The Monitor-register., 1896-05-15

~
length to her overpowering dignity. and
she will give me no reason for The
change" )
My. myl Such a state of affairs-rieht
in the Spawn family, too!
Almost before Roger ceased speaking.
the trim. business figure turned in at the
gate opposite. went briskly up the brick
walk, and dropped itself into one of the
great red porch chairs, beneath the swing.
ing June roses.
"What is her name s'' queried l., with
sudden resolution.
sit ought to be Madgs SPAWN, but
it's"
l didn't wait for the rest. The next
minute l was standing before a very
much surprised Young lady, as I SAYS.
says 1: :
What you got against our nephew.
Roger. Miss Madge ?"
1t took the pretty girl half a minute to
recover her pofse, and then she replied.
with a family puzzled air:
Nothing at all; quite the contrary"
WELL, then," says I. perservinely
"why won't you marry him, when he is
dying, all for the love of you ?"
Blushf No; the only change In NV
lady's calm demeanor was q business
look that crept into the eyes that were az
blue as the summer sky. as she ansird:
He can't afford to marry me; he can't
support me-that's ALL"
"My sakes!" says I, Indignantly; she's
getting fifty dollars a month from Kerr
& Devine; and fifty dollars ought to-
A tremulous smile has been futteripe
about the pretty lips, and atthis juncture
the low voice interrupted, as the blue
eyes wandered adown the elegantly ct.
ting custuma: ~.
"Bdt this suit cost fifty doliars-and I
must have a new one every month.
NO" added she, more solemnly, sget
ting married infers making q home, and
it would be the heighth of folly for me to
throw nay practice up, worth five thou.
sand a year, to make q home on fifty
dollars q month; besides it would be
impractieable-as I said before. IL
wouldn't procure me sven nicknax."
"Well." says !. stoutly, "why give up
your practice? There's lots of married
women that"
The look of scorn that swept over the
speaking features of my ois a ois stopped
my sentence right there, and before
could resume, Madge's clear, decisive
voice was saying:
"Then you would propose that l sup.
port my husband? Don't You know that
would sooner or later entail idleness on
his part and a consequent retrogression
Of principles and morais-and the whole
matter would end in entire loss of self
respect on both sides, and probably the
divorce court eventually ?"
"Then," says l, with a long sight
wasn't no use to argue with this self.
possessed young woman-''do 1 under.
stand, Miss Madge, that you don't love
your nephew ?"
Miss Madge Strengthened her figure and
gazed at me with eyes that fairly looked
through me. as she replied:
"Mis' Dekin, l love him too we'll tt
ruin him for life; I know all the posi-
bilities of the case; l am a lawyer"
Roger" says /, ~reproaohfully, as thre.
minutes later I stood once more before
our manly looking, impatient young rela.
tive. II shouldn't thought you'd sent me
to ask unnecessary questions of a perfect
stranger"
"What? How's that, auntie ?" and
Rogers Impotence made his voice trem
BILE. "Is there a misunderstanding ?"
"Not the least" repeated / contemptu
ously. Anybody, with half an eye, car
see that You are not her equal. Why
I'd give more for her little finger than
would for your whole body"
"Oh. so would l." interrupted Roger.
'But," demanded he, doesn't love com
in the balance at all ?'
Says the dekin, gravely:
your notions are old fashioned, young
man. Love went out of the Garden Of
Eden along with Eve, when she went to
look for her rights"
There wasn't no chance to say no more;
Roger, with fire ! n both eyes, was half
way across the street, and in another
minute he was bowling low before the
smiling girl in the great red chair.
What next2 Well, I can't say
Directly We heard a pistol shot. and
simultaneously with it that young man
of ours dropped down on the top step. at
the feet of a Mortified young lady, and
then we sped across to find q second
young lady, the image of the first, bend
ing professionally over Roger, and saying
in calm accents:
glanced and imbedded itself In the mus
cles of the shoulder; I'll ring up the
ambulance and take him down to the
surgeons ward and remove it"
At this juncture Roger struggled back
to consciousness and exclaimed In with
ering accents:
"I'm not going to the hospital to be
out and carved by a lot of womenl"
"Well, them" commented Madge, with
a plaintive look in both determined eyes.
81 shall be obliged to have you arrested,
for it is against the law In this State to
carry concealed wsapons-besides, 1t Is a
criminal offence to attempt suicide"
Ny, myl If that boy didn't 20 off into
a dead faint, with his head buried in the
folds of that tailor made snit; and when
he came to he was snugly laid out 10 the
surgeons ward, at Les Miserables, with
Doctor Sidney, q mortar board on her
head, enthusiasm in her eyes, and a fat
tening bullet between her fingers, bend.
ing delightfully."- over him.
At the opposite side of the couch OF
iron stood Miss Madge, with q warrant 10
her hand, while at the foot sat the little
woman, mother of the Law and the
Scalpel, her finger between the pages OF
the closed Bible which was resting on
her knee.
As | bent down close to Rogers pale
face, | was almost startled into . scream,
for my apparently dead man whispered
softly right in my ear:
Don't worry, auDtie-but l amt
never going to get well if l can help It; !
never was SO happy in nay life."
All. mel When / got home to the
dekin ! says, firmly, first thing, as /
waved my hand tragically toward the
roona;on oorosa +ha sk.e.t.