Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-12-18
HER
DOWRY
1t Was Discovered After
the Wedding
BY MARK TRAVERS


STAFF entered his living room and
throwing himself into his chair, sal
gloomily thinking. He had just come
from Mildred Thorne's. He had pro
posed to her and had been refused.
His refusal was more bitter disap.
pointment to him because he had ex
pected an acceptance There had beer
good deal of backing and filling on
Mildred's part, but that is not unusual
in courtships. Hackstaff had noticed
that IL he met one Of her balkngs By
baking on his own part she had
come round very quickly But all the
while Mildred was listening to the die.
tates of her heart Her mother was
telling her that IL she maTeied Hack.
STAFF she would prove herself fool
Mrs. Thorne was an old woman.
She had accumulated some funds by
saving-no one knew how much. She
and her daughter lived in tho house
on the hill where Mildred had been
born and lived very plainly. They
owned the place and raised on 1t all
they ate. Consequently their expenses
were confined to what they wore, and
they seldom bought any new clothes.
Mildred knew great deal about her
mother and her mothers affairs that
the world did not know. She knew
that her mother was miser; not only
that she was miser, but that she
was in constant terror lest she should
lose her savings. Her husband had
been unlucky as an investor, and his
wife had no confidence in ever getting
back any funds that were put out al
interest.
But Hackstafe knew nothing Of all
this. He was young farmer much
interested I'm putting his farm on q
paying basis. His was not the hap
hazard way of the uneducated farm
err. He had taken a course at an agri.
cultural college and when he put seed
into the ground, barring effects of
weather, knew exactly what 1t would
produce. He was aware that Mildred
was obliged to live economically and
bhRPObCu lhhJ Ihlb WIS pcNuuDO bhG
had very little to live on, which, since
there was no income except what the
place produced, was true. Hackstafi
lived alone. If he could have won
Mildred Thorne the world would have
looked very bright to him, for no had
everything to make a home except
wife, and, having set his heart on her,
hn l,s, An1 al
He sat on the night of his proposal
brooding over his disappointment and
thinking Of the dull, lonely life before
him. Mildred had accompanied him
to the door and hidden him adieu
there. She seemed to share bis disap-
pointment or, at least, to sympathize
with him in It. He had not gone far
from the house when he heard Hector,
the watchdog she always let loose be-
fore going to bed, bark. Then all was
still.
At 1 o'clock in the morning Hack
STAFF still sat brooding. He did not
go to bed because he had no desire for
sleep. Suddenly there was q ring on
the telephone bell that sounded at that
time Of night when all else was still
like an alarm. Wondering who could
be calling him at such an hour, he
sprang to the instrument and took
down the receiver.
Shriel1s and the bark Of dog.
Great heavensl That was Hector's
barkp 1t had been the last sound he
had heard from the Thorne place after
his departure, and there was no mis-
taking 1t for Hector's. The shrieks,
the barking, the sounds Of scuffie
receded as though to another room.
Hackstaff called, but received no an
swer. The only sound he heard WINS
the ticking Of clock.
Out into the night shot the young
farmer, descended the decllvity into
the valley between his house and the
Thornes' and ran up the hill. He found
the front door open, but all was dark
within. Climbing the stairs three steps
at time, he stood in the upper hall
and listened, for he could see nothing.
He always carried box of matches In
his pocket and, striking one Of them,
opened door.
Mildred was lying on the floor. The
light of the match glimmerlng before
her eyes reused her, and, seeing Hack
STAFF bending over her, for an instant
she seemed to be trying to collect her
faculties; then she grasped Hackstaffs
wrist with frantic grip, and the
fame Of the match went out
There are matches on tho bureau"
she said, endeavoring to regain some
thing Of her equanimity.
Are you hurt% asked Hackstaff,
cropping.
II think not. must have tainted"
Lighting another match, he lit
candle standing on the bureau. BY
this time Mildred was on her feet, but
she seemed unable for a time to collect
her faculties. Hackstaff begged her to
tell him what had occurred, but she
made no reply.
Then came the mufIied moan Of q
dog. Hackstaff was sure 1t was Hec-
tors bark 1t served to recall to Mil
dred what had happened She at
tempted to break away from Hack
star, but he held her.
"Tell me what to do" he said, land
will do 1t. You are not in a condi.
tion to act yourself,