Detectives -- United States -- Biography; Pinkerton, Allan, 1819-1884; Robbery -- United States -- Case studies
Madam Imbert and Miss Johnson drove out to Jenkintown and passed a
couple of days at the tavern. They found that the rooms, though plain,
were very neatly kept, and that the table was abundantly supplied with
good, substantial food. Madam Imbert expressed herself well satisfied
with the town, the purity of the air, and its beautiful drives and
walks; and as her system had become rather debilitated by a long
residence in the South, she thought she would spend the summer there and
recuperate her failing health. She made an arrangement with the landlord
to spend the summer at his house, drove into Philadelphia and reported
to me. She had her baggage sent out, and the following day returned with
Miss Johnson and they took up their abode in the tavern.
The reader will observe that Jenkintown is having a large increase made
to its population, principally of male and female detectives. Stemples,
the landlord of the tavern, had seldom had so many distinguished guests,
and visions of Jenkintown becoming a fashionable summer resort floated
before him, and he felt that the day was not distant when his humble
tavern would, in all likelihood, be turned into a huge caravansary,
filled to overflowing with the elite of society.
All went smoothly with De Forest and Mrs. Maroney in their love-making.
Every day they met and strolled through the shaded walks of the garden.
He lavished a great deal of tenderness on Flora, which he would gladly
have bestowed on the mother, and Flora was no more charmed with him than
was Mrs. Maroney.
One day, as they strolled through the most secluded part of the grounds,
De Forest, with a beating heart, presented a beautiful bouquet to her.
Mrs. Maroney accepted it with a pleasant smile, held down her head a
little and blushed most charmingly. De Forest was more than elated, he
was fascinated. He met me in Philadelphia a day or two after and said
with much feeling:
"Why, Pinkerton, why _do_ you keep watch of such a woman? She is the
most beautiful, most charming lady I ever encountered! By heavens! I am
in love with her myself!"
I advised him to be careful, as the woman might be very beautiful, but
still be a serpent! I found he made a truly devoted lover, and so I had
nothing to complain of in that respect.
When Madam Imbert and Miss Johnson arrived at Stemples's, the
inhabitants of Jenkintown were agog to know who they were and whence
they came. They evidently belonged to a high class of society, and all
sorts of stories were circulated about them. The taller of the two
ladies was quiet, not given to conversing much, and was very kind and
considerate with the servants at the hotel.
De Forest had managed to scrape up a slight acquaintance with them at
the breakfast table, and when Mrs. Maroney, who, like everyone else, had
heard of their arrival, casually remarked that she wondered who they
were, he was enabled to inform her that the tall lady was from the South
and that her name was Madam Imbert.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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