Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-04-20
Madeline.

lanDey. The dying will oil her iatheI
made her aunl's house her home, fol
the years between eighteen aud twenty
one, and if Madeline had been unwil,
ing 10 comply she would still have
gone, so great was ber respect for EeI
fathers memory.
Mrs. Cbathard was an invalid ant
her family consisted only OF her sOn-f
man oyer thirty aud said to be eccen
tric-and The old family servants. De
cidedly. not very brilliant prospect fol
Madeline.
1t was sullen autumn day wher
Madeline rode, tor the first time, up lhI
avenue leading 10 her aunL's house. Sh,
saw o gray sky, flying clouds, ana a
white beach on which the sea beat
heavily in, and standing in'the midst OF
cluster of pines was a low, massive
building, that might have been prison
aud possibly was a house. No one
came TO the door TO welcome her. Mrs
Chalhard was IN the library, AID bec'
eed that Madeline would come to hel
there. She found her lying on The
sofa, busy with some sort of knitting
a salIow, delicate, frelfll woman.
No. size said, shrinking back, as
Madeline showed disposition TO kist
her; no one b"t Frederic has kisse(
me for years. Don't commence.
am creature Of habit; | don't like tC
be disturbed 10 any of my regular
habits. l only come down to-day OF
your account, and it has quite unnervet
me. shall not try again. l mus
have pelfsct repose. Frederic comes
TO see me morning and evening ; that
is as much as l can BEAR
With that, Madeline was waved of
to her room, where indignation supplan'
Ted a strong desire to cry, and curiosity
gradually got the better OF both. l
was really, she decided, and looking
about her, a pleasant room, with Grim
son curtains aud fdrni ure and deel
window looking out on the sea. Iher'
was q bureau, with a great many hItl'
drawers, and size pleased herself viii
arranging them mentally. There wa
a vase OF flowers that spoke Ola con
servalory, she had seen that the librar.
was well filed; pretty piano occuple
recess in her room.
1 shall pass my time very tolerably'
thought Madeline, resigpedly. 4 won
der what my cousin is ike
Perhaps this last thought had som'
influence il her toilet, else why shoul
she have braided her hair and put OF
her most becoming cress? II was hard
ly to be supposed that her charms wou!'
have much effect onsthe quiet parlo
maid who alone was in attendance.
Madeline ale her supper with cur In
lip and a stormy brow.
He is a barbarian! 1 know I sbal
hate hlm! was her inward comment
He must have known that L would b
here. He might haYe been civil. How
ever. l shall 10 very well without him.
And getting book from the library
shelves. she sat herself down rcsolutel
60 read. But Try as she would, be
thoughts wandered back TO the pleasan
room where she used to sit with he
Girl friends, reading and talking, so dit
ferent fr IN this great, silent, handsome
house. / am afraid the contrast wa
not too ia Vorable, Tor her pillow wa
wet with TEARS that nlght'
A week passed away. During tina
time Madeline saw Mrs. Chathard onc'
that was all. The rest of the lim
SIZE passed in solitude. till SaturdA
evening, when the prime old house
keepers entered the parlor where Made
line was sitting, work-basket in band
Mr.. Frederic IS at home, said she
and Mrs. Chathard thinks it prope
that Ishould sit 10 the room : wit
which explanation she walked oyer l.
the extreme end Of the apartment an'
vanished behind the curtains Of the ba
window.
Madeline curled her lip slightly
these prudential preparations, and wen
on Nth her reading, trying to convinc
herself that her heart was not bcatin
fist. She heard a quick, mascnln
step aithout iu>the hall, beard it com
IN lhe room and advance towards he
but did not raisc her eyes ill he stoo
directly before her. She had han
work 10 repress her surprise, he was 3
lli.lle like Ybat she had imagined. ~
IL he was really thirty liz eY n
means looked his nge-not tall, thI
and salIow; on tie ccnlrary' smal
though we'll formed, with an abundan'
of har; large blue eyes that should ma
belonged 10 a woman, so eyouly arch'
were.tIie brows, sOlong wereithe lash'
90 soft, SO almost suffering, their eS
preston clear-cut features; teeth tn'
showed White and even through n
ltbick moustache; a gentle, quiet "a
Isured manner. neither anstere NJ
lroa Dish, as Madeline had Imagine
but that Of gentleman and a man
'tbc world