Year: 1871

me OF lne mOSC singular cases


" of which l have ever heard,
came to my knowledge some years since
while engaged in the practice of law, in the
city of Richmond, Va.


l had been attending court in Johnstown
one of the interior towns of the State and
towards the latter end of the week a long
and heavy rain set in which destroyed
bridges and made travelling SO unpleasant
that was obliged to remain few days for
the roads to become passable, and the
bridges to be repaired.


The time had dragged wearily along for
two days when just at dusk on the second
day l received note from an old friend,
asking me to accompany him to the resi-
dence of a client who resided nearly two
miles from the village, and saying he would
call for me in about an hour.


l was ready when my friend, Mr..
Stout, made his appearance. He told me
that he had been summoned ON some rath-
er peculiar business and that he had asked
me to 60 with him thinking he might need
my advice. He then went on to say that
the person who sent for him was Col.
Raleigh, who was very aristocratic man
and one proud of his family pedigree as he
claimed to trace his family connection back
to Sir Walter Raleigh.


"But what is the matter?" l asked.


"Oh l forgot to tell you, it is case of
larceny which seem shrouded in mys-
terry, though from the Coloneps note, he
evidently thinks the deed has been done by
a member of the family"


"Well, why not get the services of some
detective then ?" / asked.


"The Colonel would be afraid of the
matter becoming public and is anxious, If
the guilt rests where think he suspects
it does, to have the affair kept secret" re-
piled Stout, "and l am called in more as
a friend than as professional man.


"The Colonel had brother, who wasted
his fortune by wine and cards and then blew
his brains out" continued my friend,
"leaying son Rolf whom the Colonel took
into his family and raised with his daughter
Kate, as if they were both his own chill
dren. l always thought the young folks
would eventually fall in love and match
would be the result l once hinted my
ideas to the Colonel who evidently did not
think we'll Of it. Kate you see is his only
child, and will some day be the richest girl
in the county. Things have not been pleas
ant out there for quite while past.''


"Is it the result of this larceny2" ] ask





"Oh no." replied Stout, "that only hap
pened yesterday or the day before. Rolf
is queer chap, obstinate and set in his
way. You see he takes after his mother
who was Palm. He came to my Office
last summer and began to read law with
out his uncle's knowledge. / saw then
there was screw loose, but they are a
family who keep their affairs to themselves,
and so asked no questions. Rolf had a
few hundred dollars, which had been left
after closing up his fathers affairs, which
sum was deposited in my hands. This he
drew out short time since, saying he was
preparing to 60 to Kentucky. The old
gentleman spoke about it to me, saying 1t
was a boys whim, but saw, or thought /
saw that he felt badly about his going. As
a further proof that there is some trouble
out there, Rolf has slept in the village for a
week past, and told me that he did not
look to his uncle for any pecuniary aid.
But it is time we were OFF,"


When we arrived at the Raleigh mansion
the Colonel was reading to his daughter, a
beautiful girl who seemed about seventeen
years of age, Twas introduced to the ocr
cupants of the room, and for time the
conversation was general, no allusion being
made to the business upon which we came.
While we were talking, young man enter
ed, TO whom was introduced by the Col.
as "my adopted son, Rolf Raleigh" ~ q