Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-10-07

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 ooldng after us with vacant stare. l Mrs. Leiberg was too well bred to ask questions, but saw that she had noted the ' whole occurrence and was full of conjecture
 as to who the strangc-loolsing woman could | nave been who had evidently recognized me | St sight. But I did not enlighten her. could not, without giving details I did not
 care to disclose, for had hitherto passed as
 an orphan, a friend of Mrs. Kent had left,
 and whom she had adopted, and no one ever dreamed of my being founding, reared by charity; and, though they were kind and generous people, I dared not trust to their Rristocrstic ears the true story of my life, | hoping I could hold my place, as before, among them. Mrs. Kent, too, had thought | it best to say nothing in regard to my pa- l rentage, though she as well as myself would have scorned to have told falsehood concerning it. We merely kept silent,
 thereby not committing ourselves to our | friends.
 Our drive home was silent and depressed evidently Mrs. Leiberg expected an ex- planation, and was somewhat angry because 1t did not come. And I was embarrassed
 and vexed that could not give it, and so we arrived home and betook ourselves to our
 respective tasks, each feeling hurt at the other, yet without cause.
 How it would have ended I know not
 Whether I should have confessed to Mrs.
 Leiberg the strange circumstances that sur
 rounded my intimacy with Miss Armund, or
 whether should have preserved a sullen
 and discreet silence on the subject, I can
 not say. But fate had arranged a different
 explanation for all these petty difficulties,
 one of which we never dreamed!
 We had arranged to attend the opera that
 evening; yet little thought what strange
 chain of events were being forged for me,
 srI.a k...N.
 essary length of time before the cheval
 glass, viewing the effect of a new costume
 of cherry and cream satin whose lustrous
 folds glistened in the gas light of the pretty
 room where stood. A vain and thought
 less girl after all my hard lessons of pover-
 ty and seclusion, often found myself won-
 dering that could be so happy, I, who had
 once seemed only born for a drudge or to
 be a perpetual nuisance ever in somebody's
 way.
 sat down idly after dressing, and it be-
 ing early, took up a paper and began to
 read it carelessly at first, but finally name
 struck my eye that made me at once won derfully interested-it was the name of
 Irving Barrett. For years had scarcely
 thought of tho boy, for however his sister
 might interest me in regard to her friend
 ship with Oliver Dudley, I had never a
 thought in common with her brothers.
 But imagine my surprise and horror at finding his name at the head of the criminal calendar, accused of stabbing fellow stu dent fatally while engaged in a drunken carouse. He had fought the officers, so the paper stated, like wild beast, but had finally been overpowered and lodged in jail, where he now lay awaiting trial.
 read the account over twice before I fairly comprchended that Irving Barrett was an accused murderer, and very likely to suffer the full penalty of the law, as pub lie opinion seemed much against him. Twas shocked aud grieved at this, for, though Irving had ever been my enemy, and his proud sister had scorncd me as she would a leper, I could not but feel this must be a terrible blow to her and her naughty mother And BeFtie, dear, brave, manly little Bertie, | how this keen disgrace would wound himl My heart ached for him.
 But my meditations were brought to a close by the entrance of the servant with | word that all were ready and waiting for | me. 1hastily dOnned my cloak and hat and | descended, expecting to find my escort, Mir. | Balfour, waiting for me; but, instead, | note had been sent saying he had just re- | ceived telegram from home announcing | the dangerous illness of his father and ask | ing his immediate return; so must excuse | him from attending, though to forego this | pleasure, he said, was a disappointment - yet duty to his fatheF came first. And | then he had hastily scribbled a goodbye | and strict injunction not to forget him, though in the exciting scenes that followed it is doubtful if a thought of him ever crossed my mind.
 The opera-house was filled to overflow ing. The elite of the whole city were there, it seemed, and I gazed over the brilliant | scene where the bright flashes of diamonds, the soft glow of silks and satins, waving plumes, bright faces and lovely forms, seemed to give it tho likeness of fairy land, with a strange dreamy restfulness, as if all care and suffering were lifted for little while from my heart, It was the Hull be- fore the storm, 1t seemed to me afterwards
 With q crash tho music broke forth, and all eyes were turned instantly to the stage, for new star was to sing, and the music loving world was on the QUt Vi,e. The first part was over; there was lull, and then the curtain, slowly rising, revealed Madam L., the celebrated singer whose beauty and music world applauded, standing be- fore us. To the day of my death I shall never forget that scene. The beautiful | woman in her silken robe glittering with jewels, the gay bright company who fol- lowed her every move, are figures that are stamped on my memory in characters never to be obliterated. The band played softly D lovely prelude, sweet and soft as the breezes on banks of violets, and then Mad am + - began to sing. Slow, soft and sweet her voice rose, filling the whole vast room, when suddenly there was flutter, murmur on and near the stage; it grew in strength, the singer paused, then went on, put in an instant Q man sprang on the stage screaming fire at tle top of his voice.
 For an instant the crowd wavered: a single tongue of flame like an evil eye darted put from a screen; that decided them. With } wild cry the people were on their feet in m instant; thenext a rush, jam, furious battle for life and escape, and the scene oeggars description. It would be quite i'm possible to describe the horrors of that hour. | The building was really in flames before the ;rowd had half escaped from it.
 I stood for some time where had first ,isen, utterly dumb with horror and fright knew not what to do. My friends, mad With terror like all the rest, flung them elves into the surging mass and fought like lemons to gain foot toward the great en- rance doors that stood so invitinglyly open, | - A--A