Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-12-22

He hated to hear himself telling such a deliberate falsehood, but there was no help for it--Madge must never know the truth as long as he could conceal it.
 Just like you," said Madge, kissing him lightly with filial pride ''The best and kind est of mem
 He shivered slightly as he felt her caress. and thought how she would recoil from him did she know all After an,n says some cynical writer, "the illusions of youth are mostly due to the want of experience" Madge, ignorant in great measure of the world, cherished her pleasant illusions though many of them had been destroyed by the trials of the past year, and her father longed to keep her in this frame of mind
 "Now go down to dinner, my dear," he said, leading her to the door. ''I will follow soon."
 Don't be long" replied his daughter, GOT shall come up again." and she ran down stairs, her heart feeling strangely light.
 Her father looked after her until she van- ished, then heaving regretful sigh, returned to his study, and taking out the scattered papers fastened them together, and indorsed them. My Confession" He then placed them in an envelope. sealed it, and put it back in the desk. elf all that is in that packet we're known" he said aloud, as he left the room, "what would the world sayT
 That night he was singularly brilliant at the dinner table Generally,a very reticent and grave man, on this night he laughed and talked so gayly that the very servants noticed the change The fact was that he felt a sense of relief at having unburdened his mind, and felt as though by writing out that confession he had laid the specter which had haunted him for so long. His daughter was delighted at the change in his spirits, but the old Scotch nurse, who had been in the house since Madge was baby, shook her head
 He's fey," she said grgvely. "He's no lang for the warld." Of course she was laughed at-people who believe in present. ments generally are-but, nevertheless, she held firmly to her opinion.
 1 MT Frettlby went to bed early that night, i as the excitement of the last few days and 1 the gayety in which he had lately indulged 1 proved too strong for him. No sooner had l he laid his head on his pillow than he dropped 1 off to sleep at once, and forgot in placid sumber the troubles and worries of his waR- ] ing hours
 It was only Q o'clock, and Madge by her self in the great drawing room began to long for some one to talk to, and ringing the bell, ordered Sal to be sent in. The two girls had become great friends, and Madge, though two ! years younger than the other, assumed the role l of mentor, and under her guidance Sal was rapidly improving. 1t was a strange irony of fate which brought together these two children of the same father, each with such different histories-the one feared in luxury and affiuence, never having known want; the other dragged up in the gutter, all un- sexed and bes,nirched by the life she had led. ''The whirligig of time brings in its re- venges," and it was the last thing in the world Mark Frettlby would have thought of seeing: Rosanna Moores child, whom he fancied dead, under the same roof as his daughter Madge
 On receiving Madges message Sal came tc the drawing room, and the two were soon chatting amicably together. The drawing room was almost in darkness, only one lamp being lighted
 They had been talking together for some time, when Sals quick ear caught a footfall on the soft carpet, and, turning rapidly, she saw tall figure advancing down the room. Madge saw it too, and started up in surprise on recognizing her father. He was clothed in his dressing gown and carried some papers in his hand.
 "Why. papa," said Madge, in surprise
 "Tn-
 "Hush" whispered Sal, grasping her arms He's asleep"
 And so he was In accordance with the dictates of the excited brain, the weary body
 had risen from the bed and wandered about the house. The two girls, drawing back into the shadow, watched him with bated breath as he came slowly down the room. In few
 moments he was within the circle of light
 and, moving noiselessly along, he laid the , papers he carried on the table They were 1T ! a large blue envelope, much worn, with writ ing in red ink on it. Sal recognized it a once as the one she had seen the dead woman ! with, and with an instinctive feeling tha there was something wrong, tried to draw , Madgs back she watched her father { action with an intensity of feeling which helC
 her spellbound Frettlby opened the enve !, lope and took therefrom a yellow, frayet l piece of paper, which he spread out on tn II table Madge bent forward tosee it, but Sal 9 with sudden terror, drew her back.