Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-04

unexpected and astonishing reply. All eyel
were turned upon the traveller, who unit
now had remained seated, by permission o.
the Judge, being still utterly prostrated
mind and body, with the sudden shock, and
seemed stunned with despair and quite un
able to grasp his painful situation. But nov
he started to his feet as this girl he had sup
posed to be his only child publicly re
nounced him. cam 1 going mad?" he
thought, pressing his hands wildly to hi.
forehead. With violent effort at self.
command, he forced himself to listen to the
next question, clinging to the back of the
chair for support
"What is your name, then?"
"Lina Kamberowski.
"Were you in Mr.. Egerton's house the
dav Of his arrival?"
IT was"
SIN what capacity?"
Gas companion to Madeline Egerton."
Mr.. Egerton leaned forward in fearful ex-
citement, which he with difficulty sup
pressed.
"Was Miss Egerton also in the house?"
For the first time the witness hesitated,
and her face grew more deathly pale.
eyes," she said at last. as if the words
were forced from her without her will.
"Where was she at the time this box was
opened?"
For the space of a second there was ST.
lence; the girl glanced fearfully at the
black box which lay upon the table before
the judge, empty now of its sad contents.
Madeline Egerton was hidden from the
world once more, this time forever, in the
cold, dark earth.
Lima Kamberowski struggled for compos-
ure, but in vain. "Where was she?" she
repeated; then, putting both hands to her
eyes, as though to push back some awful
sight, Madeline Egerton was lying in that
black box, murdered, stabbed to the heart. %
She uttered the last words in so terrible a
voice that a shudder ran through the listen
ers. Mr. Egerton fell back in a sort of fit
and was carried hastily out of court.
"Will you repeat your statement?" asked
the Mortified counsel. "Miss Egerton was
the poor girl found murdered?"
"Yes, Madeline was murdered, repeated
Lima. as though to enforce that terrible fact
on her memory, then her calmness failed:
"I murdered her, 1, Lima Kamberowskil
But for me-" She broke off suddenly,
the confession seemed to burst from her with
a painful effort, and before the sensation
produced by her wild words had had time
to make itself felt, she swayed and fell heav-
lily forward in dead faint, which proved so
deep and so prolonged as to resist all efforts
to restore her to consciousness.
After a quarter of an hours fruitless en-
deavor, the doctor declared the witness to-
tally unfit to give further evidence that day,
and amid the widest excitement the case
was adjourned, the important nature of Miss
Kamberowski's evidence rendering it use
less to proceed without her.
Some hours later woman entered the cell
where Liha was confined on her own evil
dence; the girl lay white and still only
partially conscious; an occasional fearless
sob shook her slender form. A female warder
sat by her couch working by the dim light of
a solitary candle. The intruder advanced to
the girls side, threw herself on her knees,
and covered the prisoners little white hand
with wild passionate kisses. As she did so
the light fell on her dark handsome face,
with its piercing black eyes now dimmed
and marred with weeping, her pale face
framed in thick dark hair. A strange face
And strange history belonged to that
kneeling figure. She was Marie Kamberow-
ski, Lina's mother, and Nine Silvani, the
celebrated prima donna of the - opera.
As she called her daughter tenderly by her
name and strove vainly to rouse her to the
consciousness of her presence, the peculiar
foreign accent struck the ear. 1t was the
same voice that on New Years Eve had re-
quested John Brown to take care of her lug
gage at the Great junction.
The warder was Injured to scenes of
misery, but even her callousness was touched
BY the utter despair of the mother as she
knelt beside her child. What fair young
creature to plead guilty to so fearful crime.
Could she have been in full possession of
her senses when she was giving her evidence?
The short period allowed for visiting was
nearly at an end when Lima Kamberowski
at last opened her eyes, only to fix them with
terror and loathing on the imploring face
that hung over her.
"My loved one, speak to your motherF"
For all answer the girl flung out her arms
with a gesture of utter adherence; q wild
light burnt in her lovely eyes. "What have
you done?" she cried. "Was it not enough
to rob and deceive, but that she must be
murdered! Who did it?" As her piercing,
horror-struck gaze met her mothers face,
Marie Kamberowski started and shuddered,
and unable to bear that glance from her
child she rose to her feet. and, with
a despairing gesture, pressed both hands to
her neck to choke back the torrent of her
emotion. "Who did it?" repeated Lima in
a fierce whisper; then, her strength failing,
she fell back on her couch once more. For
me it was done" she moaned, "I alone will
atone! Deceived and betrayed; oh. Made
line, iorgivel forgiver' The excitement of
the interview was too much; she relapSed
into her former inconsistencies.
"Time's up," said the warder at the dsor.
Marie Kamberowski stood as if turned to
stone as her daughter uttered those despair
ing words.
"Atone!' That word rang in her ears.
She bent for one instant over her daughter
the pale face. 'You shall not sufferl You
are innocent-it is for me to atone. Fare
we'll, my life! my darling! We shall not
meet again" she murmured to the deaf ears.
Then, drawing down her veil, she swept with
graceful steps out of the cell, and, as the
door closed between them, mother and
daughter were parted forever.