The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-07-17
CHAPTER vi.

CHAPTER vi.
Bee and Lena stay with me while wash
Of the dust of my journey from Paris and
Bee takes my hand and looks at my we'd
ding-ring
sHow funny 1t looks, Madgie" She
SAYS. 1T seems so strange TO have you
marriedw
And I laugh, because feel tears com
Ing, and am thankful for Lena's next r.
mark.
"Aud you have cut your hair, Madgie
DO you know, think 1t Is most becoming.
wonder if it would suit me.'
look at Lena's fresh young loyeliness,
as her face is reflected in the glass beside
mine. She has chiidlikc beauty, with
ioundness of outline that is very soft and
winning; and her large winning blue eyes
are chiIdikc in the extreme. Smiling She
draws down her soft silky hair to her eye
brCws, aud surveys the pretty picture with
great satisfaction
~ think shall cut it. Look, Bee, does
1t suit me-"
~ don't know" says Bee who possesses
a striking sort OF beauty OF her own--a
laughing gypsy face, with sparkling eyes,
and brown wayy hair that grow. down in
peak Oh her broad low forehead. She is
tail and 1.-the, and in my heart think that
Nee is the beauty of the family, and prom
lie great things some day for my hoyien
sister,
There is great ''higll-tca" in honor of our
arrival. The tea-cilkcs | know are Lena's
making, and are rs light and flaRy as cakes
IAN be. Lena is good cake-naker, and
achieves great success in that art. With
ler dimpled arms bare to the elbow, she
transforms -four and butter dcftly into
cakes that for flavor and hakiness have
never seen riyallcd.
The dear old faded shabby dining-room
gives me more pleasure than would the
grandest banqueting-hal, and the homely
fare is more to my taste tllGn the most
elaborate feast would be. Not cnce during
the whole meal do ! address Humphrey;
shall have him all my life to talk TO, and
these other and dearer ones but seldom; |
am making anxious inquiries about every
thing of interest around the place, espe.
cally about my garden; and am asking
after every individual fowl in the yard
We have each our special fayoritcs, and
SOliCSN IL MaN WIN ~ HiHt d EaNN up al
claim to my own pets when married.
have taken your garden, Madgie,"
Helen says quietly; land 1t is in good or.
der"
"And mamma SAID | might nave your
canary" chimes in Isabel, in her high child
ish voice.
f-ufrns. am pA-y fnolish, but .hi. al
vision Of my possessions hurts me; il
sounds as If were dead. One has my
garden. another my canary; and Jack de-
clares Crib 10 belong TO him now that am
gone"
! should like to take Crib to Carstairs,"
say piteously, II should like TO have
something l had here;' and inyoluntarily
my eyes 20 to my husbands face. lie is
looking al me txedly, intently.
"Crib is an awfully ugly BRUTE" Jack
breaks in. am sure Humphrey could
get you a much joller dog
at would not be her old friend" Hum.
phrey says quietly. "And | think that
Madgie would rather have Crib than
new pet"
give him quick grateful look, and
stop to pat CRIBS rough head. He is still
fond Of me, poor dog, and is keeping close
beside me.
After all there is something sad In this
homecoming. am of them, and yet not
one Of them now Ny high spirits col.
lapse suddenly; glance round the table
and wonder how it looks every day with
my vacant place. | feel IN if have come
back from the grave, and am standing un.
seen gazing in at the open door, with
bursting heart to view the place that
knows Inc no longer.
"If you loved your husband, IL would be
different" Ayoice seemed to be whisper
ing and echoing that sentence over and
over again. ] do not love him; know
that II ! were never to see him again it
would not trouble me much. When he
speaks, when he whispers tenderly and
passionately his great love for me, my
heart beats not one sensation quicker. |
am conscious only Of a sense Of WEAKNESS,
kind of dreary depression seems TO take
possession OF my whole being, when Hum.
phrey talks Of love- or pcrchance the la.
dicrous side o. the matter strikes me, and
! am more moved to laughter than senti-
ment.
Bee might understand such things she
"piles up the agony" in her stories, say-
ing heroes with disregard TO human life,
which is reckless and uncaled for, | tell
her often, and leaving the beautiful but
unnatural heroine lamenting. Bees sto.
rics are all fire and misfortune, the possible
and improbable mingled wildly together,
the ridiculous and pathetic going hand in
hand And they all end badly--there
Is nearly always funeral knell instead Of
wedding peal
81 don't know why" she SAYS, pitcous
smile in her beautiful eyes, shut II comes
naturally to me to make all my people UNI
happy"
"A contrast to YOURSELF" have told my
madcap sister often.
An, Bee, with all your imagination, do
you never draw character from real lifep
Arc you so unobseryaut ~ not TO see how
the wedding.ring on your sisters finger
burns and ehafes into her very soul'
Three months ago II seemed possible for
me to be happy witha man that cared
nothing about. II seemed then almost
noble thing TO tighten the burden at home
the unromantic and weary burden Of
pover.y---to leave one mouth less to feed,
one form less 10 clothe, however sbabbily,
Asa gcntlemsn's dau!hter-~my fathcrsn.
come was three hundred pounds a year,
and there were eight children TO feed,
clotle, and cducate---it seemed possible
then TO be happy an Humphrey Carstair's
wife. Now wonder IT. | shall ever know
what 1t Is TO be contented again.
There nv husband Sits at the other Aida