The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-03-19
MADGE'S COUSIN.

Malge was sitting upon the hearth
rug, palling to pieces q white camellis
aud e1cusing herself to her kind old
guardian by saying it was "onlJ
Jacks"
"My DEAR" said Mr.. Sslwyn, walk.
ing up aud down and stroklDg bis gray
beard in perple1ity, $, I want tc talk to
you about jack"
"Ohl please, not now. Papa Sell
wyn T., She called him Papa Selwyn
when she meant to be coa1ing, and that
was nearly always.
"But, my dear, that is all nonsense.
I must talk about Jack some time. Yes
terday it was, 'Oh please don't-my
head is aching;' and the day before,
'Oh please don't-I want to go out
with Gerty.' Come, let US face this af-
fair" Aud sitting in the easy chair be-
hind her hassock, he drew up on his
knees the hand that held the broken
flower and proceeded to lecture his un-
manageable charge on the endless sub
iect of "Jack."
Madge was charming charge for any
kind old mans heart to have. No one
could look into her large gray eyes
without seeing the great warm heart,
whose tale they told every moment; and
yet the bright quick glances and the
saucy set of lips showed that Madge
had will of her own and wit and clev-
erness to carry it out.
This lecture on Jack was the same
as many others had been. It consisted
of two parts, the first being devoted to
proving that she ought to throw he,
own whims and pleasures aside, and
as a dutiiul girl fulfill her dying
fathers request and marry her cousin
and the second was a eulogium on the
many good qualities of Jack Hawkes.
bury.
"Do, Mr.. Selwyn," laughed Madge,
after he had been making out that even
jacks awkwardness came from an over.
plus of good nature; "do throw him OF
Gerty's head as you throw him at mine
and I shall make him over to her, and
they will be happy for life"
Gerty was MIR. 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 Gerty's head l.
what words you use, cl,ild!" he ex-
claimed :; his annoyance for moment
escaping his control. "I wish you had
half Gertrude's good sense. You fancy
Jack thinks of her-is that it? he is
the soul of honor, and as far as it de-
pends on him your fathers word will
be kept"
"Ohl Papa Selwyn, don't be ve1ed
with me; I am 30 sorryl" and her
face was hidden on his large rough
hands in burst of sorrow, quite child.
sh in it's passing intensity.
"Cheer up, my darling girl, he said,
"you made mistake-that's ali. Why,
one of these days you will forget poor
Papa Selwyn altogether, when you fall
in love with your cousin"
'1That I won't p cried Madge, With
all the strength Of her hot heart.
All her life, even 80 far back as hel
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. Another, one like fair-halred
Gertrude for instance, might have &C
cepted the inevitable and been happy
but Madge's active and independent ma.
ture made her run against fate. Ano
now there was only one month left be-
fore her twenty-frst birthday and the
betrothal. Often she told Gertrude
she wished he would 60 home and stay
there; and Gertrude would only laugh,
with deeper tinge of color on her fai,
face.
The girls went out but little; an ar.
raugement against which Madge often
rebelled, believing it Was in some way
conrc"tcd with the aofe r"nagement ol
tho uArli.go with her cousin. But
there we're two pleasures in prospect
now, an afternoons boating with Jack
and friend of his and Gertrude, and 6
party that the Ponsonby- Joneses were
going to give, to which the,Selwyn fam
lily were sure to be invited. First came
boating. Ahl that ever-memorablt
day-how many years it would take
to make Madge forget it There were
four in the boat that passed, will
the measured beat and ripple of Jack'i
pair of SOULS, along by the reedy shall
lows and green-wooded banks of tht
upper Thames. The two girls shared
the cushioned seat at the stern, theil
white woolen shawls guarding then
from the chill of the autumn wind
Gertrude was watching the shores ant
the running ripples, thinking in hel
quiet. easy.going way. Madge, brigh
with excitement, was talking-not with
Jack, but with the dark-bearded, travel
bronzed man, who was resting from BIZ
!, turn at the scuIls. he was charmed
with the way she chatted and istenei
q 10 his tales Of half the world, with 9 re
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