Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-08-09

''Do not blame me, " said Miss Maxey
at Last IN avoice the clearness and steadi-
ness OF which surprised herself rIt is
not my fault that am in this room i
asked only to see you The servant
brought me. might almost say dragged
me, here. "
'.The idiot The idiotl" cried the wo-
man, with more anger. but not less sus-
picion- This blunder will cost her her
place Whom did you wish to seeS"
'You, madam. T"
''Me? You have chosen an odd hour
for your calll'' The woman breathed
painfully in her agitation, dropped Miss
Maxey's arm and tore open the door in
fever of haste.
"Therer' she cried. "This is not my
reception rooml Here. little fool, show
this lady down stairs"
The frightened servant who appeared,
obeyed her. Ellen followed her to the
floor below. AS she descended the stairs
she passed Al. elderly female, with an
energetic stride, coming up. Ellen was
very sure the newcomer went into the
chamber from which she had just come,
and she thought:
''That is the person, whoever she may
be, for whom was mistaken. "
Miss Maxey was conducted to dainty
reception room on the first floor. The
gas was lighted, and she was left alone
with her reflections She sank into a
chair. A long time, very long time
elapsed. She heard many footsteps go
along the hall outside her door before
any one sought again to turn the handle.
She listened with all her power. She
even held her breath. The sight she had
seen in the chamber had made SO power
fri an impression upon her that it al
rIost seemed to be before her still. She
I'D not understand it, but the very mys-
terry made the possibilities SO much the
more dreadful. What was the nature of
the strange horror she had surprised?
Who was the fashionable woman who
had such curious acquaintance in the
outer world, who sheltered such name
less enormities under her roof?
Miss Maxey was young woman who
had been protected from the rough
breath of the great world from her in
fancy, to whom evil in all its greater
and more repulsive forms had always
seemed unreal and dreamlike, but yet
as she sat there in that silent room her
active mind, busy with the logic of tho
events Of the past few hours, saw before
it such possibilities of the depth of hu-
man depravity as made her tremble for
the powers of her own imagination.
What did itmean? What could it mean?
The pretty girl who but few hours be-
fore had been riding for pleasure in her
carriage through the city streets now
prostrate and insane? The ether, the red
hot curling iron, the smell of burning
flesh? Miss Maxey's mind reeled under
the fancies Of what it might mean, and
yet in the midst Of it all she was aware
Of latent impression that nothing in
all these wild speculations was plausible
enough to be the truth.
What a hazardous, foolish thing this
following of Mr.. Dye had proyedl Was
it not an unladylike action, and might
she not live to regret having committed
it? A vague fear haunted her.
The time came when her reflections
were interrupted. She heard no warning
step in the hall outside. The knob turned
quietly. The door swung noiselessly,
and she whom she had come into the
house to see came in.
The woman was exceedingly pale, and
her eyes seemed unnaturally large.
There was a slight trembling of her
hands, but no tremble of the lip. She
spoke at once upon her entrance in d dis
dainful manner and steady voice.
ITO whom have / the honor Of speak
ing?"
"To o lady who desires to remain un-
known.
Miss Maxey would not have made
that answer an hour ago, but events had
brought her to wise determination A
slight color came into the handsome
woman's face.
''This is very extraordinary. What
do you want9"
II wanted to ask you a few ques-
tions. "
"Oh, indeedl Well, can relieve you
of any further necessity Of waiting on
that score. I shall not answer questions
addressed to me by person who desires
to remain unknown.
There were the most bitter irony and
contempt in the tone of this speech. But
for all that the hand trembled still,
though it was laid upon the back Of a
cushioned chair to steady it.
Ellen arose at once, reddening in spite
of herself.
II have no means to force you, she
said quietly. "We are at least on an
equal footing. / do not know you any
better than you know me. {"
The woman caught her breath in a
painful way.
''You do not know my name, and yet
you are in my house?"
81 came into your house because I saw
person about whom / am very anxious
to know come out of it. mean Mr..
Dye.
The woman gasped again. Her eyes
were fixed upon Ellen's face with burn
ing intensity. She did not even attempt
to speak. Ellen went on:
'That man lam very much interested
in. 1t is family matter. ! am aware
that did very bold thing, and ! heart
lily apologize for my rudeness, but my
reasons for wishing to know are SO very
urgent that they led me to overstep the
bounds of social custom. I thought if
you had no objections to telling me what
you know Of that man the information
would be very valuable to me. If you do
object, / can only say again what I said
before, that I am sorry for my intrusion,
and % -