Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-05-07
"What has become of your golden

"What has become of your golden
plumage, my bird?" asked the father,
kindly, making room for poor, blush
ing Madge on the chimney settec,
beside him. He noted that the mer-
ry blue eyes were glistcning, and,
though puzzled himself, longed to
shield his darling.
Madge made desperate effort to
rally her spirits, and resist the incli-
nation to rush off and hide her liter
ally diminished head on her own pill
low.
'I've turned it into more substan-
tial gold, father" she said, looking
up into the kind face by her side. 81
know / am fright, but if you would
only none Of you look at me these
holidays, 1 dare say it will have
grown to decent length by the
next"
"Sold it," exclaimed the chorus of
voices again. "Who'd have thought
of Madge being so mercenary?"
Poor Madge! The ordeal was
far worse than she had anticipat-
ed.
81 wanted the money for a very
particular purpose. Father, mother,
indeed, indeed, it was very impor-
tant," she urged, as she saw the sur
prised and rather panied expression
on her fathers face, and the disap-
proving frown upon her mothers.
81 think, Madge, you might have
consulted me Oh the matter, first"
said the latter.
''1t's altogether preposterous!" said
Kit, angrily, as he pushed back his
chair and hastily left the room.
"pm sorry Pve vexed every one
so,' said poor Madge; "but still l
think it was right. Pm afraid" she
added, trying to rally, "you only car
ed for my old wig, not for it's wearcr
at all. never guessed before how
much like Sampson l was, nop that
all my power would depart with my
hair"
Tom Helston SAID nothing, but
sat looking blank for awhile and soon
took his departure.
The same evening, as he sat with
his sister by the cottage fire, he ex-
claimed, not apropos of anything
that had been said before:
'sIt's miserable old concern of a
world, Polly! The people you think
the highest and best, turn out to be
mean, money loving, commonplace
folks, after alp And the good-hu-
mored face puckered itself into a
most uncomfortable frown.
III.
Madge's Christmas did not prom
Use to be very bright one this year
And had she not been sustained by
entering in the true spirit of that
blessed festival, l think that her brave
heart would have given way to de-
preston and discomfort under her
troubles.
In her generous impulsiveness she
had not considered, as she should
have done, tie duty she owed her
parents before taking so decided a
step. Perhaps the fact of working
for herself SO early had made the girl
of eighteen more independent in her
feelings than became her age. And
as no further word of blame came
from either father or mother concern
ing her deed, she thought she could
detect shade of disappointment and
distrust in their faces, which her
troubled fancy dwelt on and exag-
gerated.
AS for Tom, generally SO full OF
life and fun at holiday times, and
Madge's devoted admirer, change
had come over the youth, his sister
declared that he was sulky from
morning till night, and always railing
against the unpoetical, money-making
spirit of the age.
But worst Of all was Kit-Kit, 70,
whom all this annoyance had been
encountered. Instead Of thanking
her when she put the flO note in his
hand, thinking that here, at least.
would be a ray of pleasure, he crump.
led it up almost savagely, and said
with as much temper as such Al easy
going lad was capable of:
"Pve a mind to toss the dirty bit OF
paper into the fire, Madge. l call il
uncommon hard lines on a fellow to
be made out such brute as all thatn
Gas all what, Kit?"
"Why, to take the very hair off his
sisters head to pay his beggarly bills.
| wish all those books had been at
the bottom of the sea, and my best
suit into the bargainr'
"That would have been pity, as
the fishes wouldn't have appreciated
them," said Madge, trying to laugh.
"Now don't chatf, Madge. l am
awfully put out, tell you. I would
not have had it happen for twice the
money. Why, I thought | might
have had you up to Oxford this com
mencement if I pinched a bit. But
l couldn't have the face to lionize
you now"
"Oh, Kit! don't bother like all the
rcst!" said poor Madge, driven to
speak at last. And herewith the
tears overfowed.
Kit couldn't stand that, SO he strobe
off with the hardly earned money
The next day he walked into the town
again to receive another flO note
from the bookseller, on the receipt of
the huge box of books sent from Ok
ford by the lads order. On his way
home he met Tom Halston, and paid
him the remainder of his debt. But
Tom was ungracious, too.
eff you were so flush of money,
Kit, why couldn't you have given
your sister what she wanted? I'd
have waited gladly"
1T was on the tip of Kits tongue
to tell the tale Of the hair, only Madge
had bound him over to keep the
peace, fearing his friends refusal to
take the money so earned. Thus Kit
could only shrug his shoulders, and
say, somewhat cnigmatically: II tell
you what it is, Tom, l don't know
about intellectual equality and all
that tall talk; but as to the moral
line, they beat us all to bits, and no
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