Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-01
MA ID A M K BARBFTTF By WAYNE B. CARLOCk
Copyright, 1908, by Daily Story Pub. co.)

1 TT was about 10 a. m. was out get 1 \ ting little fresh air, strolling idly and aimlessly up Broadway, almost wishing something exciting would happen to puncture the mornings tire some serenity and instin a little high life into my apathetic state. Arriving near Thirty-ffth street my attention was attracted across the way to a rumpus on the front steps of the Herald building. A man, apparently in the throes of great excitement, was directing the eyes of several others ! toward an open car headed down Broadway. He was making violent gestures with his hands and evidently had discovered something about the vehicle which amounted to grave fear or importance.
 no sooner turned them in it's direc- tion than a gentleman ran awkwardly against me, nearly sprawling me head long into the street. Glancing around as quickly as could balance myself noticed him point with a sweeping movement toward the fleeing car, his eyes glaring wildly with the fire of discovery.
 I whirled and caught sight of the departing vehicle, all the time strain ing my ears to overhear what my neighbors were saying, but they were conversing so rapidly that it came to me as the merest iargon.
 scarcely knew what to do; in fact I had nothing to do, wanted something to do, so I made up my mind that I l 1I T 1,io me all the way to Battery Place.
 Just at this moment a second car rolled by me, and seeing my oppor tunity, I made wild climb for it. My morning 1ethargy was fast disappea ar ing. Strolhng rapidly to the front noticed the preceding car just opposite Smith, Gray & Co.,, where a mob of men who had been inspecting the windows were making various kinds of frantic gesticulations. They, too, had discov- cred something and were imparting the news to each other in the most non pEussing manner.
 now turned my attention to details. That car was moving along as smooth ly as possibly could be, so there could not have been anything wrong with the machinery or rolling stock. Both motorman andi conductor were calm and collected, as likewise seemed the passengers. One thing, however, ap- peared quite singular as to the differ ent passengers positions.
 There were aboard just five men and one woman. These five men were punched together on the two rear seats. As they were not smoking, I could hardly believe this incidental. The woman sat in the second seat from the front, was large and attractively dressed; that is, if you call full suit of sable in the summertime attractive and wore black chapeau adorned across the front with single large 1 plume of brilliant green.
 That she was the exposure in ques- tion I had no further doubt. We were keeping within an average of about 30 yards of the leading car, so I could cas- fly see everything that transpired ahead.
 As we emerged into Madison Square I detected the woman glancing side wise toward the Hoffman house At the entrance stood a roup of men, whom her advent had thrown into | gentlemen of time and money, the per plexity of the situation became more and more puzzling What could there be about this woman which gave birth to such commotion among both class and commoner?
 Then something else happened. The group of men sitting on the rear seats had placed their heads together, and I could tell they were consulting each other in a strange, enigmatical style. One gentleman in particular was as stunning an explanatory attitude of the most startling and conspicuous nature The car came to halt at Twenty-third street and the entire party snealzed fearfuHy from the car, never looking once behind them.
 My anxiety and curiosity at this turn of affairs simply became unbearable. Something had to be found out quick or I would probably fall in an urcon. scious, swe1tering fit.
 The fated car was now rolling into Union Square. From in front of Tiff fany's crowd of window inspectors had caught on, and if the hubbub they displayed could have been. seen by a l party at distance, they would have believed someone was going through one of the plate glass windows in quest l of sunbursts.
 A thought now came whirling through my fevered brain which great ly distressed me. I could not recall that 8 single policeman had so far ap- peared in any party of these perturbed discoverers. Why didn't somebody find a, bluecoat and inform him? Sure ly it must be of importance to them!
 In a blockade at Fourteenth street our car caught up with the one bearing the terrifying black and green. AEght- ing to the pavement I dashed forward and caught it just as they started on. The conductor was in the extreme rear: end and was looking calmly up the.