Miss Ida piques the interest of mystery buffs

A blog that I really love is called Past Imperfect, and it's tagline quips that it is "history, but will all the interesting bits left in." 

A few days ago, contributor Karen Abbott posted about two mysterious sisters who had lived in Herald Square Hotel in New York City for 24 years and had never been seen once during that time. 

I always love a good mystery (after all, I have read every Nancy Drew book ever written, but the influence of those on my creativity, and okay, occasional dramatic nature, is a story for another time.). 

It gets even more interesting. They are finally seen when one of the sisters suddenly dies - and as the police and hotel managers and everyone else enter into the mysterious world of these women who had, in all manner of speaking, just disappeared, their curiosity is suddenly satisfied when Ida, the remaining sister, starts to tell them all of these facts about her life - that she was a rich debutante and a real Southern Belle socialite. And that she is super rich - at least by the day's standards. 

But when she dies, it turns out that everything she had said....was a lie. 

Except for the part about her money. A shoebox full of more than $200,000 in cash was in her hotel room. what happened in between? well, it's a great story. Nancy Drew is waiting:  and if you feel really sleuth-y, check out this interesting bit about the history of the Herald Square Hotel.