Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-09-09

delighted to be offered the very copy
had sent. bought II and as
walked away looked for cipher mes
sage In IL. was not long In finding
dots under certain words and without
difficulty read the message.
My theory was correct. The girls
aunt. her fathers sister. was holding
her n prisoner. The writer did not
know why. All she knew was that
her aunt was watching her always.
She was never permitted TO go out
alone and felt assured that any letter
she received or sent was opened be-
fore reaching or leaving her. She
might possibly run away. but she
knew not where to go. Suspecting that
this surveillance had something to do
with property she had inherited from
her father. she had desired to get into
communication with an attorney in or.
der TO learn something about that
property and the terms of the viii.
All was now pretty clear to me. By
the terms OF the instrument Miss
NAHtRits was W " utl Hitft
ian till she was eighteen years Of age,
when the girl was to be free TO act
for herself and TO receive her property.
But II the heiress at the time should
be incapacitated by illness. be feeble
minded or In any way untitled to care
for her estate. she should remain I'M
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.
1t was evident to me that Miss
Markley's object was TO keep her ward
in the background till after she was
eighteen. and she was doubtless hatch
ing plan to prove her feeble minded
II was my part TO concoct a plan to
outwit this scheme. My weakness lay
in the fact that ut 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.
had never seen her and had no evil
dence that she was of sound mind
Should apply to the courts my inter-
ference would Mt once become public
property. and no judge would order
Miss Benham brought before him on
such scant evidence as might furnish.
/ could do nothing that was legal;
therefore l 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 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. 1t was to be expect
ed that she would look for meaning
in anything would send her. dare
not bride any OF the servants In the
employ OF her aunt. for II was to be
supposed that she controlled them. |
concluded to use method Of the same
kind as the first had tried. sent
her a magazine marked Sample
Copy" Under certain words that EN-
bodied my message | pricked pin
holes. | felt more confidence In her
noticing this device than the first.
IL ne e.l.t 4 told
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 | might meet her
and take her TO place where she
would be out OF her aunts reach and
secure the benefit of the law. | also
suggested a method OF reply. On
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 10
twenty-fourl 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.
1t was between light and dark OF
the day appointed for her TO drop the
paper that strolled by the house.
She must have been watching for me.
for saw something white iiuttG
from an upper window. kept my
eyes fixed on 1t and when II reached
the sidewalk picked II up. On 1t was
~. 23-24 X. g. which | 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 means OF de-
scent from an upper story. besides a
method Of flight. Had the paper fallen
into the hands OF a watcher there would
have been nothing Ineligible In It.
made an examination OF the rear
OF the house and found that there
was an alley there. The yard was In
closed IN n high fence. the door OF
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