The Elbert County tribune., 1918-02-08

or the aristocracy. She greeted me with
well-bred Indifference which was not
particularly propitious for Madge Min
turn.
Miss Payne. have come on a mis-
sion that is as hldeously unpleasant
for me as 1t must be cruel for you.
Try to be patient with me-you owe
1t to yourself as well as to me to give
me hearing" said l.
And then 1 showed her the photo
graph of Madge Minturn's baby-the
baby whose immature face bore so
strange a likeness to Ralph ConIey's.
Miss Payne looked at it coldly; there
was no encouragement in her man
Der.
And when l began to talk, to tell
her Madge Minturn's pathetic little
story. she did what she felt loyalty
she fairly ordered me from the house.
You know this isn't particularly
comfortable situation for me. 1 have
little pride, too, Miss Payne; I'm
used to being welcomed to houses-not
ordered from them" said ]. But /
am going to appeal to the splendid
womanliness 1 feel you possess. Won't
you be fair-won't you give me hear
ing?"
And then as / told my story Mar
garet Payne listened-at first with an
air of sneering superiority, then with
certain breathless, growing horror,
and finally with the manner of one
who is too stunned to realize her own
misery. Suddenly the girl rallied; her
pride, her breeding and her innate
fineness rose to meet the needs of this
supreme moment.
ut seems impossible that / should
be believing evil of Ralph-and for him
to be so weak is the most terrible evil
1 can think of. How could he
have said he loved me while-while
this was going on? Ralph isn't
worthy-and yet both of us care. But
I'll never marry him now"
I interrupted, eagerly: miss Payne,
you've taken this like the thorough
bred 1 knew you were. Ralph Conley
isn't fine enough for you-perhaps he
isn't even good enough for weak little
Madge minturn-lonely little Madge
Minturn, 1 should say. But she loves
hsm-and there's the baby. She wants
name for the baby. That's the only
justice anyone can do anyone else in
this whole sad tangle of weak human
nature at its weakest. We can get
name for that baby"
Il don't think he'll marry her, Miss
Fairfax. I think he is over caring
and, besides, he cant act independently
of his father"
II have plan. VIII you help me?"
YES" said Margaret, quietly. "Pl
help you-tell me-"
And so l told her my plan. She lis
tened to me with self-control, which
won me to friendship for Margaret
Payne which the years have never
diminished, and at last she said, quiet
ly:
I'm tired now-too tired to think.
A little stunned, too, perhaps. You
don't want me to just let you impose
your will on mine, do you, Miss Fair
fax? 1 thought not. Well, suppose
telephone you this EVENING""
We left 1t that way and 1 started
back to the office. / felt / might be
heeueu tnere.
When I arrived telephoned Madge.
Mrs. Woods answered the phone, and
in voice which shook with genuine
anxiety she said to me: "Madge? She's
been gone some time. / never knew
her to stiy out so long. She went
right after you came-and she isn't
back yet. She was carrying that heavy
baby, too. I'm getting kind of wor-
ried."
Disquieting thoughts of the tramp
and of Ralph Conley fluttered across
my brain.
Just then Jimmie returned, but
when 1 told him of my conversation
with Mrs. Woods my debonair and
cheerful young friend wore an un-
wonted expression of anxiety.
II am going back" said he. 81 don't
like this one bit"
"Yes-I think you'd getter go back"
said 1, "but not alone. Pm going, too"
AS we made our return trip to Blue
Cove, Jimmy told me his part of the
story: Directly we suspected that Con-
ley was the man in the case. Jimmy
had gone down to the law offices of