Produced by V. L. Simpson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) [Illustration: A Few of Irene's "Fathers"] THE MADIGANS BY MIRIAM MICHELSON AUTHOR OF "IN THE BISHOP'S CARRIAGE" WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY ORSON LOWELL NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1904 Copyright, 1904, by The Century Co. _Published October, 1904_ The DeVinne Press CONTENTS PAGE Cecilia the Pharisee 3 A Pagan and a Puritan 39 A Merry, Merry Zingara 79 The Shut-Ups 115 The Ancestry of Irene 147 The Last Straw 189 A Ready Letter-Writer 219 "The Martyrdom of Man" 265 Kate: A Pretense 297 Old Mother Gibson 331 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS PAGE A Few of Irene's "Fathers" _Frontispiece_ "That settles Number 10," said Sissy, grimly 7 Left the room with such uncompromising hauteur ... that her aunt again exploded 13 "Please, Mr. Garvan," she said 17 Some of the Madigans 23 The Rest of the Madigans 29 Seizing Sissy in his arms, he bore her off to bed 35 "Play it, then, you mean thing," she cried, ... "if it's going to do you any good!" 47 "Go and shake hands properly, like a little gentleman," bullied Mrs. Pemberton 53 Of the design and construction of which he was quite vain 63 The Belle of the Afternoon 71 She was pronounced a "regular little love" by the Misses Bryne-Stivers 91 "I don't see how you're going to dance in them" 95 "But is she _very_ sick?" 101 She glanced up the incline of the see-saw to the height whence Irene looked down 153 "I want you--come!" the Indian princess announced 163 They had coasted only half a block 169 "Oh, you needn't glare at me!" exclaimed Bep 183 A train meant domesticity and dignity to Sissy. In Split it bred and fostered a spirit of coquetry 223 Stamping ... in a frenzy 229 Madigan banged the door behind him as he fled 237 "Here would I rest," she chanted 253 She walked a step or two with him 261 THE MADIGANS CECILIA THE PHARISEE I, Cecilia Morgan Madigan, being of sound mind and in purfect bodily health, and residing in Virginia City, Nevada, do hereby on this first day of April solemnly promise: