The Red Cloud chief., 1879-04-03
MADGE'S COUSIN.

Madge was sitting upon the hearth
rug, pulling to pieces a white camellia
and excusing herself to her kind old
guardian by saying it was "only
Jacks"
"My DEAR" said Mr.. Selwyn, walk
ing up and down and strokng bis gray
beard in perplexity, 81 want to talk to
you about Jack"
"Ohi please, not now, Papa Sci
wynn" She called him Papa Selwyn
when she meant to be coaXing, and that
was nearly always.
"But, my dear, that is all nonsense.
/ mast talk about Jack some time. Yes
terday it was, tOh! please don't-my
head is aching;' and the day before,
'Ohi please DON'T want to 60 out
with Gerty.' Come. let us face this af-
fair" And 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 I'M
manageable charge on the endless sub
iect of "Jack."
Madge was a 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
vet the bright quick glances and the
saucv set of the lips showed that Madge
had a will of her own and wit and clev-
erness enough to carry it through.
The lecture on Jack was the same as
many others had been. 1t consisted of
two parts, the first being devoted to
proving that she ought to throw her
own whims and pleasures aside, and as
dutiful girl fulfill her dying fathers re-
quest and marry her cousin; and the
second was a eulogium on the many
good qualities of Jack Hawkesbury.
"DO, MIR. Selwyn," laughed Madge,
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 you throw him at mine
and / shall make him over TO her, and
they will be happy for life"
Gerty was Mr.. Selwyn's W daugh-
ter, and at the mention of her name a
strange expression crossed his face,
which Madge could not read.
"Throw him at Gerty's head!-what
words you use, child!" he exclaimed
his annoyance for a moment escaping
his control. 81 wish you had half Ger
trude's good Ems You fancy Jack
thinks of hers that itP He is the
soul of honor, and as far as it depends
on him your fathers word will be
kept"
"Ohi Papa Selwyn, don't be vexed
with me; l am so sorry!" and her face
was hidden on his large rough hands in
b,ref 1f c,Vyp" nrfso ohitA,c -, Sc
passing intensity.
"Cheer up, my darling GIRL" he
said s'you made a mistake-that's all.
Why, one of these days you will forget
poor Papa Selwyn altogether, when you
fall in love with your cousin"
"That l won't!" cried Madge, with
all the strength of her hot heart.
All her life, even so far back as her
childhood, she had dreaded the fate that
bound her to marry her cousin. When
Jack HawkeSbury C ,me OIL the scene
and STAYED on visits at the house, she
disliked and ridiculed him without mer-
CIV. Another, one like fair haired Ger.
trude for instance, might have accepted
the inevitable and been happy; blu,
Madge's active and independent nature
made her run against fate. And now
there was only One month left before
her twenty-first birthday and the be.
trothal. Often she told Gertrude she
wished he would go home and stay
there; and Gertrude would only laugh,
with a deeper tinge of color on her fail
face.
The girls went out but little, an ar
rangement against which Madge otter
rebelled, believing it was in some way
connected with the safe management o.
the marriage with her cousin. Bul
there were two pleasures in prospect
now, an afternoons boating with JACK
and q friend of his and Gertrude, and
party that the Ponsoby-Joneses wert
going to give, to which the Selwyn family
we're sure to be invited. First came
boating. All! that ever-memorable day
how many years it would take to make
Madge forget it! There were four il
the boat that passed, with the measured
beat and ripple of Jacks pair of sculls