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

| was sauntering on thoroughfaro
lined with dwellings. Passing under
window situated but few feet above
my head / heard n womans voice pro-
nounce my name In tone almost In
audible. stopped and looked up.
From between the Stats came the
words
u want lawyer"
All being dark within. / could see
nothing.
How do you know that l am law
yer?" asked. How can serve your
There was no reply. | listened. but
could hear nothing more. There was
but one Interpretation. Some one must
have entered the room whose presence
put an end TO the conversation.
waited few moments; then. thinking
that my lurking there under the win
dow might compromise my invisible
client. walked on.
The next evening and the next for
several days strolled by the house at
the same hour and even loitered few
moments under the window. but not a
whisper came from behind the blinds.
formed many theories as to what
had occurred. 1t was evident that
some one-the voice seemed TO belong
to young woman-was detained I'M
willingly. But why? To this there
were many possible answers. There
was one that caused me TO doubt the
expedieRcy Of pursuing the matter any
further. The person might be feeble
minded-perhaps insane. II this were
true would make n mistake. doing
great injury to my client as well as
myself. by an interference.
am methodical man and determin-
ed TO begin mcthodically AT the be-
side who occupied the house. then
something about the occupants.
hired a boy to watch the premises at
that hour in the morning when trades
men deliver provisions. note the names
on the wagons calling and make a list
of them. In this way easily secured
several firm names. one of grocer of
whom | bought my own supplies. and
he gave me the name Of the person to
whom he sent goods nj the premises
IN question. II was Miss Elizabeth
Markley. rich lady about flfty years
old.
My next move was TO obtain permits
sion of the grocer TO 20 on his wagon
and deliver goods myself. Putting on
old clothes. did so. took basket Of
provisions into the Kitchen and by
chatting with the cook learned that
the occupants were Miss Markley and
her niece. Miss Irene Benham. a girl
between seventeen and eighteen. This
was all the information could secure.
but II was enough for Il beginning lf
Miss Markley was rich | might be able
to find something through records OF
her property-th IS. IL II were real
estate went 10 the Offices OF the
receiver OF taxes. but the name EliZ-
abeth Markley was not on his list. II
occurred 10 me TO look for the name
of Benham. ana ! found the estate
of Adoniram Benham. deceased Here
was a pointer If Irene Benham was
heir to this property II was possible
that her aunt was holding her "A pris.
oner while she was attempting TO get
her estate into her own hands. At the
court OF chancery was shown the
will ofaAdoniram Benham. and the
case wi plain. Irene Benham was
heir TO property worth about half n
million.
II Miss Marklcy We're wicked enough
10 fulfill the theory ! had formed OF
her II would be necessary to fight her
with fire. ! dare not make any open
move whatever lest she should remove
her niece 10 some hiding place where
she could not be found | must get
into clandestine communication with
Miss Benham.
I bought n book suitable for a pres.
ent 10 young lady. pretiily illustrat-
ed. and sent IL TO her through the mail.
sent no note OF explanation Wit. It
nor wrote anything on the nyieaf but
the book itself contained communica-
ton. BY delicate understanding OF
words informed her who ! was. my
address, how she could reach me. what
| had learned about her and my sus-
picion. was doubtful OF the success
of this maneuver. for II her aunt were
watching her she would examine the
book closely before allowing her niece
to have it. For this reason did not
begin my message before the fifteenth
page and made my interlineations so
faint that no one except one reading
the book would notice them.
waited week for result 10 my
expedient. When II came was sure
no ordinary message could leave the
Marley home without being carefully
inspected. The reply was nm adver-
Using card Of n secondhand bookstore.
l should not have thought Of its being
n reply TO my message had not the
name of the firm been underscored in
pencil. | went TO the bookstore and
asked IL they had any communication
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