Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-06-23

tenor?"
gieefully, and leaned dizzily forward
to peer into the street below. In an
instant all the mystery of the
drawn blinds and jealousy guarded
doors OF the mansion, at which many
had marveled, was revealed. Here
was one of those family tragedies, at
which the world guesses-some poor
crazed creature, living out her life
within padded walls, and who had es.
capped from her keepers, and with
that instinct Of flight from a prison
that survives all reason, was prepar-
ing to take fatal leap into the street
below.
1t had taken Philip but an instant
to realize the scene, and with a sud.
den inspiration he dashed past the
servant in the doorway, and up the
three long flights of steps, and
through the open door in the roof,
through which she had evidently
climbed. The woman looked Up at
the sound of an approaching step.
She saw handsome young man COM
ing toward her. When he reached
her he made courtly bow and offer
ed her his arm, and without one pro-
test, mechanically, naturally, as If
they had been on the ballroom floor,
she arose and put her hand within it,
and together they. started towards
the house, treading the narrow ledge,
whose outer edge was death. A single
push of the crazed woman's feeble
~ g..
below, but there was not a tremble in
the mans voice as he asked:
"And what do you think of the new
tenor this winter at the opera?"
In the street below the crowd stood
silent, tense with excitement, until
they saw Philip hand the woman, still
with courtly grace. through the door
in the roof, and then it broke into
tumultuous cheering.
AS for Philip, his one thought was
to get to the Office. He realized the
value of the story. The secret of the
darkened mansion. The closed blinds.
The beautiful woman, with her Wild
mad eyes-it was full of color, it was
picturesque. Besides it was a scoop.
There is, perhaps, no other joy in
life equal to that which the young
writer reads his own productions in
type, and Philips first conscious act
the next morning was to reach for the
paper. He had expected his story to
be given some prominent place; per-
haps to be featured. To his dismay it
was not even printed. How long he
might have stared at the paper in be-
wilderment he never knew, but that
two letters caught his eyes, as they
lay upon his table. One was from
the city editor of the Asterisk, and he |
pounced upon it for an explanation.
Dear Van Vivier," he read, "sorry,
but your scoop was scooped. The dis
tressed damsel you rescued Is old La |
appear not to know, Is the heaviest |
stockholder in the Asterisk. Natur- |
ally he wanted your story killed. Vir-
tue is rewarded, however. He sug-
gests you for night editor in place of |
Carson, who has resigned. Report |
for duty tonight"
The other letter was from Madge.
1t said:
Dear Phillip have heard IF your
rescue of poor Fannie La Roux How
could you be such hero, and such
a goose as to take such risk. You
need a guardian, sir, and 1 am going
to marry you to take care of you. on
this day one month You can't refuse
q lady, you know. Yours, Madge."
Philip read the letter twice. and
then he bowed his head on the table,
and VIXEN he raised it his eyes were
dim and tender.