The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-05-30
N9
Madame Midas
BY FsrSus Hume
as the carriage drove of. you will be
dead"
CHAPTER XXvI.


Madame Midas was not by any means
OF nervous temperament, yet ever since
the disappearance Of her husband she was
prey to a secret dread, which, reactfng
on her nerves, rendered her miserable.
Had Mr.. Villiers only appeared she would
have known how to deal with him, and
done so promptly, but 1t was his absence
that made her afraid. Was he dead? If
so, why was his body not found; if he
was not dead why did he not reappear on
the scene2
"Are my troubles never going to end?'
she said to Selma on tke night of the
Meddlechip ball, as she passed restlessly
up and down her room; "this man has
embittered the whole of my life, and now
he Is stabbing me Ia the dark"
Let the dead past bury its dead"
quoted Selma, who was arranging the
room for the night.
"Pshaw!" retorted Madame, impa atient-
ly, walking to the French window az the
end of the room and opening it; show
do you know he is dead? Come here, Sc
lina," she went on, beckoning to the old
woman, and pointing outside to the gar
den bathed in moonlight; ~ have always
dread lest be may be watching the
house. Even now he may be concealed
yonder"-ponting down the garden.
You've left the window open," remark
ed Selma, looking at her mistress, "and if
you are nervous it will not make you feel
safe"
Madame Midas glanced at the window.
Its so hot" she said, plaintively, "I
will get no sleep. Can't you manage to
nix 1T up. so that l can leave it open?"
I'll try" answered Selma, and she un-
dressed her mistress and put her to bed,
then proceeded to fix up kind Of burglar
trap. The bed was a four-postsr, with
heavy crimson curtains, and the top was
pushed against the wall, near the window.
The curtains OF the window and those of
the bed prevented any draught blowing
in; and directly in front of the window
Selma set a small wood table, so that any
one who tried to enter would throw It
over, and thus put the sleeper on the alert.
On this she put night light, book, In
case Madame should wake up and want to
read, and glass Of home made lemonade.
for night drink. Then she locked the
other window and drew the curtains and,
after going into Kitty's room, which open
ed of the larger one, and fixing up the
one window there in the same way, she
prepared to retire, but Madame stopped
her.
You must stay all night with me, Sc
lina," she said, irritably. 81 can't be left
alone"
Selma slept on the outside of the bed,
and Madame having sense of security
from being with some one, slumbered
calmly; so the night wore drowsily on.
and nothing could be heard but the
steady ticking of the clotk and the heavy
breathing of the two women.
A sleepy servant admitted Kitty when
she came home from the ball. Kitty found
Madame's door ajar, and went in softly.
fearful lest she might wake her. She
did not know that Selma was in the room,
and as she heard the steady breathing OF
the sleepers, she concluded that Madame
was asleep, ard resolved to go quietly
into her own room without disturbing the
sleeper. just near the door was a long
chevral glass, and Kitty caught sight Of
herself in il. wan and spectral-looking in
her white drest, and, as she let the heavy
blue cloak fall from her shoulders. a per-
feet shower of apple blossoms were shaken
on to the floor. Her hair had come un.
done from its sleek. smooth plai-s, and
now hung like a vii over her shoulders.
She looked closely at herself in the glass.
in the dim l,ht.
He was going TO marry Madame Midas
the man who had ruined her life; he
would tell her all the false tales ne had
told her. He would look into her eyes
with his own, and she would be unable TO
see the treachery and guile hidden in their
depths. She could not stand it. False
friend, false husband, he had been, but
TO see him married to another-noi Il
was too much. And yet what could she
do? A woman in love believes no i'll of
the man she adorcs, and IL she was TO
| tell Madame Midas all she would not be
| believed. All. it was useless TO fight
g-inst fate, it was too strong for her
so she would have to suffer in silence, and
see them happy.
How still the house was: not sound
but the ticking of tho clock In the hall.
The dawn reddens family in the east and
the chill morning breeze comes up from
| the south, salt with the oiors of the
ocean. All what is that? scream
womau's voice-then another, and the bell
rings furiously. The frightened servants
collect from all parts of the house. The
bell sounds from the bedroom of Mrs.
Villiers, and having ascertained this they
all rush in. What a sight meets their
eyes Kitty Marchrust, still in her BAH
dress, clinging convulsively to the chair /:
Madame Midas, pale but calm, ringing
che bell and on the bed, with one arm
hanging over. lies Selma Sprotts--d'ad
| The table neal the bed was overturned On
| the floor, and the glass and the night lamp
both lie smashed to pieces on the carpet.