Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1929-05-17
Madge's Love for
Gregory
BY JANE OSBORN

(Copyrlghtb

r Wo days after Gregory Mason
L landed In New York following his
long engineering engagement in South
Africa Il occurred to him that before
he vent OH home IN the West he
would look up the very pretty girl he
had met year before on his voyage
to England. Gregory had taken down
the address she gave him in his
pocket note book-but II was not I'M
til he was off prospecting somewhere
near the equator, with all his former
ideas of life turned topsy turvy,
that he began to think much about
this charming girl with whom he had
danced and played shuttle board on
the Atlantic.
So year later, two days after he
landed, Gregory Mason found his way
out to the suburban community
where Madge Titus lived.
When he entered the softly lighted
drawing room on that gray autumn
afternoon 1t was Madge's thirty-year-
old stepmother who came hurrylng to
him with outstretched hands as If she
were greeting an old friend. Having
explained her identity she drew her
own low ottoman close beside him and
proceeded to tell him about Madge.
Madge was at a sanitarium where
she had now spent three months
Madge had had a nervous breakdown
or that was what the doctor called
it-and she and Madge's father had
arranged to have her. remain at the
sanltarlum until she was quite her
self again.
"You see, Madge began to be fear
fully irritable" the stepmother told
him. Goodness knows 1t wasn't my
fault because I'd made up my mind
to enjoy Madge's friends with her
and get away from the moss-grown
idea that girl just can't get on with
her stepmother. And so l knew that
there must be something really wrong
with Madge. l got psycho-analyst
and nerve specialist and told Madge
precisely what I was doing and after
several consultations and conferences
we decided that Madge was In love.
And finally she just got hysterical and
told us all that she was In love, and
that she was in love with man
named Gregory Mason whom she had
met on her trip abroad land so when
the maid just brought me your card
well, you can imagine how thrilled
was"
Gregory had listened to the comely
stepmother who was talking by his
side and felt when she had finished
like pinching himself to find out
whether he were really awake or
Just having crazy dream.
II cannot see for the life Of me
how she could be In love with me-"
said Gregory. Certainly she gave me
no such impression"
"That's just why she went to pieces
over It," explained the stepmother.
"She should have told you frankly
that she loved you. You could have
explained that you felt no urge to
marry her-and there would have
been an end Of 1t. Men don't have
nervous breakdowns over dlsapp0lnt-
ments I'm love because they do the pro-
posing. They can accept defeat all at
once and get over 1t. That is the way
It should be with women. Now per-
haps you can go to the sanitarium and
see Madge and make II perfectly clear
to her that you do not love her. 1t is
hoping against hope that keeps her
nerves shattered OF course, her fa-
Their has plenty of money, still we
can't keep her at that expensive sani-
tarlum forever"
II was eight that evening when
Gregory finally reached the sani-
tarlum. He told Madge that she was
looking amazingly we'll
81 am perfectly WELL" said Madge,
laughing. But / have no Intentions
Of going back home. You see, that
stepm0ther OF mine Is too absurd for
words. I simply couldn't endure her,
and neither she nor father would lis
ten to my requests to be allowed to go
to the city to work or study. / simply
had to get away so I steered them on
to the Idea that had nervous pros
tratIOn knew they would send me
here. Father can perfectly well ar
ford It, and can ride and play tennis
and read and do little painting and
help little"
"Then you weren't suffering from
a broken heart?" asked Gregory, and
Madge cOlOred little.
"Did that stepmOther OF mine tell
you about that?' she asked swell,
that was part Of my game to get them
to send me away. ] hope at least
that she didn't mention the name Of
the young man for whom I was
plning. She couldn't have done that"
"She did," said Gregory as he took
Madge's hand In his and looked Into
the face that he had ylsuallzed so
often. 81 knew you couldn't really
love me, because n you had you
wouldn't have told them But, Madge
dear, love you. You can't stay here
fOreyer-cOme on with me. Maybe we
could persuade the doctor to prescribe
an elopement as part Of your treat
ment"
Two days later Madge's father and
stepmother received telegram from
the sanitarlum.
1--WE we're married at noon. The