Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-29

house. Her heart wis heating rapidly.
What did this mean? Had the woman
suspected her, watched her? Did she
know how she had followed her carriage
and had hidden under the steps of the
adjoining house till Mr.. Dye had come
out? 1t seemed preposterous, but it must
be SO.
Come right with me-" said the maid
in the same low tone when she had
closed the door.
She began at once to ascend the broad.
richly carpeted staircase which led to
the floor above. Miss Maxey, startled and
confused, followed. Having reached the
head of the flight, the maid went along
the spacious hall toward the rear Of the
house and turned into a narrower pas.
sage running at right angles. The light
was dim. 1t was with difficulty that the
artists sister could see her way. The
maid knocked at door. Immediately
there was rustic within, followed by
the sound of a key turning in the lock
The door opened cautiously little way,
and a woman's voice said:
''ls it she:''
its. inc I'ld1u dIlSWcre0.
BE quick, said the voice.
Tho maid laid her hand upon Miss
Maxey's shoulder. and in her eagerness
to enforce the order urged her, almost
pushed her, through the doorway. Miss
Maxey suddenly found herself in glare
OF light that dazzled her eyes. This fact
and the realization that the door was
instantly closed and locked constituted
her first impressions. Immediately the
strong and to her the sickening smell Of
ether choked her with its intensity, and
she saw the room and all that il con-
tanned.
1t was q bedchaInber, expensive and
luxurious in all its appointments. Great
mirrors, a costly dressing table, elegant
but sensuous pictures, rugs that would
have been wealth of delight and
warmth TO the fcet-nothing was want
ing that an epiourean taste could suggest
and money could purchase But for all
that the furniture was disarranged and
disortlered as il some unwonted disturb
ance had lately occurred there. The bed
had been drawn out into the center of
the floor. The lace curtains with which
1t had been surrounded were torn from
their places and lay in confused heap
on the floor. A table stood near the bed
Upon 1t were several sponges, bowl
containing water deeply tinged with
blood, a chatting dish with a redhot curl
ing iron apparently forgotten in it
The sight of this last instrument af-
fected Miss Maxey more deeply than any
thing else. Despite the powerful fumes
Of the ether she thought she detected a
more dreadful odor still, as of burning
flesh. On the bed. not in il, dressed IL
loose wrapper, which was still further
loosened at the neck 20 give her all pos
sible ease Of breathing, lay the pretty
young woman whom Miss Maxey had
seen with the elder in the carriage. pale
now and leering about in q silly. idiotic
way. Miss Maxey knew instinctively
that she was under the influence of
ether. She was very scantily dressed and
had been covered with sheet apparent
", but in her convulsive motions had
displaced it. Miss Maxey's frightened
glance farcied she detected spots of
blood upon the cloth.
All this, not more the powerful total
than the smallest detail If tine scene
rushed i'll upon Miss Maxey's Mortified
sense with the suddenness and the DOW
CT Of thunderbolt In those few mo-
ments she saw that which a lifetime
will not efface
Then she became aware that another
face, as pale and startled as her own,
was at her side, regarding her in speech
less CONSERVATION. Even before she
turned toward it she knew that this face
was the handsome, disdainful face that
had looked forth on the trembling DYE
from the carriage. She realized this in
one instant. In the next the woman had