The Washington times., 1894-07-29

pering, I'm all OF shake. Didn't you hear
the noise. miss? There's something wrong In
| the gentleman's room. Maybe he's i'll and
fallen out of bed. And there's no one in the
| house but you and me, miss, and what arc We
| to do?'
THE gentleman's room" In a moment
| the true solution of the noise I had heard
| flashed across my mind. 1t was the report Of
| pistol. With trembling hands I flung a
dressing-gown around me and seized tho
candle. ave must go to him." said in a
hoarse voice, lat once-at once. Como with
me, Mrs. Rooney"
"Oh, lor, miss, I dursent for the Life Of
mer'
You must, You must,'
dragged her by the arm across the land.
ing and up the stairs till We stood at Edmund
Grey's door.
.Edmund,'' called out. "Mr. Grsyl Are
you ill? Pray open the door. 1t Is only l.
Mary Maitland"
But there was no response. All was
silence-horrible- silence.
At last l could stand 1t no longer. burst
open the door and rushed In.
And there he lay, poor, misguided, heart
broken fellow, prone on the foor-dead-
with a bullet through his brain. How can
describe to you the terror of that discovery or
the useless, frantic efforts we helpless women
made to restore him to consciousness? But
he was gone-far beyond all mortal reach.
Mrs. Rooney" I whispered at last to the
scared woman beside me, You must fetch
doctor at once"
"Ohl lor, miss. here's Miss Stanley Can't
she go?" replied the landlady, and even as
she spoke Cissie (who had entered the house
with her latchkey. and been attracted by the
sound of our voices, stood upon the threshold.
II could have saved her from the sudden
ness OF the blow would, even though 1t was
her flckelness and vanity that were at the
- . pRt
sible. She had seen all before saw her.
what is it," she demanded in fearful
whisper. .Is-is-he ill?''
iii my dear ~ answered Mrs. Rooney.
"He's deadl He's blowed his brains out with
bullet! And to think it should have hap
pened in my housen'
Hush I cried. but IT was too late Cis-
sic gave one look at the dead face OF Edmund
Grey, and fell across the threshold in . faint.
Then all my attention had to be directed to
her. l carried her into her own room and
laid her on the bed, and did not leave her to
herself again. OH what II wretchsd time that
was. and all the worse because we were
obliged to continue dancing and singing and
playing as if nothing had happened. Mr..
Drummond was very kind about it all. He
gave the poor lad an expensive funeral which
the company attended, and the manner OF his
death was hushed up as much as possible.
and his place was filed and after few days
wonder the painful event was forgotten.
But Cissie Stanley did not forget.
She continued to play her part in 1.-THE
Butterfiy's Ball." but from the day that Ed
mund died she used to walk straight of the
stage to her dressing-room, and never spoke
to any one. Lord Philip Freeland complained
bitterly to me of the alteration in her behavior,
but told him she had lost a dear friend, and
wished to be left as much alone as possible.
So after while he, too, disappeared and
went home to his friends. But Cissie grew
thinner and paler every day. She did not
coniide in me, but l guessed how deeply she
was suffering-now, when alasl it was toe
late. When the pantomime had run ID
course, and our engagements were over, We
parted to go our different ways-she to her
mothers house and 1 to my husband.
'Cissie, dear" l whispered. as kissed her
and said goodby Il hope you have ceased to
fret about that unfortunate affair"
She shook her head.
II shall never cease to fret, Mary"
"Oh! yes you will. You will get a good
husband like mine some day, and forget all
about it."
Cissie raised her big blue eyes to my face,
and noticed for tho first time how sunk and
haggard they had become.
Mary" she said. Il shall never marry.
He was the very love OF my life."
And yet she had bounded him to self-de-
struction. What incomprehensible creatures
some women are! Not that believe that
Cissie Stanley will remain Cissie Stanley all
her life. She is too pretty for that. But
think Edmund Grey's unhappy death and tho
share she took in it has planted thorn in
her breast that will make itself felt to mar all
her happiness until she. too, goes forth into
the shadow land to meet him.