The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1921-07-29
az
Farnished Soul
BY EVELYN LEE :,
(copyright. 1919 By the Western Nevs,
paper Uuion.)

(copyrisht. 1919 By the Western Nsve.
ii paper Uuion.)
II 1t might have been wicked tina
Madge Griscom experienced a sens
Of relief when the funeral of her hus
; band was over. She had never love,
him and he knew 1t, and she cOul,
not regret the sense Of freedom tina
had come to her. To the last hour o
his life she had been kind, attentiv,
and considerate towards him. Sh,
had fulfilled every wifely duty, sh,
had even given over to him the mean,
to finance him in business. It wa.
true that she had now inherited tn,
same. many times augmented, but sh,
had worked side by side with him ut &
desk, and the first thing she had done
in taking over his estate was to place
a charge against it that would insure
competence for his aged parents.
"And now you can follow out your
own ideas and enjoy life." reminded
her sister, but Madge's lips were sci
smilelessly.
mo, Edna" she responded. 1.-THE
best years Of my life are gone. I feel
as though my heart was dead. There
is a certain interest that Is not un.
pleasant In business and I shall con
tinue."
ITO keep from thinking, poo,
thing!" Edna later impaired to a spe
cial friend. "You know Madge has
led life of positive slavery for ten
years. don't know how it was that
papa took strange liking to Mr.. Girls.
com-nothing would do but Madge
must marry him. He chilled her,
froze all that was tender and gentle
in her nature. He tied her down to a
desk-oh. it was dreadful"
Madge became a boartler at the
home of Edna. The latter, after half
a dozen years of marriage, was just
as much a girl as ever but somehow
Madge was not in harmony. She felt
and acted old.
Across the corridor from the Office
suite was a room fronting on a court,
and more than once Madge had no.
ticed its occupant, delicate looking
young man with refined features and
gentle gravity Of manner that
seemed akin to sadness. Somehow
she was attracted. and If she had
closely analysed her impression she
would have found that something in
the quiet, resigned manner of the
young man had suggested itself as
akin to her own somber frame of
mind. One day there came the i'm
pulse to learn something closer con-
corning her opposite neighbor and op.
portunity abetted 1t. The postman
had misdelivered letter addressed to
Mr.. Paul Derby, and that was the
name on the door Of the Office. Mrs.
Griscom took the letter across the
hall. 1t was bare, dismal place,
looking out upon court and the
heat was oppressive on account of
such scant direct ventilation The
young man was bent over some manu-
script which he seemed to he studying
closely and TRANSFERRING. Later Mrs.
GriscOm learned that he was a trans
latOr and master of several Ian
guages.
He arose somewhat confused. bat
the courteous gentleman complete,
and accepted with thanks the letter
rendered by his attractive looking Wis
itor. who could be most gracious and
smiling when occasion or her mood
accorded. She could not very we'll re.
main, but she observed, less casually
than it seemed on the surface.
ut must he very warm and oppres.
sive here when the breeze is not right
Mr.. Derby" and then: Zone of our
Offices is directly opposite. and if its
door was kept open, YOU would have
a direct draft through to the court"
and the pleased expression in the
young mans face encouraged his
thoughtful visitor to the extent that
when she returned to her own office
and opened the door, the effect of the
current of air was noticeable in the
huttering of the papers on the desk
of the translator, and he sat more
erect and comfortable as though en-
joying the change in the temperature.
AS time went on Madge. as she
passed down the corridor daily, would
nod in friendly way to Derby and
he seemed to brighten up because of
the attention. Then one day there
was change of wind and a sheet of
paper came futtering across the hall
and into the private Office where Mrs.
Griscom sat. 1t was brief letter, d.
rected to Derby, and it notified him
that the manuscript of an unpublished
work by Spain's most noted writer
could be had of a priest for two thou
sand dollars cash and like amount |
on time. At the bottom of the sheet |
was penciled reply: ~ am in despair,
1t would be impossible for me to raise
one-tenth of the amount named, so I
must allow this great opportunity Of
my life to drift BY"
Madge was grave and thoughtful as |
she took the letter and crossed the
corridor.