Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-04
Madam Barlow
BY GEORGE ADAMS

by way OF the picturesque ltt!e ioot-
Path that crept up to it from the group
OF summer houses clustered on IN"
brow OH the beach around IT'S leet
few hundred yards below.
Midsummer Was n hand and the
EyIie the center OF attraction TO
every summer young man at spur
wink Cliffs. II had been so since the
barge running semida:lN from the sta
ton three miles away had deposited
an even halfdozen drlcctablc summer
girls at the foot OF E,yrie Path late one
afternoon three weeks prior to III"
opening OF the sto.l
Several impeluuus y0uths'-mo:e
eager than wise-scrambl"d mp me
narrow footway. the morning after the
arrival. with the expectation OF eaten,
ing a glimpse of the newcomers and
incidentally precipitatlng an introdnc
ton: but not only were the young
ladies' invisible; they found much 10
their surprise, q cOrpulent. middle
aged dignificd female sitting III the
window that held thu path. and IN
ttntiy reading.
When or by what means por'lv
chaperon could have been smugsied
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 Ell
1ertained visions OF unlimited sood
times with bevy OF unchaperonfd
summer girls
No fun up here. boys: let's wa'ch
out for the girls around the rocks ana
the beach: that old lady won't get Tar
from camp with all her avoirdurois
and this hill in the proposition. 100.
Won may mark my words. ana tNiiF
Matthews ordered his squad to rlsh'
about face and retreat
The story OF the safely,guarded Ev-
lic soon spread through the little com
munitv and various tactics were DC
vispd by the boys to lure the ne"
girls into the holiday life OF this par
ticular halfdozen summer young men.
The scheme all proved more or less
successful, for it TRANSFERRED as Billy
Matthews had predicted: the duenna.
or "our chaperon. Madam harlow. as
she soon came to be- facetiousiy called.
never did attempt the diffcult pain.
Nevertheless. all hints TO the girls
for an invitation TO call at the Eyre
were ignored by them and every al.
tempt made by the ardent 'half-dozen
to steal up unlimited resulted IN con
fronting the obseqniOus Madam BAR
low with the inevitable book In hann
in the watch tower. as the wlnoo"
came to he called. and past which no
welcoming nod ever encouraged them.
The girls proved every bit AS entic'
ing as the first sight OF them mad
promised, and II one by one they even
tuallv eluded the ferret eyes OF the
madam and stole an hour singiy or IN
groups on the rocks. or for stroll III
the moonlight. or a dip in the SURF
with these equally charming young
men. It is certain no ono troubled
about 1t. and all the cottagers encour
aged 1t from pure love OF mischiei.
seemingly for the exclusive madam
had. bv medium OF her young Hook
absolutely declined all overtures OF
hospi,alitv extended either 10 herself
or the young ladies' by the friendly dis
posed cottagers at the foot OF her
path.
All day long. and day succeeding
dav. she sat there, readinC-read'ns
reading. never condescendins one
a., thA nath
Rillv Matthews was hepslessly In
1--we with Ethel Moses-everybody
could see tha:-and Ralph lngraham
was developing symptoms easily d'as
posed By his chums. and which he IN
genuouslv admitted. Fred Lander and
Beatrice Munroe read Omar khaEyan
too assiduously for It to go down
with any one who had previously
known Fred.
The Wavelet. a weekly folio sheet
gotten out for the amusement OF 'ne
summer colony. announced tne Ell
sasemen, Of four out Of the six eou-
Mos whose life centered about the
Eyrie and made convincing prophe-
sizes respecting the others. Only Two
hours later the colony was startled
by the news Of the tragedy at the
Eyrie. Madam Barlow was said 10
have committed suicide.
Help was summoned to the Eyre
and the pathway was quickly waver
ing line of hu-ryine. struggling. pun
ing. pe7spiring. wiideyed HUMANITY.
The Eyrie door stood open and WIN
out ceremony men. women ana ch'''
dren with hushed voices flied into me
cottage.
In m. living room they were met by
the six Young women dressed VI p"re
white and with serious faces.
This way. If YOU please. said Rea-
trice Munroe. acting rs spokes~oman'
led the way into the DINING room