The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-01-07

M
~ believe know something sbouE
Jennie 5rice.H
ne~spaperg rnat woman named HfIza
Shaeffer Of Homer had day old Bun
Orpington and Plymouth Rock chicks
for sale. and it started me to puzziing
again. Perhaps it had been HOrner
and possibly this very Eliza shaeffer-
I suppose my lack Of experience was
in my favor, for. after all, Eliza Shaef-
fer is common enough name, and the
Horn might have stood for horn
swoggles for all knew. The story OF
the man who thought Of what he
would do II ne were a horse came back
TO me. and for an hour or 50 / tried 70
think I was Jennie Briee trying to get
away and hide from my rascal OF a
husband. But I made no Roadway.
would never have gone to Horner or 10
any small town II / had wanted to
hide. | think I should have gone
around the corner and taken ROOM in
my own neighborhood or have lost N.Y.
self in some large city.
IL was that same day that since / did
not 90 to Horner Homer came TO me.
The bell rang about O'Clock, and |
answered it myself. for with times
hard and only two or three r0Omers all
winter had not had servant except
Terry to do odd jobs for some months.
There stood a fresh faced young girl,
with covered basket in her hand.
Are you Mrs. PitmanF she asked.
II don't need anything today" | said.
trying to shut the doos And at that
minute something n the basket cheep-
ed. Young women selling poultry are
not common in our neighborhood.
What have You there?' l asked more
agreeably.
Chicks, day old chicks. but I'm not
trying to sell you any. I--may | come
in?'
1t was dawning on me then that per-
haps this was Eliza Shaeffer. led her
back to the dining room, with Peter
shifting at the basket.
my name is Shaeffer." she said.
1--WE seen your name in the papers,
and | believe know something about
Jennie Brice."
Eliza Shaeffer's story was curious
She said that she was postmistfess at
Horner and lived with her mother ON y
farm a mile out of the town, driving ir
and out each day in buggy.
On Monday afternoon. March ;.
woman had alighted at the station
from train and had taken luncheon
at the hotel She told the clerk she was
on the road. selling corsets. and was
much disappointed to find no store of
any size in the town. The woman. who
had registered as Mrs Jane Bellows,
said she WIS tired and would like to
rest ftg a day or two on a farm. She
was told to see Eliza Shaeffer at the
postoftice, and as result drove out
with her to the farm after the last mail
came in that evening.
Asked to describe her-she was over
medium height, light haired, quick in
her movements and wore a black and
white striped dress with a red collar
and hat to match. She carried a
small brown valise that Miss Shaeffer
presumed contained her samples.
Mrs. Shaeffer had made her welcome,
although they did not usually. take
boarders until June. She had not eaten
much supper, and that night she had
asked for pen and ink and had written
letter. The letter was not mailed
until Wednesday. All of Tuesday Mrs.
Bellows had spent in her room, and
Mrs. Shaeffer had driven to the village
in the afternoon with word that she
had been crying all day and bought
some headache medicine for her.
On Wednesday morning, however
she had appeared at breakfast, eaten
heartily and had asked Miss Shaetfer
to take her letter to the postoftlce.
Ii WIS addressed to Mr.. Ellis Howell,
In care of Pittsburgh newspaper
That night when Miss Eliza went
home, about half past s, the woman
was gone. She had paid for her room
and had been driven as far as Thorn
vile, where all trace of her had been
lost. On account of the disappearance
of Jennie Brice being published short
ly after that, she and her mother had
driven to Thornyille, but the station
agent there was surly as well as stu
pid. They had learned nothing about
the woman.
Since that time three men had made
inquiries about the woman in question
One had pointed vandyke beard; the
second, from description, fancied
must have been Mr.. Graves. The
third, without doubt, was Mr.. Howell
Eliza Shaeffer said that this last man
had seemed half frantic. l brought
her Il photograph of Jennie Briee as
''TopsyP and another one as Juliet.
She said there was a resemblance, but
It ended there. But Of course. as Mr.