Daily Yellowstone journal., 1890-07-15

a. her antithesis suggested itself to
him he added vehemently: But what
Q tymnt her mother is! II Madge was
only alone in the world | wo"-
His hand dropped into his empty
pocket and he stopped short.
Mrs, McMurray, Madge's mother, was
a strong minded Scotch lady and the
derelict of an officer in the British army,
who had imbued her with distinctly
aristocratic aspirations and left her to
fight the battle of life with an only
daughter, for whom she had ambitious
ideas and an appalling number of
debts. Mrs. McMurray had disposed
of her debts in the p~erfunctory manner
usual with the a~ristocracy, and her sole
care was now to dispose of her daugh-
ter with equal advantage. She there
fore strongly d~isapproved of that young
lady's avowed attachment to her pen.
niless boarder, George Darrell, and
only her Scotch notions Of economy
prevented her from incontinently turn
ing that love sick youth into the pitt
less world. The fact that George Oar
rell owed her for several weeks board
was at once his salvation and his curse.
Capt. McMurray, after having fin
ished his term of service in India and
being placed upon the half pay list, had
settled in New York with some indefi-
mite idea of making a fortune out of a
scheme of which nobody wei fully
comprehended the details. 1t was dur.
ing one of the financial crises which al.
ways doomed on the horizon Of the Nc.
Murray family that Mrs. McMurray de.
tennined to take in boarders. Since
then she had always had her house full
Of strangers.
Mrs. McMurray had but one weak.
ness; she insisted upon the desirability
of her house from a fashionable point
of view, and it was consequently pecu.
liarly aggravating TO her refined sensi.
biiities to have a young man about like
George Darrell, whose appearance was
a reproach to her establishment.
Mr.. Philip Van Schaick had only con.
sented to rent the second floor front
upon repeated assurances that the house
was eminently fashionable. He was
the star boarder of No. 103 West Forty.
fourth street. He was man who loved
mystery as much as a Balzac, and II
may be remarked, parcnthetically,
that this was the only particular in
which he assembled the great French
author. He had resided with Mrs. Nc.
Murray about five years, and during
the whole of that period he had been
an enigma to that worthy lady and the
rest of her household. He delighted to
pique the curiosity of all who came In
contact with him as to his antecedents
and the source of his income. He was
mild hammered little man of uncertain
age, and he wore the loudest kind of
checks in the market. Mrs. McMurray,
In her communicative moments, had
assured her daughter and the Irish
maid of all work that Mr.. Van Setback
was either a bank president or a rail,
road king. She was a woman who wa.
easily impressed by external attributes,
and she argued that a man who wort
such very large checks must necessarily
have a balance at the bank.
OF late Mr.. Van Setback had beer
very attentive to Madge, and he had
become nor mysterious than ever
He always returned home in the even
ing with a charming boutonniere in hi,
coat which he gave to Madge with a.
much ceremony as II he were the
spokesman of q political deputation
Mrs. McMuray showed herself distinct
ly favorable to his suit, il his vague at
tentions could be SO construed. Hi
gray hair, in her opinion, did not rem
der him in any way ineligible for heI
daughters hand. She fondly surmiset
that this sign of decadence was due tc
the cares of state or the responsibilities
of a large fortune.
Mr.. Van Setback, whatever his in
\ tentions were, very cordially disliket
Madge's youthful and avowed sutton
He lost no opportunity Of impressinl
upon that young man that those un
successful in life had only themselve
to thank for it. Then he would de
plore Georges unfortunate financia
condition and remark that when h,
wa his age he had already enjoyed tn
respect and esteem OF the community.
This Of course all had a personal ap
plication to George, and Mrs. McMurra,
would look ~benignantly at the coffee url
and say she did not know what wa
coming to the young men nowadays, the,
were so Eighty" And az for the girl
she would look at Madge and sigl
until that young lady was overwhelme'
with bushes and confusion.
George had not been able to Impair
TO Madge the details Of his little plot
or disabuse her mind of the idea tina
the census was In some way connecte,
with the United States army, and TO
two days he tried to make m appoint
ment with his eyes across the table, bu
she assiduously avoided his glance. Nj
had evidently been expressing her dir
satisfaction at the intimacy betweel
the young people, and Madge had Of
one of her peculiarly erratic fits Of CON