E-text prepared by Suzanne Shell and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net/c/) Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 20737-h.htm or 20737-h.zip: (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/7/3/20737/20737-h/20737-h.htm) or (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/0/7/3/20737/20737-h.zip) MADGE MORTON'S SECRET by AMY D. V. CHALMERS Author of Madge Morton, Captain of the Merry Maid; Madge Morton's Trust, Madge Morton's Victory. [Illustration: The Girl in the Apple Tree Read on. _Frontispiece._] Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company Copyright, 1914, by Howard E. Altemus CONTENTS CHAPTER. PAGE. I. THE INTERRUPTED STORY 7 II. WHAT MADGE FOUND IN THE ATTIC 18 III. AN UNEXPECTED MEETING 35 IV. THE CHALLENGE 46 V. THE MYSTERIOUS BOX 57 VI. FLORA BETRAYS A STATE SECRET 66 VII. AWARDING THE PRIZES 76 VIII. THE HOUR OF TRIUMPH 95 IX. MADGE MORTON'S SECRET 102 X. ADRIFT ON CHESAPEAKE BAY 108 XI. THE AWAKENING 120 XII. A DESERTED ISLAND 132 XIII. LIFE IN THE WOODS 142 XIV. CAUGHT IN A STAMPEDE 152 XV. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS 165 XVI. THE DISAPPOINTED KNIGHTS 173 XVII. CAN WE GO TO THE RESCUE? 183 XVIII. A NEW USE FOR A KITE 193 XIX. THE IMPOSSIBLE HAPPENS 201 XX. THE RECOGNITION 212 XXI. BACK TO THE "MERRY MAID" 219 XXII. THE STARS AND STRIPES FOREVER 226 XXIII. THE SURPRISE 237 XXIV. THE TELLING OF THE SECRET 248 Madge Morton's Secret CHAPTER I THE INTERRUPTED STORY A girl in a green gown was cosily ensconced among the spreading branches of an old apple tree. She was reading, and she never stirred except to turn the pages of her book or to reach out for another red apple after dropping the core of the previous one.