The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-04-26

Madge laughed, but there was an un-
certain ring in her laughter, and Miss
Phemy went on:
care you going to Boston, my dear!"
II don't quite know, aunty. l rath.
er hate Boston but I love Polly"
"Then you'll have to take your
choice between the love and hate,
mademoiselle, and that directly, for
you know Polly is clamorous for an
answer"
81 believe l will 60 perhaps Boston
may be nicer than think. It is awful
ly slow, am sure"
"Madge!''
Il can't help it, aunty I don't
know what else to call it. Shall l say
triste?"
"Foreign affectation is quite as bad
as slang land not half as natural"
80 aunty. what a two edged sword
you are l must 60 to Boston to pu-
rify my English, see."
Hello, Madge - and small boy
burst into the room with bounce that
is native to too small boys. ''Oh,
Miss Roper, such lark ! If you had
heard Madge give it to him! She was
stunning, tell you," and wicked Mas
ter Jack began his hilt Of ''Highland
Nora again.
"You horrid little wretch! Come
away directly - shrieked Madge, col
oring to the tips of her ears. you'll
kill aunty's poor head"
.'Oh, indeed - feebly squeaked poor
Jack, as he was hustled .smartly out of
the room, while Miss Euphemia laugh
ed softly: ssChildren and fools speak
truly, truly"
Jack went home the next day; he
was only school boy cousin come for
the holidays, and the luckless child
had abridged his own pleasure una
wares; but the rare delight of tor
menting his beautiful cousin was a
temptation too enticing to resist. And
Madge was teased; she hated the sight
of the boy, and made her journey to
Boston the excuse tor his radiance.
But the thorn he had left behind him
was we'll planted, the piquant ballad
haunted Madge and flushed her face
many time when it's lifting measures
returned to mock her.
SO to Boston she went, to her dear
friend Polly, and found that proper
and intellectual city nightly agree.
able. Beaus she had by the dozen, but
there were none like Mr.. Schenck;nOn
SO devoted, SO elegant, so noble-lOOking.
She missed the daily bunch of fragrant
violets on her dressing. table; she
missed the selection of new books that
showed always how we'll he OWNED
her tastes, the forestalling of her
faintest caprices, the devotion that
was too delicate to Obtrude itself, the
homage that was sincere yet courtly.
"How young all your gentlemen
friends are, Polly - she said to her
friend one day, after an evening at
which at least a dozen sets of English
whiskers had vibrated about her and
been pulled before her, as if paying a
kind of mysterious kow-tow to the
latest goddess.
THAT'S fault they will mend of,
Madge," laughed Polly. ''Even in dear
old Boston we have to grow up, and be-
literati to boot"
"But | do SO hate boys !" sighed
Madge.
"And boys do SO adore you !" mock
ed Polly.
Madge blushed and sighed. Why did
she think Of Mr.. Schenck
| In the meantime, there in New York,
Aunt Phemy had visitor now and
then. Mr.. Schenck knew his friends.
and never neglected them; he was
least of all likely to set aside Miss
Roper but she never alluded to him
in her letters to Madge, and that young
lady had already decided in her own
mind that her sutton had taken him
self off to parts unknown to stifle his
anguish by absence. If Madge had Sc
good an opinion of her own powers, car
she be blamed! So bewitching as she
had proved herself. should this man BIZ
the exception to her rule!
One night there was to be a great
and gay party, to which the friends
could not fail to go, and Madge tooh
unusual pains to render herself Lowell,
for the occasion. A new Paris rob.
was unfolded from its boxes and wrap
pings for the occasion the delicate
glittering pale green silk. mingled and
mixed with equally delicate apricot
and films of Malines lace, was wonder
fully adapted to her peculiar colorine
and style and in her red-brown hail
and here and there about the dress
clusters of tea-rose buds rerfumed the
air as she moved, and harmonized
with her dress in every tint; besides
these, her sole ornament was a neck
let of great opals set in black enamel.
'Madge, you are miracle to he
hold !" exclaimed Polly as she behelt
her. "You have given your mind t,
it as much as ever Mr.. Touts did. Wo.
to the Boston boys tonight, my dear
Even Miss Dorr won't hold a candle t.
) you"
Pretty Polly, fresh and sweet as
June rose in her white silk and pinl
corals, deserved comments herself
but she was willing. fully, to be extin
guished by Madge Roper, whom sh,
worshipped, as one girl will worshi,
another. So she put the fur linet
wrap over her friend s shoulders, will
an amusing travesty of a fond, prout
mothers care.
As they went down to the efriage