Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-01

Wnlen the car was trayenng, so ne was evidently unaware of the disturbances arising on the sidewalks. In my undue agitation I caught his arm with such force that we came ear era shing into, each other head-on.
 What in the Devil is the matter with this car? Who is that woman?"
 "Why--why?"
 Look! Look out there at those ex- cited men. Don't you see where they're pointing?"
 He faced around and fastened his, eyes on the only other passenger aboard. Then as the light of discovery semed to break over his features he suddenly became white and purple ast a corpse. He shrank back almost con eulsively.
 ''What is the matter? Speak" i'm, plored.
 ''Have--have you change for s5?" he stammered. "Quick!'' jerked out what money had.
 "1 just have ten and four ones" They'll do,'' he said eagerly, almost savavgely, thrusting the five into my hands.
 "What! the ten and the ones?" I gasped.
 "No-just the ones-here!"
 A signal came from the lady and the man pulled the rope.
 While was trying to beat into my brain why. this man had taken four ones for five the woman had alighted from the car and was disappearing down East Ninth street.
 'FTell me, who was it?'' yelled.
 Somebody shouted Madame Bar bette!"
 Who in seven worlds could be Mad anne Barbette? I knew almost as much as did before. However, I came to my senses again and rushed like G. wild man down East Ninth street in search of the sinister, Dugu brious, city-upset~ ting madame.
 As I tore along I remembered "the five dollar bill!"
 The conductor must have had it from Madame Barbette in collecting her fare. Not having paid any particular attention to the passenger he had over- looked her identity until aroused his especial interest. Then he thought of ! the bill! He was afraid of it! He would have gotten rid of it at any sacri- flee! He had palrned it off on mel had been duped--had probably sold my life for a dollar!
 Or maybe it was counterfeit-per- I haps the madame was the chief and queen of some notorious swindling gang.
 I hurriedly pulled the thing from my pocket and held it up to the light--it appeared fault1ess in every detail so I tried to think of some other reason. ~ The other reason, which was ct long coming, sent cold chills all over me. Maybe she had some deadly contag zion some horrible, zymotic disease! The thought paralyzed me!
 I stopped a policeman, quickly de- scribing the madam; he hadn't seen her. I ran three blocks farther, look ing into stores and buildings, stopped another. sbluecoat---if he. had seen her we could approach her together. He knew nothing of her. 5@'
 Then followed futile search for hours. I haunted every street corner from Wannamaker's to Chatham square to no avail. Till late in the aft ernoon I hung around Mott and Pell streets, thinking she might put in an appearance there, but she never came in sight.
 Sick, tired and disgusted made my way home that evening and threw my self dejectedly on a couch. I had lost a day, worried myself ill and discov- cred nothing-nothing but a name Madame Barbette.
 A morning paper which had not yet read lay beside me. wearily picked it up and glanced over its pages. Myeyes fell on sensational article with scare headlines--it had been read that morn ing, no doubt, by every man and wo- man in New York but myself. My blood froze in my veins!
 IS IT BLACK DEATH?