The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1889-06-06

T2 o c.Jn ei IN T. the a, n NJ, 4
ing Mr.. Brownlcw returned alone. Tn,
maid, astonished, asked for her mistress
~She will not come home" was the gruf
answer. "You can go TO bed"
The next morning the servants rose early
20 gossip over the event. They began TO in
luire into the facts. On the day before the
lady's maid, who was acquainted with a
dramatic author, had received some tickets
sor the Star Theater. Knowing that the
master and mistress were TO dine out, she
had asked for permission TO 60 out with the
cook. Mr.. BrOwnlow, who was in the room
ut 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
I seven O'Clock, leaving Mrs. Browlow dressed
ready to go out and her husband finishing a
letter. They had not sent for a carriage;
there was a 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 a year. They were evidently rich, be-
cause they lived In fashionable part Of
Fifth avenue in q charming house beauti-
fully furnished. One could well 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
newer angry, but when he had once taken it
INTO his head that he did not want thing
h 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 90 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
culties.
They received few visitors, and the per-
SINS who came TO the house were generally
members Of the family or friends. The
lady'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
longer, 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
me 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 II was TO
call on him arrived as usual and were re-
ceived by him, but nobody knew what he
had said 10 them. The mystery became I'M
bearable. The maid determined to call |
lpon her friend at service in the house |
hhere her master and mistress were to 1
have dined on the day Of the event. She |
Earned 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 ladyis
absence became more and more unac-
>ountable Something extraordinary must
awe happened Immediately after the
departure of the servants to cause the
breaking of the engagement for dinner.
And where had they dinedl Not at home,
Rssuredly. 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
md the cupboard in the pantry. Nothing
had been moved And then the lady had
not taken any luggage with her, not even
Vallse, 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
borhood. 1t 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
lid not think she was very happy. They
spoke about it to their acquaintance, and
the affair made great stir. People gen.
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 thedrama.
for they know they viii get satisfaction 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 becomeof 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 |
of the secret drama Some
lokers 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
The serious people Of the quarter, fathers
Of families and store-keepers, dlsapproved
Of these gatherings, but thought that
iustice ought to take the affair in hand; |
thew limited that it is not to be permitted in
4 civilized country that one cause woman
N disappear without rendering an account
m her disappearance. sRich people" said |
new. shave connections with the police
md they are asked no questions in case
where a poor man would be arrested i'm
nediatelv.u On theother hand, people won
ierefi rhv the family Of the young woman
rad not vet put in an appearance One may
,ot boon good terms with ones children,
mi this IL nota reason 10 suffer them TO be
murdered without saying word about It
,orhaps the lady's parents did not know
et what had happened; thereought TO be
omeboiy charitable enough 10 inform them
Z thooccurrence.
And then new crowds gathered on the
,deralk near the house. with inquisitive
Ia threatening attitudes They did not
AZ any longer attention TO the iniunctlons
IRE poi,ce. and order in the street be-
me disturbed, 80 that one day the chief
nolicc presented himself At tho house OF
q R.ornloua .sir." said this clever !