Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-08

the dumb anguish of grlef to the most, for few families had escaped entire while the shrielIS from the burning building had all been hushed when the great walls fell in.
 Twas still searching umong the crowd for trace of Miss Armund, when a call from MT. Dudley summoned me to him. l found him bending over the still form of the poor old woman, whose white face looked still and set as if in death. Her clothing was badly burned, but her injuries must have been mainly due to her fall on the brick pavement | raised her head and famed her face, meanwhile rubbing the cold hands |; but no sign of life returning, begged Mir. Dudley to get a curriage, if possible, and haze her taken to house. Hc did so, but it was when attempting to help the driver lift hor in that observed his right arm was helpless. l ran to help in his stead, inquir- ing if he was hurt.
 Ut is my arm" he said, steadily, though he was deadly pale, Il fear it is broken"
 l could have knelt down at his feet in the cold street and begged his forgiveness for all the unkind things had ever said of him; {; but he motioued me to enter the carriage, and, after giving the driver orders to drive to Mrs. LciAcrg's, did so We entered the great house that had left a short hour be- fore in such gaiety and splendor, in sorrow and @ourning. MT. Leiberg had escaped unhurt, but his wife had been severely in- IdASu " bIiS NIuSlls "S lOuIu Eoue WIS lying on a couch, palc and still, gasping faintly, when We bore Miss. Armund into the room.
 The doctor who was attending Mrs. Lei berg had the satisfaction of seeing her soon appear q little revived; but Miss Armund remained unconscious for ten hours, despite the combined efforts of Mrs. Kent, the doc tor and myself to arouse her. But just at dawn she revived. bent over her, asking b softly if Shn hnffRr Sha lnOFpI mn fr my eyes, a strange gladness in hers, a sort of dumb joy that made my heart ache, but she did not answer. The doctor gave her 0 sleeping drauglft and then bade us all leave the room except Mrs. Kent, who would watch with the sick woman. went to my room and, after throwing of my rich dress and donning a calico wrapper, went down again to inquire about Mir. Dudley, who I found was being attended by the physicians, who pronounced his arm broken in two places, and he was now lying in the west parlor, looking strangely pale and ill; vet he smiled faintly and endeavorcd to make light of his injuries when inquired and ex- pressed my regret at his misfortune.
 For tne next few days little else was at- tended to except the wants of the three in- valids at the Leiberg mansion. devoted myself almost entirely to Miss Armund, who seemed ill at ease whenever left her sight Her injuries were of very serious character, and the doctor gave little hope of her recovery, even from the first, and at the end of three days he expressed his very grave doubts as to her surviving twenty. four hours longer, and hinted that if she had any business sffairs to settle she had better attend to them at once. The doctor was then closeted with her for some time, at the end of which he came out looking ex- tremely grave and concerned. He mOtioned me to his side. Miss Armund," he said, ''is much worse, but she seems in more an- guish of mind than body. She desires mo to telegraph at once for Mrs. Clayton, who, she says, is a friend of hers; and she also desires to see Oliver Dudley at once. will, he continued, "go at once to the tele- graph office and send the dispatch, Win you, Miss Lynn, be so kind as to deliver her message to MT. Dudley!'
 ''I will at once" I answered, and the doc. tor hurried away. Then all at once it flashed upon me that now most li.ksly was to be revealed the mystery that surrounded me, for that Mrs Clayton and Miss Armund possesseda secret that was of moro or less value to me I never doubted. But would the dying woman reveal itl or would she die and the precious secret be buried with heri felt my brain whirl at the thought Surely fate would never be so cruel Miss Armund had seemed to find my presence agreeable in the last few days, though her HI 'ullCo llttd AICNGulCu rom COnNerS1nQ, chung to the hope that she was my friend, after all, and this helped to calm, somewhat, my excited feelings. I delivered her mes. sage to Mir. Dudley with tolerable com posure- and thA- S-'-~~A 6111 ;o ,,,, o,,,, room to wait in strange, shivering suspense the arrival of Lena Clayton. An hour passed, two, three and then there was . summons from Miss Armund's room. was sent for. Iwent in and was struck at once by the change in her a few hours had wrought; her face was gray and drawn, her eyes sunken, yet glittering with Q deadly brightness. Evidently this world and it's troubles were nearly over with her.
 Iwent in softly. Mrs. Kent, Mrs Lei berg and Oliver Dudley were in the room, but they withdrew at once, leaving us alone together. A strange, solemn hush brooded over all at first; the bright fire craclxled and blazed on the hearth, sending a warm glow over the richly furnished room; the