The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-07
CHAPTER XVII.

Madge turned deatbly faint, and
leaned heavily against a friendly tree.
"a mother-in-law has always been
the plague of his life ~ she echoed, half
audibly. "What does be mean, won
der? Surely tIOO days are not always.
He didn't tell me that he'd had another
wife, and yet knew there was some
thing wrong. o, my God ! why is it
that women when in love are always
blind? What have done, and how
am to escape this great calamity ?"
Recovering herself sufficiently TO pro-
ceed on her homeward way, she again
started on a run, keeping under cover of
the friendly bushes with even greater
caution than she had thought necessary
to observe when fleeing from her step
fathers roof to take upon herself the
vows of matrimony.
80, sister r' cried Harry, as he met
her when nearly in sight of the cabin
she had builded, and of which she was
now to be forever dispossessed, 81
knew you'd come to-day. Hanson
wouldn't let me see you at the parsons.
He said you were too happy, as his wife,
to care for other company. So went
back to mother-I and Sam-and we
told her, and she cried, and Mrs. Per-
kins, she"
30, Harry! for heavens sake stop
your clatter and tell me how mother
gets along w cried Madge, unable longer
to restrain her anxiety. ..-...
"How can tell you if stop my clat-
ter ?'' asked the boy, demurely.
"Is she alive ?n
eyes, but crazy"
20, Harry! You can't mean it P'
"But do, though. She's crazy as a
chinch-bug."
"Does she rave ?" and Madge ran so
fleetly as she asked the question that
her brother with difficulty kept pace
with her.
"RdUe! I should say so 7" answered
the boy. "You see, she thinks the
baby and Madge are all the same as one,
and she fancies that its little feet and
hands are bearing what she calls "a
woman's load Oh, she's queer, tell
you. She's awful weak, though, and
she cries dreadful"
"Madge has come ~
"Madgey W
80, Madge ~
"Sister ~
"You won't leave us any more, aOiIE
you9"
These were only few of the exclama-
tions of delight and surprise with which
the children of both families greeted the
returning truant. Madge paused long
enough to greet each with kiss and a
hug, and then rushed breathlessly into
her mothers presence, and would have
fallen, weeping, upon her mothers neck,
but the msniacal glare from the rest
less eyes that greeted hers restrained
and appalled, her.
'Tm Queen Esther,n said her mother,
with an odd attempt at dignity that
was almost ludicrous. 81 allow nobody
to approach me under pain of death un.
less stretch forth my golden scepter,r
holding up a broken broom-stick anC
waving it majestically. "I like the
looks of you, slave, and I won't have
you killed if you'll protect my baby
Madge. You look like she used before
she dwindled back into a baby. You'v,
heard of her? Of course you have
Everybody knows Madge. She was
princess of the realm. Before Ahas
uerus died, he set great store by her
Since the trees and the Indians spirite,
him away, and I've been the queen o
the realm, my Madge has dwindle,
from an able-bodied, welI-grown chill,
into this little baby, that looks like
sea she'll"
As she finished speaking, the deliriou
mother gave the baby toss into tn
outstretched arms of her terrific
daughter, who caught it just in time t
save it from certain destruction.
"You look like magician" contin
ued the poor woman, "and I'm sur
you'll restore to me my Madge. Nol
swallow that child Open your mout
and take her down your throat The
Madge will come back to me. Refus'
slave, and pH summon my courtiel
and they shall behead you"
Suddenly Madge became possessed {
strange transformation. Intuitivel
perceiving her mothers condition, 81
decided to humor her fancies, and, {
she rose to meet and conquer the eme
gency, Mrs. Perkins was, If possibl
more severely frightened at the chang
in her than she had been over the RAJ
ings of Mrs. Andrews.
"Yourwillshall be obeyed, o, Queen,
said Madge. "As an humble servant
of the late king, l long followed the bu
iness of assisting in the transmigratio
of souls. If your majesty will subm
to the necessary conditions of Il
change, your Madge will be restored
you in one hour. To make this chan,
in SO short time, will destroy the mi
gician. But will gladly sacrifice n
life for Madge, o, Queen; for in so
ing will restore to you princess, al
TO thu realm a ruler, who is now dal