The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-10-31

allowing him to welcome her IN patrlar-
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, paralyzed mother told her
he was thirty-tve 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 events 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
she gained the high hedge and gateway
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 room.
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 q few hours. AS
soon as the sun rose she should, if the
rain had ceased, leave the 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, Oscar!"'
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, 81
, have made the drawings and calculations
: 1t has taken me time-a great deal OF
. time, mother. But l am right. l have
o triumphed. 1 generally am right, moth
o er. l generally do triumph, mother" HI
spoke in a tone of citation. But you are
tired. 1t has been a long day for YOU
"No, Oscar. l am feeling quite wei
and lively and strong tonight. For an ol(
woman, who has lost the use of her limbs
X l keep very well. When you are with me
;. l do not seem so old, my SON.
sod! Oid!' he cried, with harsh, EN-
7 phatic gayety. You are not old, mother
You are a young woman. You are Il girl
G compared with the old women l know. u
to siXty-tive a woman ages faster than
man, but once over s:Xty-tiye, womel
grow young again. Mother, l mean to as
: tonish you soon. I mean to marry Il yer.
h handsome wife. l have one in my ey
n already. You know ! never make up N.
Il mind to do anything that in the end doe
not come off. But before | marry | mus
h finish my great work. When l have pu
the last touches to it ! shall sell it for
large sum, and retire from business, an
live here with you, mother, at my ease.
And when, my dear, do You think tn
great clock will be finished! 1t is tn
! only thing in the world | am jealous 0,
4 Have you added any new wonders t. it!
The fright had by this time died out q
n Edith's heart. She now understood VIII
the owners of the voices We're, why tn
,s speakers seemed so near. Oscar Lcig
J., was talking to his mother in the dinin
room. They both believed she was j
70 deep sleep and could not hear, or they 70,
49, got the thinness of the substance separa
~ ing them. Between the dining room an
where she sat was Only tEe slight pan
n Of a folding door.