Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-02-22

paiic Iear was, Tor the nrst time m my lie.
 The doctor began to feel interested at last
 @Was there anything remarkable in the ladys personal appearance" he asked.
 Nothing whatever." was the vehement re- ply. Here is the true description of her: The ordinary English lady; the clear cold blue eyes, the fine rosy complexion, the inani- mate y polite manner, the large good humored mouth, the too plump cheeks and chin; these, and nothing moren
 "Was there anything in her expression, when you first looked at her, that too1 you by surprisel"
 "There was natural curiosity to see the woman who had been preferred to her; and perhaps some astonishment also, not to see a more engaging and more beautiful person: both those feelings restrained within the limits of good breeding, and both not lasting for more than a few moments-so far as could see. I say, 50 far,' because the horrible agitation that she communicated to me dis turbed my judgment. If could have got to the door I would have run out of the room, she frightened me SO. l was net even able to stand up-I sunk back in my chair; stared horror struck at the calm blue eyes that were only looking at me with gentle surprise To say they affected me like the eyes of a serpent is to say nothing. felt her soul in them. looking into mine-looking, if such thing can be, unconsciously to her own mortal self tell you my impression, in all its horror and in all its folly! That woman is destined twithout knowing it hersel1 to be tine evil genius of my life. Her innocent eyes saw hidden capabilities of my wickedness in me that was not aware of myself, until I felt them stirring under her look. If commit faults in my life to come-if am even guilty of crimes-she will bring the retribution without las I firmly believe) any conscious aYarciSa 0f her will Tn ;,, describable moment felt all this-and sup pose my face showed it. The good, artless creature was inspired by a sort of gentle alarm for me. I am afraid that the heat of the room IS too much for you; will you try my smelling bottleP I heard her say those kind words; and I remember no, hing else l tainted. When I recovered my senses the company had gone; only the lady of the house was with me. For the moment could say nothing to her; the dreadful impression that 1 have tried to describe to you came ba k to me with the coming back of my life. As soon as I could speak implored her to tell me the whole truth about the woman had supplanted. You see, had faint hope that her good character might not really be deserved, that her noble letter was a skiIlful piece of hypocrisy-in short, that she secretly hated me and was cunning enough to hide it. No! the lady had been her friend from her girlhood, was as familiar with her as if they had been sisters-knew her positively to be as good, as innocent, as incapable of hating any body, as the greatest saint that ever lived My one last hope, that I had only felt an or dinary forewarning of danger in the pres ence of an ordinary enemy, was a hope de stroyed forever. There was one more effor; 1 could make, and made it. went next to the man whom am to marry. I implored him to release me from my promise. He refused. I declared would break my engagement He showed me letters from his sisters, letters from his brothers and his dear friends-all entreating him to think again before he made me hi> wife; all repeating reports of me in Paris Vienna and London, which are so many vii, lies. If you refuse to marry me- he said. you admit that these reports are true-you admit that you are afraid to face society in the character of my wife, What could l answera There was no contradicting him he was plainly right; if l persisted in my re- fusal, the utter destruction of my reputation would be the result. I consented to let the wedding take place as we had arranged it. and left him. The night has passed. I am here, with my fixed conviction-that innocent woman is ordained to have a fatal influence over my life I am here with my one oues- tion to put, to the one man who can answer it. For the last time, sir, what am Ia de- mon who ii2s saan the averaging angels or only a poor mad woman, misled by the delusIva of a deranged mind!"
 Dr. Wybrow rose from his chair, deter mined to close the interview.
 He was strongly and painfully impressed by what he had heard. The longer he had listened to her the more irresistibly the con viction of the womans wickedness had forced itself upon him. He tried vainly to think of her person to be pitied-a person with a morbidly semitive imagination, conscious of the capacities for evil which lie dormant in us all, and striving earnestly to open her heart to the counter influence of her own bet ter nature; the effort was beyond him. A perverse instinct in him said, as if in words Beware how you believe in herl"
 "I have already given you my opinion, 1" he said "There is no sign of your intellect being deranged, or being likely to be de- ranged, that medical science can discover as I understand it. As for the impressions you have confided to me 1 can only say that yours is case las I venture to think) for spiritual rather than for medical advice Of one thing be assured-what you have said to me in this room shall not pass out of it. Your confession is safe in my keeping"
 She heard him, with a certain dogged res ignation, to the end.
 
 "That is al, ,n he answered.
 She put little paper packet of money yn the table.
 "Thank you, sir. There is your fec"
 With those words she rose Her wild black eyes looked upward with an expression of despair so defiant and so horrible in its silent az ny that the doctor turned away his head unable 10 endure the sight of it. The bare idea of taking anything from ber-not money only, but anything even that she had touched-suddenly revolted him. Still, with out looking at her, he said, "Take it back; don't want any fee"
 She neither needed nor heard him. Still looking upward, she said, slowly, to herself: "Let the end come. I have done with the struggle; submit"
 She drew her veil over her face, bowed to the doctor and left the room.
 He rang the bell and followed her into the hall. As the servant closed the door on her a sudden impulse of curiosity-utterly un worthy of him, and at the same time irresisti- ble-sprung up in the doctors mind. Blush ing like a boy, he said uo the servant: "Fol- low her home and find ont her name' For one moment the man looked at his master, doubting if his own ears had not deceived