The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-21

49, Elm street there was
no telephone.
Ms next move was 10 put some old
newspapers In pasteboard box with
Edgar Washburns name ON 4, and
SEM y TO ITO Elm street by messenger.
ne was to ask If it belonged there and
~ any event ask If Mr.. washburn did
ny I'VE there who did. He came back
win the Information that the person
VINO had answered the bell had said
that Mr. Washburn did nor live ,bero
ana when he asked the name of the
Resident the door was shut I'm his face
livery AFTERNOON at about ; o'clock |
showed myself at my window. looking
ior another message and having a card
ready on which had written in ,rce
letters What name?" One evening
Tue card with Help" on il appeared
again, and at once displayed INV own
out LOT very brief period. | GOT no
iepi! az the time. but the next morn.
ing before going out. as | stood nj tbe
window. card was dronped between
'ne STATS with Agnes Howe" on il.
mere al least was a beginning. The
person requiring help was a woman
ana possessed her name | felt sura
tnat could pull on this thread and get
mold or something more. | consulted
tne directory and made list of all the
moves listed there. No Agnes Howe
appeared | selected several uowes
VINO might be of the better class and
investigated them. One the Howe es.
tate-interested me. and goin. 10 the
Office laid down. asked for the names
OF the owners
was informed that the owner of the
estate. James Howe, who had made n
fortune m cotton. had recently died
leaElhs the estate in trust 10 his broth.
ers widow. Ellen Howe. for James
hoWes only child. Agnes Howe.
had struck bonanza. and struck
II al at once. ! RETAINED. however
from displaying the interest | felt in
tile matter. asking how | could collect
claim against Agnes Howe was
told to file 1t at the office where then
was. Further information was given
me that Agnes Howe was in poor
health. She was living with her aunt.
who was her guardian
The next question for me to solve
was what poor health" in this case
meant. Judging from the call for help.
she was either mental invalid or was
being confined as such for some espe-
cial purpose. ! had heard Of cases
where heiresses had been confined as
lunatics or persons OF feeble mind that
some one else might keep control Of
their property, and 1t occurred to me
that this might be one OF these cases.
concluded to act on this theory,
and. assuming to be Agnes Howe's at
/ torney, ] drew up papers that would
I require her guardian to bring her into
court This led to an item in news.
i paper stating that Miss Howe. heress
10 the estate of her late father, James
Howe the northumberland, would be
brought to court on a certain day by
her aunt and guardian. whose the
legal documents had twas keeping
her in duress for what purpose II was
not known
was IN for il and must see the
matter through In ease my theory
was wrong | would make myself a
laughingstoek Nevertheless the ap-
peal for help, the fact that the pris
oner was an heireSs, that she was
supposed to be in bad health, all con
spired to convince me that | was on
the right track. Nevertheless ! trcm-
bled, working on theory as ! was, and
with no actual proof Of the correctness
of my theory Moreover was claim
ing TO be Agnes Ilowe's counsel. while
| had no other commission from her
than a momentary sight of n card on
which was written the word Help"
When the day came round for the
production of the body OF Agnes Howe
In court | found 1t necessary to sum
mon all the assistance there was In
me. | was in the courtroom when my
assumed client entered In company
with her aunt and guardian. an elderly
lady. richly attired and with cold,
heartless expression Of countenance
Miss Howe was n very pretty girl ana
evidently in robust health.
Near me at the lawyers table was
Samuel Graves. an attorney whom
knew | wondered what he was doing
there | was not long In finding out.
| was endeavoring to improvise some
way of opening my case when this at
torney arose and said
May It please the court. represent
, the interests of Robert Ainsworth IN
this case. the husband OF Agnes Howe.
There was a hum Of establishment In
The court Miss IIowe's guardian being
as much amazed as any one else.
Robert Ainsworth being sutton for
the hand of Agnes Howe. she was re
moved from him and the world and
has been kept In seclusion. 1t was moi
known to the guardian that be had
secretly married her ward. and be mas
been ignorant Of the place Of his wife's
. s.,.;,n LEARNING that she was 10