Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-11
MADGE'S COUSIN.


My DEAR said Mr. Selwyn, walking
up and down and stroking his gray beard
in perplexity, II want TO talk to you about
Jack"
"Oh! please, not now, Papa Selwyn"'
She called him Papa Selwyn when she
meant to be coaxing, and that was nearly
always.
But, my dear, that is all nonsense.
must talk about Jack some time. 1ester-
day it was, oh please don tiny head is
aching; and the day before, oh! please
DON'T want to go out with Gerry.
Come, let us face this affair." And sitting
in the easy chair behind her hassock, he
drew up ON his knees the hand that held
the broken flower and proceeded to lecture
his unmanageable charge on the endless
subject of Jack
Madge was charming charge for any
KIND old mans heart to have. No one
could look into her large gray eyes with
out seeing the great warm heart, whose
tale they told every moment; and yet the
bright quick chances and the saucy set of
the lips showed that Madge had a will of
her own and wit and cleverness enough to
carry it out
This lecture on Jack was the same as
many others had been. 1t consisted of
two parts, the first being devoted to prov
ing that she ought to throw her own
whims and pleasures aside, and as a duti-
full girl fulfil her dying fathers request
and marry her cousin; and the second was
eulogium on the many good qualities of
Jack Hawkesbury.
DO, Mr.. Selwyn,' laughed Nladge,
after he had been making out that even
Jacks awkwardness came from an over
plus of good nature: 'do throw him at
Gerty's head as yo,, throw him at mine
hand him over TO her, and they will be
happy for life"
Gerry was Mr.. Selwyn's own daughter,
expression crossed his face, which Madge
could not read.
Throw him at Gerty's head what
words you use, child" he exclaimed; his
annoynce for a moment escaping his con-
control. II wish you had half Gertrude
good sense. You fancy Jack thinks of
hers that it? He is the sou! Of honor,
and as far as it depends on him your faith
er's word will be kept
"Oh! Papa Selwyn, don't be vexcd with
me; am so sorry" and her face was
hidden on his large hand in burst Of
sorrow quite childish in its passing inten-
sity.
''Cheer up, my darling girl" he said
you made mistake-that's all.
Why, one of these days you will forget
poor Papa Selwyn altogether, when you
fall in love with your cousin
lirrI,,+ T ,,,,i+ ,,;ol Nol., ,1l
the strength Of her hot heart.
All her life, even as far back as her
childhood, she had dreaded the fate that
bound her to marry her cousin. When
Jack Hawkesbury came on the scene and
stayed on visits at the house, she disliked
and ridiculed him without mercy. An
other, one like tair-haired Gertrude for
instance, might have accepted the inevi-
table and been happy; but Madge's active
and independent nature made her run
against fate. And now there was only
one month left before her twenty-6rst
birthday and the betrothal. Often she
told Gertrude she wished he would 90
home and stay there; and Gertrude would
only laugh, with deepened tinge of col
or in her fair face.
The girls went out but little, an ar
rangement against which Madge often re-
belled, believing it was in some way con-
nected with the safe management Of the
marriage with her cousin. But there
were two pleasures in prospect now, an
afternoons boating with Jack and a friend
of his and Gertrude, and party that the
Ponsonby-Joneses were going to give, tc
which the Selwyn family were sure to be
invited. First came boating. All! that
ever memorable day--how many years
it would take to make Madge forget
There were four in the boat that passed
with the measured beat and ripple o.
Jacks pair Of SOULS, along by the reedy
shadows and green wooded banks of the
Upper Thames. The two girls shared
the cushioned seat at the stern, thei1
white WOODEN shawls guarding them from
the chill of the autumn wind. Gertrude
was watching the shore and the running
ripples, thinking in her quiet, easy going
way Madge, bright with excitement, wa
talking-not with Jack, but with tn,
dark bearded, travel bronzed man, who
was resting from his turn at the scull
He was charmed with the way she chat
ted and listened to his tales of half of tn
world, with refreshing absence of self
consciousness. What would he have sait
if had known the thought that strove 70
entrance into her heart? Oh! if Jack
awkward, laundering, good-natured Jacl
could be changed into this stranger tina
she called timidly Mr.. Fitzallan, an
Jack and her guardian had greeted at tn
the house as Herbert!
At last there was pause in the tall
She gave deep sigh, prompted by sa
longing to do right, vague fear, frs
suspicion of the change that was comm
over her impetuous heart.
care you cold, Madge?" asked Jacl
pulling away and bending to his stron
stroke. keep your shawl we'll abo,
your shoulders. And, my dear girl, loo
to your steering. You have been sendin
the boat into curves like corkscrew-
only 1 did not want to disturb your tet
a-tete."
Poor Cousin Jack! She drew the viii
shawl closely around her, chilled not /
the wind but by sudden pang of r
morse, the foundation Of which was vel
small, but enough to trouble her peace.
What need to tell the inner history
Madge's life during tina next few week
More and more she longed for freedo1
Fitzallan was staying in the neighbc
hood and was frequently at the house, al
in the thousand little incidents Of eve
day life she knew he cared for her, al
honest Jack grew vet more distasteful