Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1899-12-28
CHAPTER w.
Mr.. O'FIynn, of Dublin.

/ soon found an opportunity of car
rying out my intention to visit Dor
chester, or rather the suburb of Dor
chester, of which Madge's father was
perpetual curate; and it is from hat
visit / date my first really determined
effort to solve tine strange case of
which these memoirs form a partial
narrative.
1 went down, prepared to find Madge
in great grief and t%ribulation, but /
certainly did not anticipate the very
unjust and harsh treatment l received
at her hands. / could not have believed
1t pc 7sible that she, ordinarily so even
tempered and reasonable, should have
taken so unfair a view of my action
with respect to her brother. / IA
only account for it, even now, upon the
assumption that when a woman's mind
is deeply stirred about anyone very
e to her, she cease to be guided by
ordinary feelings OF fair play and kind
ness towards others. And, of course, l
felt the sting of her conduct the more
keenly, inasmuch as | was almost her
affianced lover.
l went over the whole story of Toms
disappearance again, with every detail
since discovered, and 1 prefaced it by
as gently-worded a reference as | could
frame to his gradual but fatal lapse
into habits Of intemperance. Madge
had scarce patience to hear me to the
end.
tom went to London" she said,
with nervous emphasis, under your
advice, and, as we all understood here
at home, very much under your guild
ance. You promised me over and over
again to do your utmost for him."
$50 l did," / put in. eagerly. Had
he been my own brother, / could not
have done more for him. l introduced
him to many men of influence In liter
airy aud press circles, n / re- iced In
the success that at first rewarded his
efforts. Then, when I saw that he was
beginning to fall under the influence of
the demon, Drink, / used every species
of argument and advice / could think
of to win him back to a steadier life.
Sometimes, for a day or two, my argu'
ments would seem to prevail, but only
to be once more swept away by his in
satiable craving for alcohol. And so
the deadly mischief went on; | hoping
almost against hope, for reformation
on his part, and he sinking steadily
deeper and deeper into the mire."
"Yes; and all this time you left us in
almost entire ignorance of the change
for the worse that had come over him."
she rejoined, bitterly. IAN occasional
hint that he was not so steady in his
habits as formerly was all that we
were told of poor Toms miserable
downfall"
.There / confess / was, perhaps, to
blame I acknowledged; 'sbut l could
see nothing to be gained, and a great
deal Of pain to be inflicted, by telling
you the full, bitter truth. Moreover,
he purposely kept out of my way, and
made 1t plain, whenever we did meel,
that he had q strong distaste for my
company"
'You should have ignored that" per-
sisted Madge. knowing that the poor
fellows judgment was utterly warped
by drink"
Impossible, Madger I retorted, with
some warmth. zone may advise, help,
a v a man, but only on condition that
he allows himself to be advised, helped,
saved. You cannot rescue him, as you
would a drowning child, by simply
plunging In after him and dragging
him ashore"
Cant your she echoed, In a tone
that was rapidly exhausting my pa
thence, Perhaps not. 1t needed a hero
to do work like that; and my mistake
has lain In suppoSing that you had
aught Of heroic in your composition"
"Have you any more unpleasant
things to sayT ! asked, with forced
calmness.
az have this much to say, Ralph
Weston was her answer. whatever
truth there may be In your assertion
that you fulfilled your self-imposed
task " watching over my brother to
the bdst Of your ability, the fact still
remains that you allowed him to leave
your rooms during a binding, danger