The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1909-04-20
Madam Barlow
BY GEORGE ADAMS


path that crept up 10 it from the group
of summer houses clustered on the
brow on the beach around its feet a
few hundred yards below
Midsummer was at hand and the
Eyrie the center OF attraction 10
every summer young man at Spur
wink Cliffs. It had been so since the
barge running semidaily from the sta
ton three miles away had deposited
an even half-dozen delectable summer
girls at the foot of Eyrie Path late one
afternoon three weeks prior to the
opening of the story
Several impetuous youths-more
eager than scrambled up the
narrow footway. the morning after the
arrival, with the expectation of catch
ing glimpse OF the newcomers ana
incidentally precipitating an tntrodnc-
ton: but not only were the young
ladies' invisible: they found. much 10
their surprise, corpuent, middle
aged dignifed female sitting In the
window that held the path, and IN
tently reading.
When or by what means porty
chaperon could have been smugsled
into town right under the eyes OF the
summer colony puzzled the young
men as much as her presence cha-
grined them. for they had already en-
tertained visions OF unlimited good
times with a beyy of unchaperoned
summer girls.
mo fun up here, boys; let's watch
ont for the girls around the rocks and
the beach; that old lady won't get far
from camp with ell her avoirdupois
and this hill in the proposition, too
you may mark my words and Billy
Matthews ordered his squad TO right
about face" and retreat.
The story of the safely-guarded Ely
RE soon spread through the little com
munity and various tactics were de-
yised by the BOYS TO lure the new
girls into the holiday life of this par
ticular halfdozen Sumner young men,
The scheme all proved more or less
successful, for # transpired as Billy
Matthews had predicted; the duenna.
or "our chaperon Madam Barlow" as
she soon came to be facetiously called,
never did attempt the difficult path.
Nevertheless. all hints to the girls
for an invitation to call at the Eyrie
were ignored by them and every at
tempt made BY the ardent "halfdozen"
to steal up unlimited resulted in con-
the obsequious Madam Bar
low with the inevitable book in hand |
in the watch tower, as the window
came to be called and past which no
nod ever encouraged them,
The girls proved every Bit as entic'
ing as the first sight Of them had
promised. and If one by one they even
tually eluded the ferret eyes Of the
madam and stole an hour singly or in
groups on the rocks, or for a stroll in |
the moonlight. or a dip in the surf
with these equally charming young /
men. it is certain no one troubled |
about it and all the cottagers encour- |
aged 10 from pure love of mischief |
seemingly, for the exclusive madam
had by medium of her young flock, |
absolutely declined all overtures OF |
hospitality extended either to herself |
Or the young ladiesb by the friendly dis |
posed cottagers at the foot of her /
path.
All day long. and day succeeding |
day, she sat there, reading-reading |
reading, never understanding one
glance even along the path.
Billy Matthews was hopelessly in
owe with Ethel Moses-eyerybody
could see that-and Ralph lngraham |
was developing symptoms easily dag |
1osed by his chums, and which he in
yennouslv admitted. Fred Lander and
Beatrice Munroe read Omar khayyam
90 assiduously for 1t 10 go down"
with any one who had previously
Known Fred
The Wavelet a weekly folio sheet ,
yotten out for the amusement OF the E
summer colony, announced the en-
of four out OF the six cou- /
lies whose life centered about the |
Iyrie. and made convincing prophe-
les respecting the others. Only two
lours later the colony was startled
" the news Of the tragedy at tbs
1yrie. Madam Barlow was said TO
ave committed suicide.
Help was summoned to the Eyrie,
nd the halfway was quickly waver-
NJ line Of hurrying. struggling, pun
ng. perspiring. wild eyed humanity
The Eyrie door stood open and with
ut ceremony men. women and chill
rem with hushed voices filed into the
ottage
In the living room they were met Dy
he six Young women dressed in pure
White and with serious faces.
This way, if YOU please said Bea-
rice Nunroe. acting as spokeswoman,
ed the way into the dining-room
,here the bewildered, incredulous
YES of the people met an array OF
aintily spread luncheon tables
anged around the four sides OF the
Dom. while from the ceiling overhead
expended a Manila rope, and from the
nd OF this rope which passed around
er ample waist line. swayed the por-
Ia fgure of Madam BarloW-a dunn