Connecticut western news., 1881-03-23
MADELINE.

All the girls who were leaving school carried with them anticipations of gay winter, round of parties, balls and operas. Not so with Madeline Delan- ney. The dying will of her father made her aunt's house her home, for the years between eighteen and twenty-one, and if Madeline had been unwilling to com ply she would still have gone, so great was her respect for her,'fathers memory.
 Mrs. Chathard was an invalid, and her family consisted only of her son-a man over thirty and said to be eccen- tric-and the old family servants. De- cidedly, not very brilliant prospect for Madeline.
 It was sullen autumn day when Madeline rode, for the first time, up the avenue leading to her aunt's house. She saw gray sky, flying clouds, and white beach on which the sea beat heavily in, and standing in the midst of cluster of pines was low, massive building, that might have been prison, and possibly was house. No one came to the door to welcome her. Mrs. Chathard was in the library, and begged that Madeline would come to her there. She found her lying on the sofa, busy with some sort of knitting-s sallow, delicate fretful woman.
 "No," she said, shrinking back, as Madeline showed disposition to kisl her no one but Frederic has kissed m' for years. Don't commence. I'm creature of habit don't like to be dis turbed in any of my regular habits.
 only came down to-day on your account and it has quite unperved me. I shal not try it again. I must have perfec repose. Frederic comes to see m
 every morning and evening that
 as much as can bear.
 With that Madeline was waved off
 her room, where indignation supplante
 strong desire to cry, and curiosit
 gradually got the better of both.
 was really, she decided, on lookin
 about her, @ pleasant room, with erin
 son curtains and furniture and a dee
 window looking out on the sea. Thel
 was bureau, with great many ittl
 drawers, and she pleased herself wit
 arranging them mentally. There was
 vase of flowers that spoke of 8 conse,
 vatory; she had seen that the ibrar
 was we'll filled; pretty piano occupie
 8 recess in her room.
 "I shall pass my time very tole
 ably" thought Madeline, resignedl,
 "l wonder what my cousin is like ?"
 Perhaps the last thought had some il
 fuence in her toilet, else why shoul
 she have braided her hair and put c
 her most becoming dress? It W, 2 hardly to be supposed that her charn
 would have much effect on the qui
 parlor maid who alone was in atten, m ance.
 D. Madeline ate her supper with curlir Id lip and @ stormy brow.
 u, "He is barbarian ! I know I sha 1e hate him!' was her inward common ht "He must have known that I would 9d here. He might have been civil. Ho0 ne ever, I shall be very well without him I5 And getting book from the ibra Q shelves, she sat herself down resolute 10 to read. But try as she would, h in thoughts wandered back to the pleasa de room where she used to sit with her g III friends, reading and talking, so differe o' from this great, silent, handsome houa e. I am afraid the contrast was not t. Id favorable, for her pillow was wet wi ne tears that night.
 ea e A week passed away. During th Q time Madeline saw Mrs. Chathard once ok that was all. The rest of the time S or passed in solitude, till Saturday evenin
 when the prime old housekeeper enter
 the parlor where Madeline was sittin 'u- work basket in hand.
 Iee "Mr. Frederic is at home," said sl tc "and Mrs. Chathard thinks it pror ,th that should sit in the room; ; wi
 which explanation she walked over
 the extreme end of the apartment a 'ry vanished behind the curtains of the b as' window.
 1T, Madeline curled her lip slightly s1 these prudential preparations, and WI
 on with her reading, trying to conYi,