Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-10-04

Nobody had ever been aple to dis
cover exactly why Madge Paliser
was so irresistible. Her eyes were
small, her nose was most undenia-
bic pug, and the thick masses of her
curly hair were always tumbling
down untidily beyond the power OF
combs and hairpins to restrain. Even
the warm color that came and went
in her cheeks and the dimple in her
chin were hardly enough to redeem
her from being hopelessly plain; and
yet every man who approached her
became her abject slave in four or
twenty-four hours, and in twice that
time had offered her his heart and
hand. But then, he could not tell
wherein her facination lay. He only
knew that she was, beyond all CON-
parison, the most bewitching, Devil
dering, lovable little damsel in the
world.
Last spring, when she married Mr.
I Thomas Fotterall, after a brief en-
gagement, there was a nine days
i wonder.
That gentleman, the most desira-
BILE party of the season, ofirreproach-
able social position, and with mine
of wealth in government bonds, had
never been observed to pay her the
slightest attention. How, when and
where their courtship was carried on
was problem over which society
puzzled it's small brains in vain, tor
no one could reccolect single occa-
sion when Mr.. Fotterall could posi-
bly, have had chance to put the mo-
mentous question to his lovely bride
Indeed, that lady herself, on being
rallied at the wedding breakfast,
laughingly declared that Tommy
had never proposed to her at all, a
statement to which her lord and
master assented with n demure en-
ioyment ofeverybody's surprise at
such a singular revelation.
Only Sally Gorham knew the whole
mystery, and she, strange to say,
was wise and discreet enough to hold
her tongue and laugh with the dra-
mats PERSONA at the general mysti-
fication of the world But now that
Sally and | have made it up, and de-
cided to follow the good example set
us by Madee and Tommy, there are
no secrets between us. While we
were wandering along the cliffs at
Newport week before last, she told
me the story. which proved so inter-
esting that | am about to divulge to
the public, providing the public will
listen, learn and forever afterwards
hold its peace.
1t was at the end of April. The
Gorhams had gone out to their coun-
try seat at Penn Rhyn much earlier
in the season than usual and as it
was intolerably dull, with nothing in
the world TO do, they had asked
dozen people out to spend a week in
all sorts OF unconventional frolics.
Sally had three or four charming buds
for her guests, among them Madge
Palliser;her brotherJ ack had brought
several willing victims from the club,
and the ODD Van Coovers came to
amuse papa and mamma Gorham
and keep them out of mischief with
an innocent rubber of whist in the
chimney corner O lights.
There were great goings on, as In
Gle Moses, the gardener, said, with q
discouraged shake of his woolly head.
Tennis playing in the morning, rid
ing parties in the afternoon, and in
the evening Virginia reels and All
the way to Boston in the long draw
ing room, with laughing, singing and
not a little flirting from dawn to
darkness.
Madge was the hlithest ofthe blithe.
All the men adored her openly, save
and except Thomas Fotterall, Esq,
who never worshipped publicly at her
shrine, though he often watched her
furtively from afar off with
something more than ordinary
interest in his half-shut eyes. Her
merry. arch, sweet-lenrted WAYS
made their untaiing impression up
on his soul, and it was hardly to be
imagined that Miss Palliser was
ignornant of the havoc her charms
were working in that manly breast. |
Outwardly, however. there was not
the slightest symptom of an affair
Madge rode, danced and coquetted
with every cavalier but one, and that
one devoted himself with an assum-
ed interest to sharp-tongued Sally,
who privately considered him a
greater bore than the Hoosac tunnel. |
One night, when the week of gayety
Mt Penn Ryan was nearly over, the
whole party was sitting about n
great roaring fire in the hall, for the
spring evenings were apt to be cool,
testing and making merry after their
custom. Old Mr.. Van Coover, who
had been porting over that mildly ex-
citing journal, the Penn Ryan Ga
zette, suddenly astonished the us
by n singular snort, which |
might have expressed any emotion
from delight TO horror, and casting
away his newspaper, cried in tones
of dismay:
Burglars there are burglars about
in the villagel They have already |
visited the Standishes and the Cor
kendilIs, and got away with n guam
tity of plumber, and it'll be our turn
next, Gorham, mark my words say,
Mrs. Van Coover, you haven't |