Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06

living thing" she said, with tears in her eyes
whom had educated for a violinist. He might
have been Paganini, but he went mad and
married Dutch doll in q bakers shop. They
are starving in garnet in Frisco now. He APP
piled to me for aid and sent him fine coffin.
Then there was dear little NJ altese cat, dear
Haidee. whom 1 so loved and picked ont of the
gutter with a broken back. fhe darling grew
and got well and one fine day left me. had i,
it. loved il So"
Why. the woman was dreadful with her saw.
age sentimentality! 1 sbuddered every time
she euiogized Eugenia- No doubt the poor
Dear mad unwittingly offended her, spoken OF
leaving or said something to excite her ieal-
onsy and had been, in consequence, tempora-
rlly paralyzed or laid under the influence of
some drug. Maybe it was on my account.
She must. at any cost, be freed from the guar
dlanship OF this witch and her attendant black
nag;
This old woman, an immense negress, was
utterly devoted to Mrs. Grey. Once or twice
approached her, slipped money into her
palm and inquired significantly Of Mise Van
CORTLAND, but she always looked into my face
with an idiotic leer and slipped away, chuck
ling to herself.
This handsome house, which had seemed so
desirable visiting place, became hobgoblin
hall. Mrs. Grey was the evil genius, Eugenia
the beautiful captive, whose imprisonment /,
the knight Grant, was to break. wrote a
note and left II in her book, entreating her to
leave with me and be married, to explain il
Mrs. Grey was cruel to her and to give me
hope.
The next day found between the pages Of
her book tiny perfumed blue note.
Il entreat you to wait and the mystery will
De explained. Mrs. Grey is my kindest frie nd;
s ssG does all foE me, Wait you love me- for
This was emphatic. With the assurance of
these words felt that could wait a hundred
years. But as the days passed my impotence
to see her and speak to her grew stronger. 1t
was not manly to be constantly breathing this
atmosphere OF chicanery and intrigue. Doubt
1essly she was under the malign influence when
she had denied Mrs. .Grey's duplicity. Visions of
what had read Of hynotism passed before me
and frightened me for the happiness of my I'M
known sweetheart
At last impulse conquered. One evening
Mrs Gray had departed to be gone until after
midnight at dinner. The knowledge embol-
dened me. While Eugenia sat in her velvet
chair ! fingered at the portal Of my FOOLS para
disc, lingering the cool strings Of the portiere.
When pushed them aside she seemed not to
hear, and did not turn at the sound of thS
shivery clatter. Throwing myself on my knees
at her feet, my head bowed, l cried out:
Forgive me. dear, must speak. Say a
word to me. Look at me-
No answer came. Fearing her indignation I
looked up. Those lustrOus full blue eyes
looked straight ahead fixedly. A mortal terror
seized me. Passing my hand up the soft folds
OF her gown l touched the pink cheek. No
breath or palpitation of life stirred that charm
ing FORM My finger tips touched a smooth,
oleaginous surface. A sensation Of horror and
rage stole over me as realized the truth. Dear
Eugenla was only large and beautiful wax
doll, tiendishiy and artistically made, with the
perfect features that one sees in hairdressers'
windows.
cast myself on the floor, cursing my blind
folly. The old negress emerged from one cor
that seemed corpse of the ideal had built up
and left the room with it. with a cackling laugh
which echoed up the halls
Then packed up my belongings and left the
house, giving the butler the following note to
be presented to Mrs. Grey upon her return:
MADAM: have just learned of the shameful
fraud you have been perpetrating upon guile
less and too confiding society. The memory Of
past kindness and the unwillingness to infringe
upon the sanctity of hospitality prevent at
present public expose, which, however will
be inevitable unless you Immediately consign
that monstrous puppet to the darkest closet Of
your house. Yours,
"ARcHIE billiard"
A few days later 1 saw in the inimitable
English OF society notes this notice in an even
ing !:I Rape MANY friend, =, u;.. W.. co,,-.,,
will be grieved to hear that she has returned
to her home In New York owing to family Attic
ton. Miss Van Courtlanc, who is endowed
with all the gifts of fortune and a pretty head
full OF bralny ideas, has, though her circle has
been exclusively small, done much havoc
among the jeunesse doree of this city where she
has been the recipient Of social courtesies of
an extended nature. Mrs. Greys charming
home will be closed. as she will soon start on an
extended tour through Russia
Well, l got over it in time but it was hard
pull. Commodore Sapper, who jeered me upon
having been rejected by the heiress, seeing that
1 was out of spirits. kindly used his influence
to procure for me sea duty ON the Pacific
squadron.
At Mare Island I met Ned Tracy, the only
one OF Mrs. Grey's sons-in-law whom she re-
cognized. He had perfect horror of the old
lady, and. touched by our sympathy on this
point told him the whole story.
Good Lord" he said. you don't mean to
say she carried the fraud that far? She used to
have the thing here and get mad if We didn't
bow to i: when We came in the parlor, but
had no idea of anything like this. She really is
q dangerous maniac, in that sense"
'Where is she nowf' asked.
"Well, We heard she had Joined the tbeoso-
phists and guarreled with them and had been
arrested as nihilist spy, but the last thing is
that she Is an abbess in a convent of the Greek
church in Moscow. They won't let her out
from there. hope"
lam married now and prosaically happy,
with a wife and children. but sometimes a
breath OF spring moonlight or a chord of
Chopin brings back the old romance and can
not but sigh to think Of my first love. my dear
Eugenia, probably hidden in some dark closet,
her lovely face covered with cobwebs and
scampered over by spiders and mice.