The Arrival of Annie Sampson

The Arrival of Annie Sampson

When Annie Sampson arrived at the Three Flowers Boardinghouse for Women, it was just before midnight. At that late hour, she was left with no alternative other than to knock loudly on the door to awaken the owner, Mrs. Clarke. Mary Clarke was not known for her graciousness, even during regular hours.

Leaving Benton several hours later than she had planned, and having run into several obstacles along the way, she arrived in LaGrange almost four hours past her announced arrival time. She had secured her ride with a carriage driver recommended to her by her cousin, Louise. What he offered in terms of friendliness was diminished by his lack of timeliness, making it difficult for Annie to engage in the friendly banter he was attempting over the three-hour drive. Now having put her in the position of starting off on the wrong foot with the boardinghouse matron, she was happy to see him drive off.

Annie, fast approaching thirty years of age, had found a position at La Belle Epoque, LaGrange’s fine apparel shop for ladies. Finding herself single, without children, and both parents deceased, Annie knew she needed to secure a comfortable life for herself. Louise, who had arranged for her less than ideal conveyance out of Benton, had an aunt-in-law from a nearby town to LaGrange, who knew of the position that Annie would assume the very next morning.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

Despite her exhaustion, Annie arrived at the shop with minutes to spare. She had prepared her outfit in advance and had somehow managed to keep her hair intact enough to make it presentable. When she met Mrs. Leddens, the owner, Annie appeared quite a bit more presentable than she felt.

After introductions and pleasantries, Mrs. Leddens showed Annie the store. She was sure to point out the deliberate organization–dressier and more expensive items toward the back with the everyday dresses and ensembles toward the front. Paired near each were the appropriate accessories, including scarves, broaches, hats, and gloves. Annie was quick to surmise her boss’s fastidious, all-business nature.

Eager to avoid idle chitcat, this would serve Annie’s purposes just fine. Louise’s aunt, having never met Annie, had vouched for her only on Louise’s word. Annie couldn’t be sure how much Louise knew of her circumstances, but she was reasonably sure, whatever little bits she did, she wouldn't have shared any of that with her aunt. Annie and Louise were close, having grown up alongside each other. Though Louise had moved several towns away when she married, the cousins maintained a certain level of closeness.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

On a Tuesday afternoon several weeks after having started working at La Belle Epoque, a Mrs. Stevens entered the store. She was looking for a dress for an afternoon tea party–not something for every day, nor something dressy enough for an evening function. Annie escorted Mrs. Stevens to the middle of the shop, which Mrs. Leddens referred to as purgatory, though not in a derogatory manner, and never in front of customers.

While in purgatory, Mrs. Stevens seemed just as eager to talk as she was to shop. Where was Annie from? Who were her parents? Was she married? Did she have children? Though none of these were particularly unexpected and Annie had answers at the ready, she still felt uneasy. While she had done a good job of keeping to herself at the boardinghouse, taking her dinners alone, either at a table by herself, or in her room, Annie knew conversation would be inevitable.

Annie told Mrs. Stevens she was from Benton, and explained that her parents had each died when Annie was in her early twenties, and that her husband had died unexpectedly several months back. So far, everything she had said was just about God's honest truth. Anticipating more questions, Annie pulled a stunning yellow dress with a floral print to show Mrs. Stevens.

This seemed to have done the trick and the focus became the dresses. As Mrs. Stevens tried on the yellow dress and two others that she thought might work, Annie waited outside the dressing room. While in a false sense of comfort, Mrs. Stevens began to speak through the curtain. “You have certainly had your share of tragedies, I dare say. Did your parents die in an accident together?”

“No,” Annie began. “My father was run over by a carriage. He was coming home late one night from work when the awful accident occurred. My mother succumbed to a brief illness less than one year later.”

“Were you already married at the time?”

“I was not. I married three months later.”

“Well, that was quick business. I’m sure you were feeling a bit alone in the world. How lucky to have found a husband so quickly. But then to find yourself alone again, a pity.”

