Rensselaer Journal, Volume 10, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1901 — ELSIE. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

ELSIE.

By J. D. White.

j £ T —■vLEASE go to bed, dear ElI J sle. It is worse than foolish to sit staring at that <ST photograph when you Should be sleeping. Yon have a very long journey to begin to-morrow.” “I know that, Margaret; but It seems as If my heart would break; if I only knew where he Is now! I am certain be was not the one who stole that money.” “No, dear, I think, also, that be Is not guilty; but why has he gone away and thus given color to the supposition?” “I don’t know, only I feel sure there Is foul play. That Matthews, who followed him so constantly, has gone also. Why Is not he suspected? I believe he Is the guilty man.” “So you have said before. But you know he called to see Robert that evening at ten, and finding him not at home left his card, bidding him goodby, as he was called away. That does not look as If he knew of Robert's whereabouts, though some say they were In league."

“Who says so? Robert did not like him; as for the card, I am no detective, but I think it strange he should go to bid Robert good-by at an hour he might be sure he was In, and yet had that card all written; for I went myself and asked the door maid if Matthews wrote his message there, and •he said, no, it was already written. ,, “I know, dear; but na one hut you seemed to think that strange. You really must go to bed now. You start at seven.” The next morning saw Elsie speeding on her long journey out West, where a friend had procured a place for her, in a wealthy family, to teach two children, the young girl feeling that she could not remain to hear her betrothed husband accused of bapk robbery, knowing that while she felt Certain of his innocence, few, if any, doubted his guilt. Her letters to her sister will best tell of her Journey and after Incidents:

“Dear Old Margaret—l know you are hungering to hear from me, so this first moment that my writing materials are available I begin a letter. I had a quiet, uneventful Journey, i fear I was too sad at heart to enjoy the beautiful and varied scenery as I would once have done. In fact, I was quite oblivious to everything •v§rybody until nearly at my Journey’s end, when my roving eyes lighted, indifferently at first, on a tall man a Yew seats ahead of me In the car. Presently a movement of hls head set my heart beating, it was so like Robert’s I almost held my breath, and when he half turned I was disappointed to find he had black hair and a heavy black beard and mustache. He left the car a few stations before I did, and when he was on the platform he made that motion with his head peculiar to Robert, and I saw he had blue eyes. Do you think, Margaret, dear, It could be he? The episode upset me very much.

“I find Mrs. Winter a very pleasant, homely woman with no fine lady airs* but a lady’s manner; as courtly and kind to me as If I were a duchess. There Is only herself, her two children and Mr. Winter in the family circle. It is very unhealthy In the city Just now, so they are going immediately to her mother’s, a few miles Into the country, where they may remain all summer. I know you are thinking of your little sister. “April 14.—1 was so glad to get your note, dear Margaret, and find you had received mine. We are moved Into a country town. There are a great many Germans here and other foreigners also. But I must, hasten to my important news. The day after we arrived. I was standing by the window and saw that horrid Matthews go past. I almost exclaimed aloud, but remembered in time that I must be wary If I wanted to find out anything. I only hope that he never saw me at home. I do not believe Robert would •ver have pointed me out to him. A day or two ago he passed again. Mrs. Smart, who Is Mrs. Winter’s widowed sister and lives with her mother, was with me at the window and bowed to him. I hardly know how I kept calm •nough to ask Indifferently: “Who was that gentleman? Does he live here?’’

“She said carelessly: ** ‘His name is Mayberrle. He not lived here very long.’ “ ‘ls he wealthy?’ I asked. “‘I don’t know. He seems to have plenty of money; he has hired a house, furnished it finely and they say Is looking for a wife.’ “‘ls he a foreigner?’ “ ‘Ob, no. He comes from one of the Eastern States, I believe. I have met him several times, and Mr. Winter has invited him to call here.’ “I did- not like to ask more questlonr Just then. Perhaps I may meet the wretch. If I do, I hope I shall keep cool and collected. I like my life here,

and I am treated as one of the family. The children are obedient and well mannered, without being prigs. They have a maid, so all I do Is to teach them. Mrs. Marsh, who Is Mrs. Winter’s mother, is an invalid, and sits mostly in her own private parlor, as she is too nervous to see many visitors. Keep me informed of your daily doings; everything will Interest me. Love to all. ELSIE.” “Dear Margaret—Your long, delightful letter made me, feel half homesick, but I am glad you are well. I see you are Inclined to he skeptical about what you call my detective work. We shall see. Mr. Mayberrie (?) called here yesterday. I was In the parlor and Mrs. Smart Introduced me as ‘Miss Carson, from the Eastern States.’ I felt my color rise, and did not dare look up for awhile.

“Mrs. Winter was out and Mr. Winter In town. After a few minutes Mrs. Smart was called from the room, as her mother wished to see her. I felt myself grow cold with the excitement I was In, but I managed to keep my voice steady as I said, after a few minutes of weather talk and other nothings: * “ ‘Mrs. Smart says you came from one of the Eastern States. Have you ever been In Massachusetts?’ “Margaret, that man grew ghastly! Then he coughed and took out hls handkerchief, pretending he had a bad cold. But I waited for hls answer, and he said: “‘Ah, once, in Boston.’ “I have heard Robert laugh so often about the way Matthews began a sentence with ‘Ah!’ Well, I said: “ ‘Oh, most people have been in Boston. It Is a kind of modern Mecca, you know. But the country towns are pretty and picturesque. You should have gone out to some of them; perhaps you did?’ I rattled that off and ended with a rising Inflection. I could see the creature was afraid. He said: “ ‘Ah, yes—no doubt, you know.’ •“ ‘Now there are many near at hand,’ I continued, and ran over a lot of names, until I came to our own town, when I suddenly said, ‘Have you been there?’ “T? Oh, no! Never!*

“ T suppose, though, you have heard of It? You know there was a bank robbery there less than a year ago. The papers were full of it.’ * “My heart beat to suffocation; but I watched his face, and you would not say anything about my detective plans if you could have seen It. It was fairly pea green. I thought I had done enough for once, and I did not want to frighten the wretch with leaving the place. So I talked of other matters. I shall watch. Oh, If I only were sure that was Robert In the cars!

