Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-08-15

his. His eyes, which were very deep set, seemed to have the power ofcomprehending of ia whole scene and every individual in it at Ia glance. One felt certain that had he closed his eyes after an absolute momentary survey he could have distinctly described every person in it, even down to their minutest article of clothing. He repeated twice, only twice, in low tone as he walked along the line: ''When go into the bath-house have the kindness to follow me-" yet every indi- vidua1 understood distinctly whether the words had or had not been addressed, with out his even having apparently looked di- rectly at any one. l noticed afterward those thus chosen were those on whose self control he could probably place the most reliance.
 He began an address to us by reminding us of the solemnity of the occasion and of the difficulty of the duty before us in rather set fashion, as if he felt some hesitation over his unwonted task and took refuge in manuerisms. This, however, Was soon shaken off his words flowed freely and his voice rang clear, yet still nothing to tho point of the matter on hand, no information in fact was sensible of a certain impa- tience had not come there to be har- angued with platttudes.
 we might have known we should be letin for sermon when we had a parson at the head of affairs" whispered a lively little lady at my elbow.
 Hush his voice had different tone in it. He was describing the awfulness of sudden death; lower and more impassioned came his words. would not spoil them by gar bled extracts. It was impossible not to lis ten intently. Scorn and anger flashed out as he spoke of the dastardly cowardice that could strike harmless victim. Then, with pathos had never heard equaled, he de- scribed the grief of the unknown sorrow stricken ones, who might be left to mourn their loss. Suddenly he stopped, and the abruptness made me look up; his eyes were fixed on the prisoner's-then he said, hur- friendly: We are ignorant of much that surrounds the history of this awful crime; all that we have to connect us with the vio- tim lie here.n He threw open the large door and disclosed the bathroom, whose concrete floor sloped upward from the en- trance on account of the occasional over flowing of the spring; on it lay hat and cloak, belonging to the murdered woman, and the much-talked-of Paris flowers, scat tered about just as they had been left.
 MT. Holdfast stopped and picked up large pink flower. The fixed eyes of the prisoner followed his, then she rose and went slowly toward him-we followed according to his direction. Was she-were we going to ex- anime minutely the dreary horrors of the ! place2-enhanced by the mockery of those i tawdry flowers. The door had been closed upon us, and the room was almost dark; ; what light there was struggled in through ! the rough venetian shutters. We stood, | huddled together about the door, the ac- 1 cused woman standing alone i'll the middle . of the room. A beam of light struck some thing glittering on the floor. Icould hardly repress my inclination to call for the shut | ters to be opened-the twilight was almost pa1nful-yet felt that Mir. Holdfast would not have permitted any thing unless he had 1 some design in choosing it to be so.
 The tall figure in the center bent down and picked up the shining something and and raised 1t high above her head; it was & l long knife of peculiar construction. At last the silence was broken, and she was about to speak-but no the sounds that came were more like moans than articulate words; the sounds grew louder, they rose and fell like an Indian chant, while she Whirled the long knife slowly round and round her head. Two or three of those nearest her rushed to the door; the sudden light revealed MT. Slater, the draper, whose curiosity was as great as his cowardice, suspended, like Mohammed's coffin, between earth and heaven, his body and legs safe outside, and his head still stuck in round the door.
 could not have moved if had wished it; that whirung blade fascinated me, yet the sight of Mir. Slater made me laugh.
 But the voice was rising louder new. could hear or thought heard, these words
 The east wind blows, 1t brings Q word;
 Awake my blood-bedaobled sword,
 The words q spark that lights flame,
 Was kindled at noble name
 Which coward Death from Rumor heard.
 Then, wake and rise, Averaging Sword" At the last line her voice rose to a wild scream, and she ran In frenzy toward the bath. Just at this moment the door was opened from the outside and an old man with streaming gray hair rushed in. Mr- Hold fast went to meet him, and laid his hand on his arm. The old man shook him off
 My daughter! whereis she? Who dares accuse her of hideous crimes!"
 Herself" answered the clergyman, ''and yet not herself"
 He took the old man gently aside and en deavored to calm him and tell him wha1 had passed.
 The old man turned his head, and wher the clergyman had ceased speaking he came forward to us, with gesture full oi dignity.
 My friends-this gentleman, to save my daughter from & shameful death, has proved her-mad. The frenzy could only be re produced by restoring the outward circun stances of the last, the fatal one. I thank him for the attempt I thank you for youI presence here. Had there not been the semblance of trial to set her suspicious a rest, it might have failed. Yet think of tht awful fate reserved for one who during lonE intervals Is as conscious of her condition 8! yourselvesP'
 He was hardly able to go on, but turned t' MT. Holdfast.
 "You meant it for the best-the best n' doubt, but was not any death better than Auch a fate2i
 Mature is kinder than we, in our igno rance, can be-" he replied; "shs has finished the work she began-your daughter death"
 We learned afterward that the poor giS had gone mad from the shock of hearing 0 the death of the man to whom she wa shortly to have been married. He had bee murdered by dacoits in Burmah, and his las letter to her, which she never could be 1n duced to part with for moment, had bee much occupied in describing the luxurisn growth oftropical flowers which surrounde their future home out there. After the ter rible news she remained for a week withou