Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-15

allowing him to welcome her in patriar-
chal fashion to his house! Patriarchal
fashion, indeed! He had himself said he
knew he was not an Adonis, but that he
was not a Methuselah either, and his
poor, simple, paralysed mother told her
he was ~thirty-five years old. She would
not take all the money in the world to
stay in a house to which he was free. At
eight o'clock that evening she had plead
ed fatigue and retired to her own room
for the night. When she found herself
alone with the door locked, she thought
over the event Of the day and her posi-
ton, and in the end made up her mind
to escape and return to town at once. She
wrote a line to the effect that she was
going, and placed it on the dressing table
by the window.
Her room was on the ground floor, and
the window wide open. She could creep
in and change her wet boots and clothes
and sit up in the Easy chair till morning.
Then she could steal away again, walk to
the railway station and take the first
train for the city.
From the time the girl cleared the
struggling outskirts of the town until
~ 60AACu II AIeu ACuBC ouV 8uCCW roy
Of her destination she did not meet Or
overtake a soul. With serious trepida-
ton, she pushed the gate open and enter
ed the grounds. She emerged from the
cover of the trees and FASTENED across
the open drive. Thank heaven, the win
dow was open! After a severe struggle
she found herself in the DON
With great caution she searched where
she knew Ler trunk lay open, found the
garments she needed, and replaced her
wet clothing with dry. She resolved to
sit still. 1t was eleven o'clock. 1t would
be bright daylight in a few hours. As
soon as the sun rose she should, il the
rain had ceased, leave tle house and
wander about in the bright open daylight
until time to take the first train for Chi
cago. She sat with her back to the parti-
ton. between her and the dining room.
She had not dared to move the heavy
chair for fear Of making noise.
"Have you done, Oscars"
"Yes, mother. l have finished for the
night"
Edith Grace sat up in her chair and
gasped with terror. The words seemed
spoken at her ear. The voices were those
of Oscar Leigh, the ~hunchback dwarf,
and his mother. Mrs. Leigh, the paralyzed
old woman!
"Yes," the voice of the man said, II
have made the drawings and calculations.
1t has taken MI time-a great deal Of
time, mother. But I am right. l have
riumphed. 1 generally am right. moth
er. l generally do triumph, mother" He
spoke in a tone Of elation. But you are
tired. 1t has been n long day for you."
mo, Oscar. l am feeling quite well
and lively and strong tonight. For an old
woman, who has lost the use of her limbs,
l do not seem SO old, my son."
"Old! Old" he cried, with harsh, en-
phatic gayety. "You are not old, mother!
You are a young woman. You are a girl,
compared with the old women l know. Up
to sixty-hve a woman ages faster than a
man, but once over s:xty-ive, women
grow young again. Mother, I mean to as
tonish you soon. I mean to marry a very
handsome wife. l have one in my eve
already. You know l never make up my
mind to do anything that in the end does
not come of. But before l marry l must
finish my great work. When l have put
the last touches to it ! shall sell it for q
large sum, n retire from business, and
live here with you, mother, at my ease."'
"And when, my dear, do you think the
great clock will be finished? 1t is the
only thing in the world l am jealous of.
Have you added any new wonders to it?''
The fright had by this time died out Of
Edith's heart. She now understood who
the owners Of the voices were, why the
speakers seemed SO near. Oscar Leigh
was talking to his mother in the dining
room. They both believed she wal in
deep sleep and could not hear, or they for
got the thinness of the substance separat-
ing them. Between the dining room and
where she sat was only the slight panel
Of q folding door.
CHAPTER II.
"Soon, soon, mother. 1t shall be finish
ed l cannot tell exactly when, but