Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-09-08


 to gossip over tho event. They began to in
 quire into the farts On the day before thC
 lady's maid, who was acquainted with
 dramatic author, had received some ticket. | Tor the Star Thcatcr. Knowing that the | master and mistress were to dine out, shC had asked for permission to go out with tho cook. MT. Brownlow, who was in the room at that moment said that he had no need o1
 tue valet and they might take him witl them also. All tho servants had left al seveh o'clock. leaving Mrs. Browlow dressed ready to go out and her husband finishing |
 letter. They had not sent for a carriage
 there was cab stand a few steps from the
 house and tho weather was dry. From that
 moment they knew nothing more.
 The master and mistress had been mar.
 ried year. They were evidently rich, be. cause they lived in fashionable part of
 Fifth avenue in a charming house beauti. fully furnished. Ono 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. MT Brownlow was quiet, taciturn and hcadstrong; he was never angry, but when he had once taken it into his head that he did not want d thing It was impossible to make hlm change his mind. Tho servants did not | Ike him be- cause he was cold and naughty. Naturally, his wifc was of an entirely different Chur;,c- ter; she had mGny capriccs, and became vehement if disappointed in carrying them out; she scoldrd, cried and wcrt, but, after all, 1t was always she who smiled first aud came to embrace her husband. She was jealous, did not like her usband to 20 out alone, particularly Tn the evening" and was anxious to read all tho letters he received but he obstinately fought for his indcpcnd- ence, did not wish to tell her where he went or where he had becH and declared his in- tention to remain the master uf his corrc- spondence. Besides such stormy momruts, the two seemed 10 adore each other, but theIr life Tn common was not without dili- cultics.
 They received few visitors, and the per sons who came to the house wcrc genera V 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 thesc cir cumstances, the servants found no motIvo sufficient to explain why their mistress had not returned The valet could endure it no longer, and he formally aal1ed 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 renamed 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 un- oearable. 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- 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 dincd! Not at home assuredly. If, 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 a vallse, not even travelling bag. She had gone away in an evening dress, with noth- ing in her hand, and she had not come back.
 The story soon spread through the neigh | oorhood It could interest directly but the l furnishers of the house, the baker, the l butcher, the grocer, etc, who knew Mir. and | Mrs. Brownlow. They said that she was a | very pretty and gracious lady and that they | tld not think she was very happy. They | spoke about it to their acquaiutances, and I ,he affair made a great stir. People gen. orally are fond of mysteries, but on condi- | .lon only that they shall be told finally all | about them they consent to suspend their | during the first act of the drama | Tor they know they will get satisfaction in the | fifth act. They must know the last word of .he 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 nave happened on the day of her disappear lnce, between seven o'clock in the evening md three o'clock in the morning; they studied the face of their master when he went out or when he returned, and they 'ound out that he seemed strangely care worn. There were crowds of people before he house; they discussed the possible of the secret drama. Some okers invented a whole story which they old to the epassers-by, and the policemen of hat beat had to interfere to make the crowds move on.
 The serious people of the quarter, fathers # families and store-keepers, dlsapproved If these gatherings, but thought that ustice ought to take the affair in hand; hey hinted that it is not to be permitted in civilized country that one cause a woman o disappear without rendering an account f her disappearance. "Rich people" said hey, "have connections with the police nd they are asked no questions in a case where poor man would be arrested i'm On the other hand, people won ered why the family of the young woman lad not yet put in an appearance. One may ot be on good terms with ones children, ut this is not reason to suffer them to be murdered without saying a word about it. 'erhaps the lady's parents did not know