Stepping out from the curtain, Mrs. Stevens turned so that Annie could fasten the buttons on the more staid cream dress with a flattering bustle.

Having not responded to her last comments, Mrs. Stevens pressed the matter.

“Tell me, how did you manage to meet and marry your husband so very quickly? Were you introduced by someone? And how did he die?”

The truth was that Annie had known William Shire her whole life, but it was also true that until her parents’ deaths, she had no intention of marrying him. He had pursued her all through grade school and then beyond until he was working in his father's saddlery business and Annie was helping her own father with bookkeeping for his small accounting firm. Annie had other prospects throughout the years but each in turn was dismissed as unmarriageable, either because her parents did not approve or Annie found some fault. There was James Rivington, but he had terrible breath. And then there was Alfred Poole, but Annie could not get past his irritating laugh–high pitched, ending always in a snort.

The other truth was that Annie did feel alone in the world. Louise having moved away, and with no siblings and her parents gone, Willam offered stability. Yet, even as they said their vows that Saturday afternoon in late July, Annie knew she was making a mistake. For two years, she did her best to ignore what she had never liked about him. He spoke in the collective first person as if she were a child and made statements as if they were questions. Worse though was the way he ate. He slurped his soup, spoke with his mouth full, and sometimes burped at the table.

There was not one thing that William did that was particularly egregious, but taken as a whole, Annie’s feelings escalated from mere dislike to a profound sense of hate. She tried to talk to Louise about this, but Louise dismissed her complaints as petty, and Annie herself understood as she spoke them aloud just how trivial each transgression sounded.

Then came the day that Annie saw an article in the paper about a woman who had poisoned her husband with arsenic that she had purchased from her local druggist. She had simply added the poison to his nightly cocktail and he died the following morning. The woman was caught because the animosity between her and her husband was quite public and a post-mortem was performed by the police. In Annie’s case, no one would suspect that she had done anything of the kind, having never displayed her feelings outwardly, even to William. The only one who would suspect anything would be Louise, who would never make her suspicions known. Yet, after she too had slipped the poison into his glass of wine, there was talk.

William ran a small carpentry business and was a fixture in the community. When he died, many commented on his strong physique, ruddy complexion, and overall appearance of good health. More than once, she sensed others looking at her differently, or talking in hushed tones. Annie’s discomfort was what spurred her to leave Benton.

As Annie fastened the last button, she finally answered, “I knew my husband from childhood. I suppose our marriage was inevitable, but the timing, yes, was hastened by my unfortunate circumstances. He died of dysentery."

With that, Mrs. Stevens turned around and as she gazed in the mirror and Annie considered the fit, it was clear that they both liked the yellow dress much more.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

Life in LaGrange settled into a familiar routine. Annie worked in the store Tuesdays through Saturdays, attended the Methodist church on Sundays, and took care of necessities on Mondays. As the weeks turned into months, she became more comfortable and began to take dinner with the other boardinghouse guests in the dining room. When the other women asked what had brought her to town, she explained that she was newly widowed and wanted a change. Her cousin’s aunt-in-law was able to find her the position at the shop and she was happy enough in her new situation.

Several of the other middle-aged and older women were also widowed, while the younger ones were simply trying to find their way in life. They chatted about their work as governesses, storekeeps, seamstresses, and bookkeepers. They gossiped about the wealthy women they encountered, with their turned-up noses and entitled attitudes. Occasionally, Annie and several of her new friends would take a meal out, and on Wednesdays she and three others, Millie, Alice, and Rachel, gathered in one of their rooms to play Whist.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

On a Monday afternoon, almost six months after Annie had left Benton, a letter arrived from Louise. Excited to receive mail and lucky for it having been on her day off, Annie went straight to her room to hear the latest news from her cousin. Seated on the one bare bones chair at the equally shabby desk, Annie read the following:

Dearest Annie,

I am hoping that you are reading this as hastily as possible. News is traveling fast that William’s death may not have been from natural causes. For some reason, Mr. Samuels, the druggist, had his suspicions and remembered that you might have purchased arsenic some time ago. On this hunch, he searched back through his records and found that his suspicions were confirmed. Almost a year to date from the time of William’s death, you bought a bottle of arsenic granules.

