The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-01-30
SING SUN, CECIL COUNTY, MD, FRIDAY

ty," said Beulah, starting for the door.
And then Patty went with her to the
dining room.
Beulah propped herself against the
table when she got there, and Miss
Nancy started toward her, forgetting
her grievances and crying affectionate-
ly, my child. my childY'
"Please sit down, Miss Nancy. Don't
let me give any more trouble than I
must. 1 know 1 am fearfully selfish
now. 1 can't help it. No, 1 can't sit
down-not now; in moment. I am
going to be more selfish than ever"
Beulah had spoken with self control,
but now her legs seemed to give way
under her, and she sat down upon the
floor, and with all her effort she could
not get her breath without a gasping
struggle.
You'll think I'm crazy. So I am,
mighty near, but I'm trying to get hold
of myself. I will, Miss Nancy. Only
do something for me-" She was speak
ing faster and faster, but with breaks
and pauses, catching hold Of the other
woman's dress after imperiously still
ing all effort to stop or lift her.
"Oh, do one great thing" she hur-
ried on. go to the hotels and see if
Tom McGrath is here" She bent her
face into her hands. "Don't do any
thing but just that. Find out if he is
here, and if know you are doing it.,
that you've done it, whether he is or
not, I won't lose my mind" Her voice
sank in whisper.
Miss Nancy had already been say
ing, "Yes, yes, Beulah." And now she
lifted her up, assuring her that she
would start at once, and Beulah lay
down upon the old sofa, where Miss
Nancy thought she would get a rest
from her own bed. But she had one
more thing to ask.
81 want Patty to go with you, Miss
Nancy" she said.
'My dear child, cannot" Miss Nam
cy began.
Miss Nancy" Beulah interrupted,
Il can't let you go alone. You can't
take Anne if she's out. Please take
Patty with you. She'll be willing to
go. l know she will. It's bad enough
to have you go. I'll never get over the
shame of it. How can / stand it if
you go alonew
Just then Patty, who had stepped
out of the room, returned, and Beulah
appealed to her. Yes; she would glad
ly go with Miss Nancy.
Every well, then," Miss Nancy
agreed in a muffied manner and dis
appeared. She had gone so far in re-
versing all her ideas and standards
that little more or less did not matter
much, but she was embarrassed at the
loss Of her own identity.
When she was gone, Beulah called
Patty to her and, holding her hand
hard between both her own, said:
Patty, you are not to let her"-she
stopped and her face fushed-"you
are not to let her-let Mr.. McGrath
know-if you should find him. You
know how a woman would feel, don't
your
Patty solemnly nodded her whirling
young head.
Miss Nancy doesn't" Beulah went
on. ''She just thinks about what's
proper, and she's too scared now to
care about that or she wouldn't go.
But l couldn't live and have Tom
know-that is, have him think l meant
him to know-you understand. Keep
her from-exposing me, Patty" And
Beulah sank back upon her sofa.
yhot foi 1l0t n
those views of womanly pride and dig
nifty which we have seen her disap-
point.
In a few minutes Miss Nancy, not
knowing in her ignorance how wildly
hopeless a search she was beginning,
started out with Patty into the stormy
March night upon her mission.
With what dignity of mien Miss
Nancy quelled the hotel clerks; with
what persistence she pursued them;
finally with what helplessness she sue
cumbed to the madness of the chase,
under the hallucination that by sufti-
cient display of determination she
could force Tom McGrath to material
ize-all this in time came to be re-
counted by Patty with gusto, but on
this night her relish of it was slight,
and before they came home, at o'clock
in the morning, she had fallen into a
weary, dreamlike apathy. From this
you will infer, correctly, that their
efforts were fruitless. Beulah heard
this in silence, and silence she main
tanned.
Miss Nancy now contemplated the
step she dreaded most-sending for
Beulah's mother. But here again she
was paralyzed by fear Of the girls
stubborn resistance and dread of the
effect opposition might have on her.
Never before had Miss Nancy viewed
self will, outside of herself, as aught
but something to be righteously and
Immediately put down. Never before
had she doubted her power to put 1t
down in any one subject to her au-
thority legally or spiritually. Now her
soul was full of darkness. The next
morning while she was lying down and
Patty was sleeping the doorbell rang,
and the servant brought telegram to
the girl who was in the parlor pre-
tending to study, but who was really
reveling in bewildered, sympathetic.
delighted speculation upon the house
hold tragedy. The telegram was for
Pauloh ond che oorriad if f0 hnr