The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-03-08
MADGEnS COUSIN.


Madgc wa, sitting upon the hcanh-rug,
oulling to pieces 70 white Co'nnIia aaA .vtus
M herself 10 her linl0lt guardian by saying
it va, "onl, Iaci,,.'
My dear" said Mr.. SclWyu, walking ur
and down the room, and -trokiEg hi. gray
beard in pcrplcNiIy, 81 want 10 talk to you
about Jack"
"Oh, please, moi now, Papa Sclwyn'" She
called nm Papa Sclwyn WHEN She meant to ne
coaXlug, and that was nearly always
But my dear that r. all nonsense. | must
talk about Jack some time. Yesterday it WAS,
Oh please dua'l my head /, aching and
the drr before oh, please dent ! want To
20 ont with Gerry Come let u, face the at.
lair And sitting in The easy chair hchlnd
her ha,,oCk, he drew up on ms knees thc hand
that held the broken flower and proceeded IL
lecture his unmanageahlc charge ON the end.
less subject Of jack
Madgc was "a charming charge for any kind
Old mans heart 70 have. No one could look
into her large gray eye, without seeing the
great warm heart, whose tale they told every
momcn. and set the bright, quick glanccr
and the saucy set OF thc lip, showed that Madge
had will OF her own, and wit and clcverncss
enGI-h 10 cary IL on.
This rclurc ou Jac, was the same is many
other, mad been il consisted OF two parls, lh,
first beng devoted to proving that She ought
" throw h"r own "him8 Gcd pleasures aside
and "a. % duii'ul girl fulfill her dying fathers
rcquc- md marry her cousin, and the srcunu
was % caIOgium on the many good gUuilicso
Jack iiaWkcSOury
500, Mr.. Srlwyn" laughed Nladqr, alter he
mad been making out that even Jack 5 uWkard
ness came from an oycrplu~ Of good nature
"do throw him n Gcr'r'S head "a, You Throw
him at mlnc, and shall make him over &,
her ard they viii be happy for life
GCriy WAS MIR. Sclwyas own daughter ant
At the mention Of hcr name a strange express
ION crossed his face, winch Madgc could no
read.
Throw him at Gcrty's head what word,
you use, child he exclaimed; his annoyance,
for - moment escaping his control II wisl
you had half Gcrtrudc's good sense. You fan
cy Jack think, of hers that it, He i, th,
soul Of honor, and as far rs it depends ON hin
your fathers word will be kept"
"Oh' Papa Sclwyn, don't bcvcXcd with me
| am su sorry" and her face was hidden on
his large rough hands in Il burst Of sorrow
quite childish in its passing intensity.
Cheer up, my darling girl he said "yol
made miSHkc-that's all. Why, one of thes,
days you will forget poor Papa Sclwyn alto
gcther when you fall i'll love with your cousin
Jack
"That | Won't" cried Madgc. with all th
strength Of her warm heart
All her life, even so i,lr back II, her child
hood She had dreaded the fate that had boun,
her to marry her cousin When Jack IaM ko.
bury came ON the scene and stayed ON visits Il
the house, She is,iled and ridcucd hin
without mercy. Another, one like lairhairc,
Gertrude for instance might have accrptc
Ia
active and iudcucudcnt nature made her rq
against fate hnd now there was only ON
month left before her twcnty-tirSt birthday an
The tnrotlal. Often she told Gertrude >h
Wished he would 90 home and stay there: an
Gertrude would only laugh, with dccpc
ungc ol color or her fair face
The girls went ont but little, an arrangcmct
against which Madgc often rebellcd, bchevn
II was IN some way connected with the sal
management %. The marriage with her cousin
But there were lWo pleasures m prospect nov
30 afternoons boating with Jack and "a tricn
.i has ana Gertrude, and party HAT the Por
"nbEJone,cS were going TO rive. 10 which IA
oclwAu family were sure To hc invited. Fir.
came boating. All! that cvrrmcmurablc da
how many years il would take ro NAL.
Nadgc forget H.!
There were four in the boat that passed ,y,t
''t''''''' wv gnu - t'lIl' bi bttk lti
Of souls, along by the reedy shadows nm
"recn wooicd banks OF the upper Tbamc
Inc 40 girls shared the cushioned sea, nj in
s!crA, their white wooden shawls cuardin
'nem from the chill autumn wind Gerlrud
vas watching the shores and the mnnin
,,,pple', thinking in her quiet, easy.gong WA,
Madge, bright with excitement, was taking
iot with Jack, but with the dark bearded ira,
el-bron@ci man, VINO was resting from his tur
Il the souls
lie Was charmed with the way she chattc,
ana she listened 10 his tales of half the worl,
with areircshng absence of sclfcnnsclousnes
What would lac have said II he had known m
bought that strOve for entrance into her hear,
IA! II Jack-awkward, blundering. good. n,
p'ed Jack-could be changed into This stran,
whom she called timidly Mr. FIllallan an,
'ck anu her guardian had greeted nj m
ousc a. Herbert
AT last there was pause IN the talk Sb
gave deep sigh, prompted by a sad loncjn
do right vague fear, "a first suspicion :
me change that was coming over her Impet,
ons heart.
"Are you cold, Madge?' askedJack. pullip