Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1909-04-14
Madam Barlow
By GEORGE ADAMS
The Fyrie was we'll named.

AA<"~(S~A'hDADhOb
by way of the picturesque little foot
path that crept up to 1t 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
Eyre the center of attraction to
every summer young man at Spur
wink Cliffs. 1t had been so since the
barge running semi-daily from the sta
ton three miles away had deposited
an even half-dozen delectable summer
girls at the foot of Eyre. Path late one
afternoon three weeks prior to the
opening of the story.
Several impetuous youths-more
eager than wise-scrambled up the
narrow footway, the morning after the
arrival, with the expectation OF catch
ing a glimpse of the newcomers, and
incidentally precipitating an introduc-
ton; but not only we're the young
ladies invisible; they found, much to
their surprise, corpulent, middle
aged dignified female sitting In the
window that held the path, and in
tently reading.
When or by what means a portly
chaperon could have been Struggled
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 bevy of unchaperoned
summer girls.
mo fun up here, boys; let's watch
out for the girls around the rocks and
the beach; that old lady won't get far
from camp with all 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 Ety.
RE soon spread through the little COM
munity and various tactics were de-
vised by the boys to lure the new
girls into the holiday life of this par
ticular half-dozen summer young men.
The scheme all proved more or less
successful, for 1t 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 Eyre
were ignored by them and every at
tempt made by the ardent "half-dozen"
to steal I'D unlimited resulted In con-
fronting 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
welcoming 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
tualIy eluded the ferret eyes of the
madam and stole an hour singly or In
groups on the rocks, or for stroll In
the moonlight, or dip in the surf
with these equally charming young
men. It is certain no one troubled
about it, and all the cottagers encour-
aged It 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 ladiesby the friendly dis
posed cottagers at the foot of her
path.
All day long, and day succeeding
day, she sat there, notwithstanding
reading. never condescending one
glance even along the path.
Billy Matthews was hopelessly In
love with Ethel Moses-everybody
could see that-and Ralph lngraham
was developing symptoms easily dag
nosed by his chums, and which he In
genuously admitted. Fred Lander and
Beatrice Munroe read Omar Khayyam
/ too assiduously for It to go down"
with any one who had previously
known Fred.
The Wavelet, weekly folio sheet
gotten out for the amusement OF the
summer colony, announced the en-
gagement of four out of the six cou-
ples whose life centered about the
Eyrie, and made convincing prophe-
sizes respecting the others. Only two
hours later the colony was startled
bv the news of the tragedy at the
Eyrie. Madam Barlow was said TO
have committed suicide.
Help was summoned to the Eyre.
and the pathway was quickly wayer-
ing line of hurrying, struggling, puff
ing perspiring, wild-eyed humanity
The Eyrie door stood open and with
out ceremony men, women and chill
dren with hushed voices filed into the
cottage.
In the living room they were met by
the six young women dressed IN pure
white and with serious faces.
This way. II you please, :" said Bea-
trice Munroe, acting as spokeswomen.
led the way into the dining-room
where the bewildered, incredulous
eyes Of the people met an array OF
dafntily spread luncheon tables
ranged around the four sides OF the
room. while from the ceiling overhead
depended a Manila rope. and from the
end of this rope which passed around
her ample waist line. swayed the por.
tly figure OF Madam Barlow--a dunn