Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1894-08-09
sn1to 10. FrA.assA. sAass kssssiAnoN

suspected her, watched hefT 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 q 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 key turning in the lock.
The door opened cautiously little way,
and woman's voice said
Is it she?''
LCc, tu0 Au1lu ttubWSlCu
"Be quick, said the voice.
The 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 tho sickening smell of
ether choked her with its intensity, and
she saw tho room and all that it con-
tanned.
1t was betlchamber, expensive and
luxurious in all its appointments. Great
mirrors, costly dressing table, elegant
but sensuous pictures, rugs that would
have been a wealth of delight and
warmth to the feet-nothing was want
ing that an epicurean taste could suggest
and money could purchase. But for all
that the furniture was disarranged and
disordered 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 were torn from
their places and lay in o 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-
fected Miss Maxey moro deeply than any
thing else. Despite the powerful fumes
of the ether she thought she detected q
more dreadful odor still, as of burning
flesh. On the bed, not in it, dressed in
loose wrapper, which was still further
loosened 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 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 a sheet apparent
AJt DuV al ACL GOAtu1blN0 luOGlOIl0 ltSu
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 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. Ever 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