Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-25
CHAPTER XII.
A DREADFUL MISTAKE

l.
The unsteady figure of the somber
Dye went on along the snow covered
pavement alone Miss Maxey no longer
followed him
Instead of that she walked boldly up
from the area door into the street, as
cended the brownstone steps and pulled
the bell. This was the result of her re-
Elections in the cold and dark. She
would sec this high bred acquaintance of
the mysterious mali, convince her of the
urgency of the case, threaten her if need
be and learn from her if she could who
! and what he was.
1t was not without conscious dread
and shrinking that she took the initia-
tive step in this determined project. She
had been rather inclined to consider
herself as lacking in executive ability,
but none of Us exactly know ourselves
until an emergency arises to test us,
| After she had let go the handle which
summoned the servant to the door she
| was taken with fit of trembling and
! began to consider whether she had bet
| ter not run away while there was yet
! time
| The instant the servant appeared and
she had spoken to her, her courage re-
turned, the trembling left her She could
not understand what had so frightened
her moment before But the sentiment
which came to take the place of the
dread and the fear was soon changed
from that Of bravery to surprise and be-
wilderment. As the house seemed desti-
ute of door plate, Miss Maxey had
made up her mind to ask, like a peddler
or beggar, for the lady of the house.
Her ring had been answered with sur
prising alacrity Iy maid in white
zap, who now, hardly waiting for her to
open her lips, said in low voice:
You want to see my lady? Yes. She
is waiting for you. Come up. This
! way"
The next moment the door closed be-
hind her, and Miss sMaxey was in the
house. Her heart was Eeating rapidly.
What did this mean? Had the woman
suspected her, watched her? Did she
know how she had followed her carriage
md had hidden under the steps of the
adjoining house till Mr.. Dye had come
opt? 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
artist sister could see her way. The
maid knocked at door. Immediately
there was q rustic within, followed by
the sound of a key turning in the lock.
Tic door opened cautiously little way,
and woman's voice said:
is it shc:''
"YcS, the maid answered.
BE quick, - said the voice.
Tho maid laid her hand upon Miss
MuXCy's shoulder, and i'll her eagerness
to enforce the order urged her, almost
pushed hcr. through the doorway. Miss
Maxcy suddenly found herself in glare
Of light that dazzlcd her eyes. This fact
and the realization that the door was
her first impressions Immediately the
strong ard to her the sickening smell of
ether chokcd her with its intensity, and
she saw the room and all that it con-
tanned.
1t was a bedChamber, expensive and
luxurious in all its appointments. Great
mirrors, a costly dressing table, elegant
but sensuous pictures, rugs that would
have been a wealth of delight and
warmth 10 the fect-nOthing was want
ing that an cpicurcan taste could suggest
and money could purchase. But for all
that the furniture was disarranged and
disordcrcd as if 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
it had been surrounded We're torn from
their places and lay in a confused heap
on the floor. A table stood near the bed.
Upon it were several sponges, bowl
containing water deeply tinged with
blood, chatting dish with a redhot curl
ing iron apparently forgotten in it.
The sight of this last instrument af-
fectcd 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 it, dressed in
loose wrapper, which was still further
looscned at the neck to 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 silly, idiotic
way. Miss Maxcy knew instinctively
that she was under the influence of
ether. She was very scantily dressed and
had been covered with a sheet apparent
", but in her cOnvulsive motions had
displaced IT. Miss Maxey's frightened
glance fancied she detected spots of
blood upon the cloth.
All this, not more the powerful total
than the smallest detail of the scene,
rushed in upon Miss Maxey's Mortified
sense with the suddenness and the pow
er 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