The Irish standard., 1889-03-23

W%K@Wt | return ed towards
&SSM=T3M eleven O'Clock. On
s###t4gWM this particular even
8fF EHEXHW ing the lady's maid
s tef1 sat up waiting for
HAiiTf!: '!gMH/ their return. At three
'''1s o'clock in the morn
ing Mr.. Brownlow returned alone. The
maid, astonished, asked for her mistress.
'sShe will not come home,'' was the gruf
answer. 'sYou can go to bed.''
The next morning the servants rose early
to gossip over the event. They began to in
quire into the facts On the day before the
lady's maid, who was acquainted with
dramatic author, had received some tickets
for the Star Theater. Knowing that the
master and mistress were to dine out, she
had asked for permission to go out with the
cook. Mr.. Brownlow, who was in the room
at that moment, said that he had no need Of
the valet and they might take him with
them also. All the servants had left at
seven o'clock, leaving Mrs. Browlow dressed
ready to go out and her husband finishing
letter. They had not sent for carriage;
there was cab stand a few steps from the
house and the weather was dry. From that
moment they knew nothing more.
The master and mistress had been mar
ried year. They were evidently rich, be-
Fifth avenue in a charming house beauti-
fully furnished. One could wep see that
there was no lack of money; the butcher,
the grocer, the baker, etc, had never to
present their bills twice, and at meal times
pecuniary matters were never mentioned.
Nevertheless, there were often stormy
scenes between them. Mr.. Brownlow was
quiet, taciturn and headstrong; he was
never angry, but when he had once taken it
into his head that he did not want thing
it was impossible to make him change his
mind. The servants did not like him be-
cause he was cold and naughty. Naturally,
his wife was of an entirely different charac-
ter; she had many caprices, and became
vehement if disappointed in carrying them
out; she scolded, cried and wept, but, after
all, it was always she who smiled first and
came to embrace her husband. She was
jealous, did not like her husband to go out
alone, particularly IN the evening, and was
anxious to read all the letters he received,
but he obstinately fought for his independ-
ence, did not wish to tell her where he went
or where he had been and declared his in
tention to remain the master of his CORE
spondence. Besides such stormy moments,
the two seemed to adore each other, but
their life IN common was not without diff
eulties.
They received few visitors, and the per-
sous who came to the house We're generally
members Of the family Or friends. The
hdy's parents were mentioned at times, but
they never came to see her.
After having commented on all these Cir
cumstances, the servants found no motive
sufficient to explain why their mistress had
not returned. The valet could endure it no
bonger, and he formally asked if he should
lay plate for madame when he set the
table, and when she would come back
"Lay the table as you always do and let
nae Alone" was the answer.
He laid her plate for breakfast, then for
dinner. The next day he omitted it,
The master of the house was moody and
silent; he remained absent sometimes for
days. The persons whose habit it was to
call on him arrived as usual and were re-
ceived by him, but nobody knew what he
had said to them. The mystery became I'M
bearable. The maid determined to call
upon her friend at service in the house
where her master and mistress were to
have dined on the day of the event. She
learned then that the family had waited for
them until eight o'clock, and that they had
not been seen there. They might have
written, perhaps, since, but no dispatch
had come on that evening, The lady's
absence became more and more unac-
countable. Something extraordinary must
have happened Immediately after the
departure Of the servants to cause the
breaking Of the engagement for dinner.
And where had they dined2 Not at home,
Assuredly. II, when they were alone, they
had changed their mind and taken fancy
not to go out and to dine alone, they would
have disturbed the buffet in the dining-room
and the cupboard in the pantry. Nothing
had been moved. And then the lady had
not taken any luggage with her, not even
valise, not even travelling bag: She had
gone away in an evening dress, with moth
ing in her hand, and she had not come
back.
The story soon spread through the neigh
horhood. It could interest directly but the
furnishers Of the house, the baker, the
butcher, the grocer, ETC., who knew Mr.. and
Mrs. Brownlow. They said that she was
very pretty and gracious lady and that they
did not think she was very happy. They
spoke about it to their acquaintances, and
he affair made a great stir. People gem
orally are fond Of mysteries, but on condi-
ton only that they shall be told finally all
about them they consent to suspend their
curiosity during the first act of the drama,
for they know they will get salts faction in the
fifth act They must know the last word Of
the mystery. Consequently they began to
make inquiries in order to find out what
might have become Of Mrs. Brownlow; they
were lost in conjecture upon what might
have happened on the day Of her disappear
ance, between seven o'clock in the evening
and three o'clock in the morning; they
studied the face of their master when he
went out or when he returned, and they
found out that he seemed strangely care
worn. There were crowds Of people before
the house; they discussed the possible
circumstances OF the secret drama. Some
iokers invented whole story which they
told to the passers-by, and the policemen Of
that beat had to interfere to make the
crowds move on. $3.50
TIE serious people Of the quarter, fathers
Of families and store-keepers, dlsapproved
Of these gatherings, but thought that
Justice ought to take the affair in hand;