Daily Kennebec journal., 1882-09-20


Because | have quite misunderstood
| you,'' was Pritchard's reply, in con-
siderably louder tone than Margaret had
used. You said nothing about Madame
Duchesne's having met with the loss OF a
beloved daughter. That. surely, Is reason
enough to be both i'll and miserable
A moment of silence followed. Mar
garet had given an astonished start as he
finished speaking.
..Oh, sir - she suddenly exclaimed, Il
should have told you
And then ali further words died on her
lips Through the open doorway had
giided new figure-that of very old
woman, with sharp, withered face aud
the feeble movements of an invalid. She
had small, uneasy eyes of piercing bright
ness, and nose that curved so oddly at
its end and sloped so high at the edge of
either nostril as IL suggest its beng con-
stantly held downward by the tip of an
invisible finger. She wore large hoops
of gold in either ear. and a crimson silk
kerchief knotted about her throat. Her
face, with all its shrewdness. struck
Pritchard as possessing a sort of covert
benevolence But she now seemed IN
anyihing but benevolent mood.
Margaret ~ she exclaimed. speaking
with an almost comic French accent, and
an equally grotesque idiom, for what
did YOU bring monsieur into this house
If was sick no matter; you could have
said to me, Josephine. what shall do ?
| would have told you Monsieur is
doctor. NEST ce pas!" continued the old
woman, looking abruptly at Pritchard.
..Ah. yes, made no doubts whatever of
that when saw him mount up stairs with
Margaret But for him to have arrived
at all is not necessary. Pardon, Monsieur.
but it is not
That is Just what have been telling
Margaret" said Pritchard. with as civil
smile as he could manage, for he began
TO feel trifle annoyed by the position
into which he had been thrust, through no
fault of his own. Il did not know he
went on, that grief was the cause of
Madame Duchesne' 'sIindspostion. Mar
garet, here, told me nothing about the
lady's having lost beloved '.daughter.'
.'Oh. sir" exclaimed Margaret, quite
explosively at this point.
.'Sience,' broke in the old woman.
however, before another word had passed
Margarets lips. Already you have
made enough mischief with that long
tongue of yours" Here Josephine once
more turned TO Pritchard. Madame
Duchesne is in great trouble, Monsieur
she said, using considerably :,ilder tones.
'.She disquiets herself very much. Non
Dieu. this is but natural; you have heard
why
Yes" answered Pritchard, Il have
heard"
He moved toward the door, passing out
of the hall, and slowly descended the
stairs. While dong so, he caught the
sound of a few words spoken between
the women whom he had left: then. before
he had reached the lower landing of the
stairs, he discovered that Margaret was
descending behing him. He waited until
she joined him there in the main hall.
Her honest face, as it drew nearer, was
iull of eager apology, not unmiXed with
bewlderment.
Il am very sorry sir she began, Ito
have brought you out of doors this cold
night. and all tor nothing. But II
thought" And here Margaret came
to an abrupt pause.
Pritchard smiled with facile good nature :;
his worst enemy, if he had ever suffered
from that social inconvenience, could not
accuse him of lacking "a complaisant
spirit.
WELL" he said with quiet feeling, Il
suppose you thought that medicine could
be of use in case like this, Margaret.
But you are mistaken. | have no drug
that can lessen the grief of a mother for
her child'
Margaret looked down; she seemed
oddly confused; she still wore the big
wooden shawl, and now began twirling its
fringe nervously between her coarse,
work worn fingers. ''Yes, SIR" she said,
without lifting her eyes, II can under
stand that
A new thought struck Pritchard at this
point. Where is the physician" he
asked. "who attended Madame Duchesnes
daughter during her last illness ?"
Margaret raised her eyes now, and gave
startled, bewidered look full in Pritch-
ards eyes.
IL don't know, sir" she stammered,
in miserable embarrassment
Margaret" Just then called shrll
voice from over the banisters. Conduct
monsieur forth, and talk no more to him
with your long, foolish tongue
Margaret fastened almost frightenedly
to the door and unbolted it. Goodnight.
SIR" she said in fiurried tones, '.and-and
please excuse me-"
Goodnight" answered Pritchard CO.
ing forth INTO the chill, fierce air A mo-
ment later the door changed inhospitably
behind him.
All through the next day he was haunt
ed by recollections of his curious adven-
ture. and at length reached the conclusion
that beyond doubt some puzzling mystery
surrounded this death Of the French ladv's
daughter; that Margaret had been for
hidden to tell him the real truth, although
tco evidently desirous of doing so. and
that the old woman, Josephine. was bent
upon concealing intelligence which might
be no less important than unusual. Old
Josephine's behavior had certainly been
suspicious. and the secrecy in which she
so plainly wished to shroud the death of
her mistress's daughter was perhaps a
question regarding whose treatment there
should be no hesitation. Prtchard began
to assure himself that his duty lav clearly
in one direction. He determined to pay
another visit at Madame Duchesne's resi-
dence and seek to have the whole affair
quietly yet lucidly explained.
Continued tomorrow