The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1907-12-21
CHAPTER vIII.-(Continued.)

pomps and vanities yet"
"Oh, I'm SO sorry" and Maddy's eyes
expressed all the sorrow she protested
to feel. "You ought to be, now you've
got so DID,"
The doctor colored crimson, and stop
ping his horse under the dim shadow Of
q maple in little hollow, he said:
I'm not so very old, Maddy; only |
twenty-hve-only ten years older than
yourself; and Agnes husband was more
than twenty years her senior"
"Oh, oh! over twenty years-thats |
dreadful. She must be most glad he's |
dead. l would not marry man more |
than five years older than l."
mot If you loved him, and he loved |
you very, very dearly?" the doctor asked, |
his voice low and tender in it's tone.
Wholly unsuspicious of the wild storm
beating in his heart, Maddy united her
white sunbonnet, and, taking 1t In her
lap, smoothed back her soft hair, saying,
with a long breath "Oh! I'm 80 hot"
and then, as just thinking Of his ques-
ton, replied: 81 shouldn't love him
couldn't. Grandma is five years younger
than grandpa, mother was FIVE years
younger than father, Mrs. Green is five
years younger than Mr.. Green, and, oh
30 many. You are warm, too; amt
your" and she turned her innocent eyes
full upon the doctor. II wonder why
she married that old man? 1t is worse
than If you were to marry jessie"
Money and position were the attrac-
tons, imagine" the doctor said. Agnes
was poor, and esteemed 1t a great honor
TO be made Mrs. Remington"
poor, was she?" Maddy rejoined.
"Then maybe Mr.. Guy will some day
marry poor girl. Do you think he
will?"
Again Lucy Atherstone. trembled on the
Doctors lips but he did not speak of her
it was preposterous that Maddy should
have any thoughts Of Guy Remington,
who was quite as old as himself besides
being engaged, and with this comforting
assurance, the doctor turned his horse In
the direction of the cottage, for Maddy
was growing tired and needed to be at
home.
Maddy would never forget that morn
ing or the nice ride they'd had. She
had enjoyed it so much. and she thanked
him many times for his kindness. He
was a very nice doctor, much better than
went slowly to the house and entered the
neat kitchen, where her grandmother sat
Smelling peas for dinner, and her grand
father In his leathern chair was whisper
ing over his weekly paper.
"Did you meet a grand lady In a car
riage?" grandma asked, as Maddy sat
down beside her.
YES; and DR.. Holbrook said 1t was
Mrs. Remington, from Aikenside, Mr..
Guys stepmother, and that she was more
than twenty years younger than her hus-
band-isn't 1t dreadful? I thought SO
but the doctor didn't seem to-" and in a
perfectly artless manner Maddy repeated
much of the conversation which had pass
ed between the doctor and herself, APP
peallng to her grandma to know If she
had not taken the right side of the argu-
ment.
YES, child, you did," and grandma
hands fingered among the light green peas
In her pan, as IL she were thinking of an
entirely foreign subject. II know nothing
about this Mrs. Remington, only that she
stared a good deal at the house as she
went by, even looking at us through 6
glass, and lifting her spotted veil aftel
she got by. She may have been as happy
as a queen with her man, but as a gen
eral thing these unequal matches dom
work, and had better not be thought on
S'posin' you should think you was In low,
with somebody, and in few years, whel
you got older, be sick of him. 1t Nigh
do him a sight of harm. That's wha
spoilt your poor greatuncle Joseph, who
been in the hospital at Worcester min
years"
"It was" And Maddy's face was al
aglow with interest. Tell me about 1t.
'"rhere is no great to tell, only he wa
many years younger than I. He's onl
forty-one now, and was thirteen year
older than the girl he wanted. Josep
was smart and handsome. and lawyer
and folks said sight too good for tn
girl, whose folk were just nothing, bu
she had a pretty face, and her long curl
bewitched him. She couldn't have bee
older than you when he first saw her, an
she was only sixteen when they got Ell
gagged. Joseph's life was bound up |
her; he worshiped the very air sh
breathed, and when she mittened him,
almost took his life. He was too old 70
her, and then right on top of that "
heard after a little that she had Marie
some big bug, never knew who, plent
old enough to be her father. That Sc
tied 1t with Joseph; he went into a kin
of melancholy, grew worse and worse ii
we put him in the hospital, usin' h
little property to pay the bill until
was all gone, and now he's on charit
you know, exceptin' what we do"
Grandma had an object in telling tn
to Maddy, for she was not blind to Il
nature of the doctors interest In b,
child, SO she told the sad story of Unc
Joseph as a warning to Maddy. 1t maj
an impression ON her, and all that afte
noon she was thinking of the unfortuna
man, whom she had seen but once, ar
that In his prison home, where she hs
been with her grandfather the only tin
she had ever ridden in the cars. He b.
taken her In his arms then, she remeu
bered, and called her his little Sara
That must have been the name of b
treacherous betrothed. She would ask
IL were not SO, and she did,