Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-05-25


neither classic purity nor refinement,
and yet so strongly did these same
dominant impressions manifest them
selves to the beholder in the younger
face upon the bed, despite the unnatural
expression and the silly leer, that Miss
Maxey was almost ready to declare the
relationship between them that of moth
er and daughter.
Even these reflections passed like
fash through Miss Maxey's intuitive
mind while she stood bewilderingly re-
turning the fierce look of the woman
who held her by the wrist. The silence
only exasperated the questioner. Her
nervous hold on the arm frightened, and
she said in a lower but still more in
tense voice:
do you hear me? Who are you?
What do you want?"
''Do not blame me, - said Miss MaXey
at last in a voice the clearness and steadi-
ness of which surprised herself cit is
not my fault that am i'll this room. I
a2ked only to sec you. The servant
brought me, 1 might almost say dragged
me, here. "
1.-The idiot! The idiot!' cried the wo-
man, with more anger, but not less sus-
picion This blunder will cost her her
place. Whom did you wish to see?''
"You, madam.
"Me? You have chosen an odd hour
for your callr' The woman breathed
painfully in her agitation, dropped Miss
Maxey's arm and tore open the door in
fever of haste.
"There!" she cried. "This is not my
reception rooml Here, little fool, show
this lady down stairs. p"
The frightened servant, who appeared,
obeyed her. Ellen followed her to the
floor below. AS she descended the stairs
she passed an 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
chair. A long time, Il very long time
elapsed. She heard many footsteps go
along the ball 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
full an impression upon her that it al
most seemed to be before her still. She
did 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
outer world, who sheltered such name
less enOrmitieS under her roof?
Miss MaXey was ayoung 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 moro 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 the
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 it mean? 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
PROSTATE 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 i'll the midst of it all she was aware
of a latent impression that nothing in
all these wild speculations was plausible
enough to be the truth.
What IL hazardous, foolish thing this
following of Mr. Dye had proved! 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 hel
hands, but no tremble of the lip. She
spoke at once upon her entrance i'll a dis
dainful manner and steady voice.
''To whom have the honor of speak,
ing?"
''To lady who desires to remain I'M
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
face
'This is very extraordinary. What
do you want?"
81 wanted to ask you few ques-
tions.
ooh, indeed! Well, can relieve you
of any further necessity of waiting on
that score. I shall not answer questions
to remain unknown
There We're 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
81 have no means to force you," she
said quietly. 1--WE are at least on an
equal footing. 1 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 i'll my house?"
81 came into your house because saw
q person about whom am very anxious
to know come out of it. I 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 am very much interested
t.