"I continue to like my teaching an<f the children, I am glad I am here and sure something will be found out. Write often to your sister. “May 28.—1 feel almost too excited to hold a pen, dear Margaret. I have so much to tell you! Yesterday morning, as Mrs. Winter wanted some things for the children from their house, she asked me to go for them, she having an engagement. She told me to take a carriage from the depot, and that If I wished to see something of the city, I might remain away all day. “Just as I was paying the cabman at the house, and telling him to call for me at four, a man came along the sidewalk. The house Is In a quiet street, and there are few pedestrians, so I noticed- him. The cab drove off, and I turned to go up the steps when right before me was the man I met in the cars; This time he looked at me and I saw him start! I could not mistake those eyes and springing towards him I exclaimed: “ ‘Oh, Robert, don’t you know mes He did, and oh, to touch his hand once more was so good! I made him go into the house with me—which I suppose was a very unconventional proceeding; but I had no time for prudery. Well, to be brief, I told him all I knew and suspected and he filled up my gaps, until we were both sure that Mayberrie Is the man whom he has been tracking. But I must tell you all.

“The night the bank was robbed Robert was detained there by some extra business until nine o’clock. He was just coming out when Matthew went across the road, by accident, he said. Robert says he thinks the fellow was watching as he had said he should be busy. Matthews gave him a little push back inside of the door, saying: “‘Oh, Sylvester, Just a word with you.’ “The place was dark, and near that door the street was almost deserted. The next Robert knew a heavy blow had felled him, and a handkerchief was over his nose and mouth—chloroform, no doubt; for he knew no more until he awoke in a dark, damp place which smelt like a cellar. He stood up, and while groping about trying to

guess where he was, a door opened and a light appeared. Robert stood quiet until Matthews had nearly reached him, then he attempted to knock him down; but he thinks the blow and the chloroform had dazed him, and he fell forward. Matthew seized him and dragged him out of the cellar and for some distance along; what seemed an unfrequented road; they then reached water, and Matthews, lifting Robert, threw hha violently from him, saying: “ ‘There, dead men tell no tales.*

“Robert fell Into the water, whlclf revived him. He Is a very expert swimmer, and after a few minutes, though It was pitch dark, be was able to swim cautiously about, and finding a bank he climbed up on It He was too stupid to move; but by the time he had become accustomed to the darknqgs, he found tbat he was not far frorii the bouse of that old Mr. Mcßuinouß, who was at one time a servant in the Sylvester family, and hls wife also. Robert says he hardly knows how he got there; but he did. He roused Sandy and told him the facts. They put him to bed and for three weeks Robert anew nothing. Meanwhile the papers were full of the robbery and hls disappearance. McRulnous read them all and resolved that no one should find his young master—he always called him that “As soon as he had read the papers, Robert said he determined to track Matthews. Matthews evidently thought Robert dead, and himself quite safe. Robert's beard had grown, and he dyed both beard and hair black. The cold weather made a muffler and fur cap with ears appear necessary, and he thinks no one but myself would have recognized him. He says Matthews had once spoken of the West as a place of refuge, better than crossing the ocean in case of crime, so he determined to go there. He has tracked the wretch from place to place. It was at St. Paul that he first saw him, and found he called himself Mayberrie. But he disappeared from there, and It was when I was on my journey that Robert had heard of him in Wisconsin. The day Mrs. Winter sent me to their Milwaukee house was the first day Robert was in that city. “Robert made me go with him to a Justice of the peace and swear to hls ldendity. He told hls story and took out a warrant for the arrest of Matthews, alias Mayberrie. Two constables in plain clothes came with me —I mean on the same train—to this town, and before seven o’clock Mayberrie was on his way, with his two protectors and Robert, back to the city, to be lodged in jail and then sent East.

“I am writing early In the morning, and, of course, have heard nothing more yet; but I will send this at once, as you may see something in the papers. Dear Margaret, I can only say how thankful I am. “May 29.—1 was too exhausted with all the excitement to write last night, dear Margaret, though Robert wrote me a note, and the daily paper told that Matthews struggled and fougb so, even when handcuffed, that it was hard for the two constables to get him into the Jail. But it was accomplished at last, and he was left securely locked up when, about half an hour afterwards, they went to his cell, he had by main force torn out one' of the iron bars from the window, and was pounding with that at another—it was thtf noise which attracted them. When the Jailor opened the door Matthews rushed at him, and I suppose if the poor man had been alone he would have been killed. They overpowered the wretch, but his violence caused him to break a blood vessel, and a doctor was called. He told the prisoner that It was impossible for him to live, and urged him to make a confession, which at last he did, and Robert was fully exonerated. He died a few hours after the confession was signed and witnessed. “Robert came to see me this morning before starting East. You will see him, and so soon as he can he will return for me. It seems Indeed as if the dead had come back. And. oh, Margaret, Margaret, I am so happyl”— Waverley Magazine.