Apparently, he made his finding known to the police. Based on hearsay, I can tell you that they are not eager to investigate, apparently finding the purchase to have been too long before his death to warrant such. But, word is circulating. I fear that the good people of LaGrange will know soon enough, given that my Aunt will eventually hear about this from my husband’s family.

I have known you my whole life and I will stand by you and defend you. A small part of me wonders if you could have done this, but I am choosing to ignore this and plead with you to never tell me if you did in fact poison your husband.

With urgency, I am imploring you to arrange for a ride out of LaGrange and to go away as far as possible. The east coast, perhaps.

Please write to let me know you have received my letter and to tell me what arrangements you have made.

Faithfully yours,

Louise

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

Articles like the one Annie had seen had become more frequent as ladies across America and Europe were accused of, convicted, and sometimes executed for poisoning their husbands. Given that almost a year had passed since William’s death, she began to feel safe that her crime would never come to light. Mr. Samuels was an unassuming man and Annie was surprised that it would occur to him to check. The granules she had purchased were common enough, used to kill off rodents, and dysentery was not all that uncommon a cause of death. Nevertheless, Mr. Samuels had decided to look and he found what he considered evidence. As an upstanding druggist, she could hardly blame him for reporting his findings.

As grateful as she was that the police were not searching for her, Annie knew she had to heed Louise’s advice. How long would it take for Louise’s aunt to mention this to Mrs. Leddens, and for Mrs. Leddens to mention it to who knows who else? Worse, would Mrs. Ledens confront her directly?

Before going down to speak with Mrs. Clarke, about arranging for a carriage, Annie burned the letter in the candle dish. Fortunately, Mrs. Clarke was available to speak and, once Annie explained that she had to get to New York as quickly as possible to see her dying great-aunt, she told Annie she would get word to someone who might be able to help.

For the rest of the day, Annie did her laundry in the boardinghouse basement, knowing she would have to be ready to leave LaGrange, whenever her ride was ready. God willing, this would be in the next day or so.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

With no word from Mrs. Clarke by Tuesday morning, Annie was unsure if she should send word that she would be unable to come to work. Not going to work might arouse suspicion, yet being in the shop would put her on public view for any prying eyes. If Louise’s letter had reached her, could her aunt have also received a similar missive from Benton?

Given that either scenario had its risks, Annie decided it would be better to stay busy than to fritter away in her room. On her way out the door, Mrs. Clarke stopped to tell her that she had just heard back from her contact and that Annie could have a ride the following morning. There was a carriage taking six to Boston, and the sixth passenger had canceled at the last minute. Mrs. Clarke explained that this was the best she could do and that Annie would have to find her way to New York from there. Having no actual preference regarding a specific location, Annie thanked Mrs. Clarke and enjoyed a sigh of relief.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

Tuesday went by without any indication that news had reached LaGrange. Annie sat with Millie, Alice, and Rachel for dinner that night and retired to Millie’s room for a last round of Whist. Millie mentioned that she had an uncle in Boston and would send word of Annie’s arrival. He would perhaps be able to arrange for a place for her to stay. They said their goodbyes that evening as the carriage was leaving at six o'clock in the morning.

𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘𐽘

When Annie entered the carriage, there were already four passengers seated, meaning they had one more to pick up. As they pulled up to a lovely home on the wealthier outskirts of town, Annie saw that the woman exiting the home was none other than Mrs. Stevens.

“Good morning all,” Mrs. Stevens said with more cheer than seemed appropriate for the early hour. Seated just across from Annie, she continued with exuberance, “Seems as though we both have sick relatives on the east coast.”

“Well, isn’t that quite the unlucky coincidence,” said Annie.

“Also, coincidentally, I heard just the strangest rumor about you. But I am not one to heed or spread gossip. Your troubles are safe with me,” Mrs. Stevens said this time with an edge to her excited utterances.