Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-04-14
s------ -----------------------
IL NEVER WILLw

"I never will I" said Madge Roper,
her beautiful brown eyes flashing with
indignation.
"Forgive me, Miss Roper" said Mr..
Schenck. 81 said it in a sort of despera-
ton, for can not-I could not think
such passion as mine could fail to call
out response sooner or later"
"You are mistaken" she answered,
haughtily; "and, as you know, this is
not the first time 1 have assured you of
this fact. I trust it is the last.
81 withdraw my plea and myself
finally, Miss Roper. Good morning!"
He said it with such dignity that
Madge respected him more than she had
ever done, and her face softened. But
Mr.. Schenck did not see it; he took HIM
self and his troubles out of sight, if not
out of mind. But as Madge turned to
leave the parlor, she heard boyish voice
from some hiding-place singing loudly,
with mischief in every infection:
"Hear what Highland Nora said:
The Earie's son l will not we'd"
'L1ttle wretch !" muttered Madge, bit
ing her pretty red lips; she must be oil
this time in the conservatory. And now
Aunt Phemy will know all about it. I
may as well tell her."
So she trailed the folds of her deep
blue dress slowly up the stairs to Aunt
Phemy's room. Miss Euphemia was sit
ting in her arm chair by the window, a
tiny old lady, with soft silver white hair,
and quaint black satin wrapper, Illus
trated with delicate laces, and the sparkle
of one great diamond on her little hand
She was cripple, whose sole change was
from her bed to her great chair; but, for
all that, she was the heart of the house.
and her keen and kindly eyes saw every
thing that was to be seen, but her tongue
kept charitable silence.
Madge's mother had died young, and
Aunt Phemy had come to her brothers
house to take care of him and his child
till his wifes place might be filled; but
that had never happened. Mr.. Roper
was grave, reticent man, and when the
one love of his life futtered away from
him like weary and storm-spent moth,
his heart shut itself for all time; he even
seemed to have little fatherly lovefor the
wailing baby, whose birth he resented in
his secret soul, as one resents q murder.
But now he was proud of his beautiful
and graceful daughter, proud of her
spirited character, her good breeding,
her crowd Of admirers; and Madge was
equally proud of her handsome, high
minded father, though there was little of
the diviner element of love lost between
them.
Many and many an admirer fell at
Madges feet, and no wonder. The girl
was young, fresh, lovely, and intelli-
gent, and every charm she had was illu-
mined by the fittest results of wealth
and taste. A beautiful girl is beautiful
in spite of calico; she is enchanting in
lace and pearls. Madge's profuse red
brown hair, dazzling yet tenderly tinted
complexion, her soft proud eyes, her
slender and exquisitely nodded figure,
her feet, her hands, were all perfect, and
the insipidity of perfection was removed
by the vivid and variant expression of
the soul within.
AS she entered Aunt Phemy's room
this morning, with the dark blue folds of
her fine wool dress falling from her deli
cate waist, and her face heightened by q
color that shamed the carnations which
fastened the abundant lace scarf about
her throat, the dear old lady looked at
her with adoring eyes, for Madge was
her auntys idol. But the girl did not
come at once for her daily kiss; she
smiled, and then she walked across the
room to the other window, and began to
meddle with the mignonette and pinch
the rose geraniums. Aunt Phemy wait
ed-she was woman who could wait
and presently Madge fitted suddenly
across the floor, and dropped softly, as
little bird folds up into its nest, on tc
the brioche beside her aunt's chair, anG
laid her head on it's arm.
Il could not come up before, Aunty
Fee. Mr.. Schenck was down stairs"
Miss Roper said nothing, but laid hel
hand tenderly on the rich folds of hair
and looked at that beautiful head like
benevolent old fairy. She knew whel
Madge called her "Aunty Fee that i
was propitiatory: something had beel
done or said that this wayward young
woman was not quite at ease about.
"And-aunty," Madge went on, slow
ly, picking carnation to pieces as sh
spoke, "I-refused him."
81 thought you had done that lon,
ago, Madge," said the old lady, with
certain trouble in her kind eyes.
$50 have, over and over, but h
wouldn't stay refused. think he vii
now" Here her voice rose and rang
and her eyes flashed. The indignation
returned. "I never will marry him
Aunt Phemy-never And L think h
understands it at last"
Miss Roper's eyes sparkled now sh
was old and wise.
"Don't be troubled about it, Madg
dear nobody can harass you on tn
matter. If you don't love man, don
marry him, if he be king or kaiser
Jacob Schenck is good man and a ger
tleman, but think he is far too old for
rosebud like you"
Oh, Aunt Euphemia you too ha
been o girl, and remembered it. A litt]
shark entered Madpe's cool eve