Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-20
A Masked Marriage.
 BY JOHN E. BARRETT.

satisfaction which his workmen felt on drawing their pay, and delighted in picturing to himself the happiness which the well earned monthly recompense would bring into the humble homes of the hardy tollerS. He was happlest when his men were contented, and his l intimate friends often heard him say: ''I would rather have one hundred men l who are satisfied with their pay and positions, than five hundred malcontents; and the best way to make them happy, | is to ascertain what they need, and make | such reasonable concessions as they are | entitled to-"
 | The day of the explosion at the Grims- 1 by Steel Mill was payday, and on the l day previous, President Carson, as had | been his custom for many years, drew | enough money from the Grimsby bank to pay his great army of workmen. The disaster upset all his arrangements, how ever, and put off payday. No one thought of wages when every home in the neighborhood of the dislnantled steel mill was the scene of grief. After his disagreeable experience with his nephew and with Noel Edwards, Mr. Philip Carson repaired to his study for rest and reflection. He was deeply dis turbed by the sad occurrence of the morning at the mill, but not more so than by his strange encounter with Noel, and the grim story the blind man told him concerning Clarence. MT Carson sat few minutes ill front of his desk musing over the stirring events of the day and night Then he suddenly thought of payday, and of the fact that he had placed the box contain ing the money for the mems wages in a small safe near his desk the evening pre- vious. In obedience to some random inn pulse, or possibly to find occupation for his troubled mind, he went to the little safe, unlocked it, took out the cash-box, and was about to place it on his desk, when he saw reflected in a mirror the shadow of a sinister face.
 The vision disappeared like a flash, but it gave MT. Carson such a severe shock that he almost dropped the heavy cash box from his grasp.
 What could it be?
 Placing the box on the desk, MT. Car son speedily turned around and made thorough search of the room. He looked out into the hallway, but could sec no- body, neither could he hear sound, such as he might expect, of retreatine footsteps. The face he saw reflected ill the glass was a familiar one, but there was look of infamy depicted ill It that made the old mans heart throb quickly for a few seconds, and almost unnervcd him.
 He was about to ring for one of the -l,n,, 1,n of sweetchimed clock, whose note was soft CT than silence, diverted his attention for a moment, and, glancing up, he noticed that the hour was much later than he had expected.
 "Pshaw!" he muttered: " I have never been a coward, and it is too late in the day for me to begin to play that char acter now"
 Saying this, he shut the room door gently, and returning to his desk, took up the cash-boX, and proceeded to replace it in the safe. Just as he did so he was struck tremendous blow across the head which almost stunned him; but he was powerful man, and rallied instant ly.
 The box fell from his hands on the desk, and he turned to grapple with his assailant, and seized him by the throat.
 Quick as fash the robber struck MT. Carson another heavy blow, and he fell to the floor with stitled moan.
 The most desperate of men stand ap- palled in the presence of a great crime committed by their own hands, and when MT. Carson fell at the feet of the assassin, the latter was so mortified that he scarce ly knew what to do next. While he stood there irresolute, he heard the sound of footsteps in the hallway, and immediately turned off the gas that burned above the deslz leaving the room in darkness then retreated to distant corner of the room, wondering what would happen, and fearing lest he might be discovered, but at the same time prepared to sell his life dearly in case of attack.
 The footsteps drew nearer, and the palpitating ruftian ill the corner heard some one open the door. Then wo- mans voice ill tone of half-suppressed alarm, said:
 Father, father! Are you here?"
 It was the voice of Zelda Carson, who had been lying awake, thinking over the
  the evening, and in the stiffness of the night heard the struggle ill her fathers study, and wondered what it might be.
 She pushed the door of the study open, and was amazed to find the room ill dark ness.
 She called her father repeatedly, in quick, nervous tones, but there was no response, and then becoming awed over the loneliness of the place, she was about to return to her room, when low moan sent a chill to her heart, and filled her mind with thousand fears.
 Her first impulse was to enter the room, but the dark, lonely, and mysteri- ous situation caused her to shrink, and on second thought she resolved on rous- ing her sisters and the servants, and bringing them to the scene.
 That pitiful moan sounded like the vail of some lost spirit, and Zelda Car- son almost tainted when she heard it,