by kidnapping
her or giving her an opportunity to
come of her own accord under the care
of a new keeper.
Having opened communication with
her surreptitiously. it WAS to be expect
ed that she would look for meaning
in anything l would send her. dare
not bribe any OF the servants in the
employ of her aunt, for 1t was TO be
supposed that she controlled them.
concluded to use a method of the same
kind as the first 1 had tried. / sent
her q magazine marked Sample
Copy" Under certain words that en-
bodied my message / pricked pin
holes. l felt more confidence in her
noticing this device than the first,
though it was not as plain. l told her
what was necessary for her TO do and
why, advising her to send me word
when it would be possible for her TO
leave her aunt that / might meet her
and take her to q place where she
would be out of her aunt's reach and
secure the benefit of the law. l also
suggested a method of reply. On a
certain day and hour she was to drop
from window one or more papers
with figures denoting, first, the day
of the month; second, the hour Zone TO
twenty four that she expected to be
able to leave the house. The letter ''t''
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.
1t was between light and dark of
the day appointed for her TO drop the
paper that L strolled by the house.
She must have been watching for me.
for | saw something white futter
from an upper window. l kept my
eyes fixed on it and when it reached
the sidewalk picked it up. On it was
-. 23-24. X, g." which L knew
meant the eighth day of the month
between IL and II o'clock at night,
from second story rear room. This,
of course. threw upon me the respon-
sibility of providing Il means of de-
scent from an upper story, besides a
method of flight. Had the paper fallen
into the hands of Il watcher there would
have been nothing Ineligible in it.
l made an examination Of the rear
of the house and found that there
was an alley there. The yard was in
closed in q high fence, the door OF
which was kept focked. / provided
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 a hole in the door and
removed the lock. Then | watched
till about half past IL o'clock. when
there was the flash at Il certain win
dow on the second story, probably OF
an electric hand light. Understanding
this to be signal. raised the ladder.
The window was noiselessly opened.
and a figure descended. l removed
the ladder and led the way TO a car
riage waiting on the nearest street.
At the door I saw by a street lamp
for the first time the features of my
client. 1 was well satisfied with the
sight.
l put her in a carriage and told the
driver to take her to the house of an
elderly lady with whom 1 had arrang-
ed for her reception.
/ secured Miss Benham's fortune TO
her. and when she paid my bi7l she
threw in her own sweet self.