The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1881-04-29
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 Delaney.
The dying will of her father made her
aunt's house her home, for the years
between seighteen 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 eccentric
and the old family servants. Decidedly,
not very brilliant prospect for Made
line.
1t 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 a
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. Chat
hard 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 "a sallow, delicate,
fretful woman.
NO" she said, shrinking back, as
Madeline showed a disposition to kiss
her; "no one but Frederic has kissed
me for years. Don't commence. | am
creature of habit; l don't like to be
disturbed in any of my regular habits. l
only come down to-day on your account,
and it has quite unnerved me. / shall
not try again. / must have perfect re-
pose. Frederic comes to see me morn
ing and evening; that is as much as i
can bear"
With that, Madeline was waved off to
her room, where indignation supplanted
strong desire to cry, and curiosity
gradually got the better of both. 1t was
really, she decided, on looking about
her, pleasant room, with crimson cur
tains and furniture and deep window
looking out on the sea. There was
bureau, with great many little draw
ers, and she pleased herself with arrang-
ing them mentally. There was vase
of flowers that spoke of conservatory
she had seen that the library was well
filled pretty piano occupied recess
in her room.
II shall pass my time very tolerably,"
thought Madeline, resignedly. 81 Won
der what my cousin is like"
Perhaps this last thought had some
influence in her toilet, else why should
she have braided her hair and put on
her most becoming dress? 1t was hard
ly to be supposed that her charms would
have much effect on the quiet parlor
maid who alone was in attendance.
Madeline ate her supper with curling
lip and stormy brow.
"He is q barbarian / know / shall
hate him !" was her inward comment.
He must have known that would be
here. He might have been civil. How
ever, shall do very well without him"
And getting book from the library
shelves, she sat herself down resolutely
to read But try as she would, her
thoughts wandered back to the pleasant
room where she used to sit with her girl
friends, reading and talking, so different
from this great, silent, handsome house.
/ am afraid the contrast was not too
favorable, for her pillow was wet with
tears that night.
A week passed away. During that
time Madeline saw Mrs Chathard once
that was all, The rest Of the time she
passed in solitude, till Saturday evening,
when the prime old housebeepereptered