Evening star., 1899-04-01

laugh so easily If you knew that these two
poor old men haven't had decent meal in
fortnight?' l didn't know the speaker,
but was thrilled by his words. Not had
good meal. these men, for fortnight! L
felt as If personally guilty of their suffer-
ing, and, happening to raise my eyes at this
minute and seeing through an open door
the bountiful refreshments prepared for US
all in the supper room. l felt guiltier than
ever. Suddenly I took resolution. 1t
was a queer one, and may serve to show
You some of the oddities of my nature.
Though | was engaged for the next dance,
and though l was dressed in the fiimsy gar
ments suitable to the occasion, l decided to
leave the ball and carry some sandwiches
down to these old men. Procuring bit OF
paper, I made up a bundle and stole out of
the house without having said word to
anybody of my intention. Not wishing to
be seen, / went out by the garden door,
which is at the end of a dark hail.
Just the band was playing the Hare
bell maZurka,'" interpOated Sweetwater.
less composure by an interruption of which
it was impossible for her at that minute to
measure either the motive or the meaning,
she ceased to play with her fingers on the
baluster rail and let her eyes rest for a mo-
ment on the man who had thus spoken, as
If she hesitated between her desire to an
nihilate him for his impertinence and a
fear of the cold hate she saw actuating his
every word and look. Then she went on, as
if no one had spoken.
81 ran down the hill recklessly. I was
bent on my errand and not at all afraid of
the dark. When 1 reached that part of the
road where the streets branch off l heard
footsteps in front of me. / had overtaken
some one. Slackening my pace, so that
stinctively knew to be a man, l followed
him till l came to a high board fence. 1t
was that surrounding Agatha Webbs S
house and when ] saw it ] could not help
connecting the rather stealthy gait of the
man in front of me with story had late
ly heard of the large sum of money she
was known to keep in her house. Whether
this was before or after this person disap
peared round the corner l cannot say, but
no sooner had l become certain that he
was bent upon entering this house than my
impulse to follow him became greater than
my precaution and turning aside from the
direct path to the labels, / hurried down
High street just in time to see the man en-
ter Mrs. Webb's front gateway.
1T was late hour for visiting, but as
the house had lights in both its lower and
upper stories, I should by good rights have
taken 1t for granted that he was an ex-
pected guest and gone my own way to the
Zabels. But l did not. The softness with
which this person stepped and the skulkfng
way in which he hesitated at the front gate
aroused my worst fears, and after he had
opened that gate and slid in, I was so pur-
sued by the idea that he was there for no
good that l stepped inside the gate myself
and took my stand in the deep shadow cast
by the old pear tree on the right-hand side
of the walk. Did any one speak?
There was unanimous denial from the
| I'VE gentlemen DS1Ore her vet she did not
look satisfied.
Il thought / heard some one make a re-
mark" she said, and paused again for
half minute. during which her smile was
study, 1t was cold and in such startling
contrast to the vivid glances she threw
everywhere except behind her on the land
ing where Frederick stood listening to her
every word.
We are very much interested" remarked
Mr.. Courtney. Pray, go on"
Drawing her left hand from the baius-
trade where it had rested, she looked at one
OF her fingers with an odd backward ges-
ture.
Il will she said and her tone was hard
and threatening. Five minutes, no longer
passed, when l was startled by a loud and
terrible cry from the house, and looking up
at the second-story window, from which
the sound proceeded, l saw a woman's fig
ure hanging out in a seemingly pulseIess
condition. Too terrified to move, / c,ung
trembling to the tree, hearing and not
hearing the shouts and laughter of dozen
or more men, who at that minute passed by
the corner on their way to the wharves /
was dazed, l was choking, and only came
to myself when, sooner or later, 1 do not
know how soon or how late, a fresh horror
happened. The woman whom / had lust
seen fall almost from the window, was a
serving woman, but when 1 heard another
scream knew that the mistress of the
house was being attacked, and, rivetins
my eyes on those windows, l beheli the
shade of one of them thrown back and a
hand appear, fiinging out something which
fell in the grass on the opposite side of the
lawn Then the shade fell again, and, hear
ing nothing further, ran to where the OBJ
1ect flung out had fallen, and feeling for
dagger. dripping with blood. Horrified be-
yond all expression. dropped the weapon
and drew back, trembling into my former
place of concealment.