The Osceola times., 1879-03-22
MADGE'S COUSIN.

MADGES COUSlN.
Madgs was sitting upon the hearth
rug, pulling to pieces white camelia
end excusing herself to her kind old
guardian by saying il was " only Jacks"
=" My dear" ssid Mr.. Selwyn, walking
up and down and stroking his gray
beard in perplexity, 1 want to talk to
you about Jack"
"Ohl please, not now, Papa Selwyn!"
She called him Papa Selwyn when she
meant to be coaxing, and that was nearly
always.
" But, my dear, thst is all nonsense.
| must talk about Jack some time. Yes.
terday it WAS, 0 please don't-my head
is aching;' and the day before, %!
please dOn't-I want to go out with
Gerty.' Come, let us face this affair"
And sitting in the easy chair behind his
hassock, he drew up on his knees the
hand that held the broken flower, aud
proceeded to lecture his uamsnagesble
charge on the endless subject o. "Jack."
Msdge was a charming charge for any
kind old mans heart TO have. no one
could look into her large gray eyes with
out seeing great warm heart, whose tale
they told every moment and yet the
bright quick glances and the ssucy set of
the lips showed that Madge had 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 part being devoted to
proving that she ought to throw her own
whims and pleasures aside, and as a du-
tiiul girl, fulfil her dying fathers request
and marry her cousin and the second
was eulogium on the many good quail
tiles of Jack Hawkesbury.
"Do, Mr.. Selwyn," laughed Madge,
after he had been making out that even
Jacks swkwardness came from an over
plus OF good nature do throw him at
Gerty's head as you throw him at mine
and | shall make him over to her, and
they will be happy for life"
Gerty was Mr.. Selwyn's own daugh-
ter, and at the mention of her name a
strange expression crossed his face, which
Msdge could not read.
Throw him at GsTty's head what
words you use, child" he exclaimed; his
annoyance for moment escaping his
control. o. wish you had half Ger
trude's good sense. You fancy Jack
thinks OF her-is that it? He is the
soul of honor, and as far as it depends
on him your fathers word will be kept" +"
"Oh Papa Selwyn, don't be vexed
with me; l am so sorry" and her face
was hidden on his large rough hands in
burst of sorrow, quite childish in its
passing intensity.
"Cheer up, my darling GIRL" he said
"you made mistske-that's all. Why,
one of these days you will forget poor
Papa Selwya altogether, when you fail
in love with your cousin"
"Thst / won't " cried Msdge, with
all the strength of her hot heart
All her lite, even 80 far back as her
childhood, she had dreaded the tate that
bound her TO marry her cousin. When
JACK Hawkesbury came on the scene and
stayed On visits at the house, she dis
liked and ridiculed him without mercy.
Another one like fair.haired Gertrude
Tor instance, might have accepted the
inevitable and been happy; but Msdges
active and independent nature made her
run against fate. And now there was
only one month left before her twenty.
first birthday and the betrothal. Often
she told Gertrude she wished he would
go home and stay there and Gertrude
would only laugh with deeper tinge of
color in her fair face.
The girls went out but little. an ar.
rangement agains which Madge O ten
rebelled, believing it was in some way
connected with the safe management of
the marriage with her cousin. But there
were two pleasures In prospect now an
afternoons boating with Jack and
friend of his and Gertrude, and party
that the Ponsonby-Jo were going
to give, to which the Selwyn family
were sure to be invited. First came
boating. All! that ever memorable
day how many years 1t would take
to make Madge forget II There were
four in the boat that passed, with the
measured beat and ripple of Jacks pair
of sculls, along by the reedy shadows
and green wooded banks of the upper
Thames. The two girls shared the cush.
ioned seat at the stern, their white
wooden shswls guarding them from the
chill OF the autumn wind. Gertrude
was watching the shores and running
ripples, thinking in her quiet, easy-going
way. Msdge, bright with excitement,
was talking-not with Jack, but with
the dark bearded, travel bronzed man,
who was resting from his turn at the
sculla. He was charmed with the way
she chstted and listened to his tales OF
half the world, with refreshing absence
of self consciousness What would he
have said if he had known the thought