Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1891-10-17
CHAPTER I.
NJ NJ B Z r S I X.

its " s1i T,' t.
stood duly
resnectable and characterless on that
June morning as its hundreds OF '"uP-
Heated neighbors.
Inside there was the awed stiffness OF
the presence of the king OF terrors'
For Number Six was dead.
Mrs. Evesham, the landlady, had an
ticipated his fate from the moment'that,.
summoned by her chambermaid, she
had found him delirious and writhing'
with pain on his bed; the physician
who had arrived just five minutes too
late to be of service, had dropped the
limp, cold hand with professional IN
| difference and pronounced life extinct
and the coroner had already given notice
of his intention to hold an inquest on
the body.
Poor Mrs. Evesham was plunged into
| sincere grief at the catastrophe, Tor not
| only was her tender nature touched by
the sudden and awful incident, but She
saw, at a critical time in her affairs,
one of the principal sources OF her
income abruptly cutoff.
Ambrose Arlington - the unhappy
Number Six-had been to her prince
of dodgers, prompt and liberal, unob-
|
communications she had had with him,
urbanc and considerable. His very re-
serve, which to some might have been
obnoxious, was to her, who had seen
more prosperous days, his best recon-
incubation, for she had not long reigned
over the fortunes of the present domi-
Gle.
Nor must it be understood that the
house was a common boarding place.
No lone bachelor in that well-regulated
establishment growled over the tough
ness of his beefstcak nor bewailed tho
fcebleness of his coffee. Only room
ers," and those Of the very best class,
found an abiding place under its hospi-
table roof.
TO the inmates it was not sociable
way OF living, for they knew little or
nothing of each other, while among the
servants their individuality was obliter-
ated and they were only spoken of by
the numbers of their rooms. Thus in
5 this democratic atmosphere every
, quests name became absorbed in the
humble figures painted on his chamber
door
With some of her patrons Mrs. Eve
sham did enjoy passing acquaintance,
but this man, Ambrose Arlington, who
now lay dead in number six, was as
- much a stranger to her as though he
had not dwelt beneath her roof.
The whole Evesham family sat in
mournful consultation over the morn
ings disaster. There was the widow
herself still in the generous summer of
life, retaining the matured beauty of
the sweet girl face which, sixteen years
ago, had won the love of the light
hearted Hal Evesham, the prince of
GOOD fellows and life and soul of the
press club, who was now lying at rest
!, in Brooklyn cemetery, and had left, ah
me! such q pittance for his wife and
little ones to begin the world upon.
There was blue-eyed, brown-halred
Alice, a thoughtful maiden of thirteeni
there was Kate, the exuberant, Of
twelve, whose wild, glorious hair would
OF not keep out of her sparkling eyes; and
ne last, though not least in the widows
III estimation. Harry, @tat ten, whose
rs short. crisp, auburn curls were in per
ur feet sympathy with his clear, sharp, in
u tclligent features and trim figure.
They were sounding fearful peeans Of
praise to the virtues of the dead.
$50 quiet and regular in his pay
mcnts," sighed the widow, with prac
teal sympathy.
NJ 80 delightfully."- mysterious" muir
INJURED Alice.
Never scolded when he caught m
stufIing paper in the keyhole of hi
. door," moaned Kate.
Nor blabbed to ma when I hit hir
on the head with my ball, though c
course 1 didn't mean to-" whined Harry
Tie must have been rich, for b
Il, seemed to follow no profession, yet ha
always plenty of money" Mrs. Eveshal
continued, STILL poor soul, harping O
the loaves and fishes.
Then, to think that next Tuesda
his sister is to arrive from London c
the steamer" Alice lamented ''Wh;
on earth we shall say to the poor gi
q, or what we shall do with her when 81
- comes l am sure do not know, ma
darling"
/, ''Nor I, either, child; it is terrib
- dilemma to be in"
E. "Well, at any rate Kate hazarde
''she will be able to tell us who he WI
and where we can find his folks"
$50 she will, dear; had not though
rs, of that, but it is long time betwee
now and Tuesday," Mrs. Evesham a
scented with some assumption of chez
- fulness.
At this moment, the discussion w
interrupted by servant who announces
.r.+. q visitor. No, he did not give his nan
linz nor card, but the girl felt sure he was
,ant gentleman.
II will see no one-but stay, perha
| had BETTER" Mrs. Evesham sal
brushing away her tears and procee
IT. ing to the reception-room. where 81
Cole nal Street Cash Grocer