Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-04-13
The Starp Te1ler.
MADGE,S COUSIN.

ing to pieces white camelia, and excusing
herself to her kind old guardian, by saying it
was 'only Jacks"
''My DEAR" said Mr.. Selwyn, walking up
and down and stroking his beard in perplexity,
81 want to talk to you about jack"
''Oh please, not now, Papa SelWyn ~ She
called him Papa Selwyn, when she meant to be
coaxing, and that was nearly always.
''But, my dear, that is all nonsense. must
talk about Jack some time. Yesterday it was,
oh please don't-my head is aching ; and
the day before, 'Oh! please don't-I want to
90 out with Gerty.' Come, let us face the af-
fair" And sitting in the easy chair behind
her hattock, he drew up on his knees the hand
that held the broken flower and proceeded to
lecture his unmanageable charge on the end
less subject of ''Jack's."
'sDo Mr.. Selwyn," -" laughed Madge, AFTER ne
had been making out that even jacks aWk-
wardness came from an overplus or good ma
ture; s'do throw him at Gerty's head as you
do at mine, and I shall make him over to her,
and they will be happy for life"
Gerty was Mr.. Selwyn's own daughter, and
at the mention of her name a strange express
sion crossed his face which Madge could not
read.
'sThrow him at Gerty's head what words
YOU use, child - he exclaimed; his annoyance
for moment escaping his control. Il wish
YOU had half of Gertrude's good sense. You
fancy Jack thinks of her-is that it ? He is
the soul of honor, and so far as depends upon
him, your fathers word will be kept"
ooh Papa Selwyn, don't he vexed with me !;
I am so sorry ?" and her face was hidden on
his large rough hands in burst of sorrow,
quite childish in it's passing intensity:
'Cheer up, my darling GIRL he SAID you
make mistake that's all. Why, one of these
days you will forget Papa Selwyn altogether,
when YOU fall in love with your cousin"
'sThat won't !" cried Madge, with all the
strength of her warm heart
Ali her life, even so far back as her child
hood, she had dreaded the fate that bound her
to marry her cousin. When Jack Hawkesburv
came upon the scene and stayed on visits at
the house, she disliked and ridiculed him with
out mercy. Another, one like fair-haired Ger
trude, for instance, might have accepted the
inevitable and been happy, but 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 DE-
trothal. Often she told Gertrude she wished
he would 60 home and stay there; and Ger.
trude would only laugh, with deeper tlnge OF
color on her fair face.
against which Madge often rebelled, believing
it was in some way connected with the safe
management of the marriage with her cousin.
But there were two pleasures in prospect now,
an afternoons boating with Jack and TREND
of his and Gertrude, and party that the fon-
sonby-Joneses were going to have, to when
the Seiwyn family were sure to be invited.
First came boating All that ever memora-
ble day-how many years it would take to
make Madge forget it! There were four in
the boat that passed, with the measured peat
and ripple of Jacks pair of SOULS, along Dy
the reedy shadows and green wooded banks OF
the upper Thames. The two girls shared the
cushioned seats at the stern, their white wool
en- shawls guarding them from the chill OF the
autumn wind. Gertrude was watching the
shores and the ripples, thinking in her quiet,
easy-going way Madge, bright in the excite
ment, was talking-not with Jack, but with
the dark-bearded, travel-brOnzed wan, who
was resting from his turn at the sculls. HE
was charmed with the way she chatted and
listened to his tales of half the world with a
refreshing absence of fself-consciouSness. What
would he have said if he had known the
thought that strove for entrace into her heart
Oh if Jack-awkward. laundering, good-na-
tured Jack-could be changed into this stran-
ger that she called timidly Mr.. Fitzallan, and
Jack and her guardian had greeted at the house
as Herbert!
At last there was pause in the talk. She
gave deep sigh, prompted by sad longing
to do right, a vague fear, u first suspicion OF
the change that was coming over her lmpetu-
Gus head.
Are you cold, Madge?" asked Jack, pull
ling away and bending to his strong stroke.
'sKeep your shawl we'll about your shoulders.
And, my dear girl, look to your steering. You
have been sending the boat into curves like a
corkscrew-only didn't want to stop your
tete-a-tete.''
Poor Cousin Jack! She drew the white
shawl closely around her. chilled not by the
wind but by a sudden pang Of remorse, the
foundation of which WAS very small, but
enough to trouble her peace.
What need to tell the inner history OF
Madge's life during the next few weeks
More and more she longed for freedom. Fltz-
allan was staying in the neighborhood and was
frequently at the house, and in the thousand
little incidents of everyday life she knew ne
cared for her and honest Jack grew yet more
distasteful in her sight.
In due time came the second promised pleas
ure. The family that distinguished the name
of Jones by the prefix of Ponsohby gave their
party. Madge was in her glory that night.
One looker-on called her charming; another,
expression was charming, but voted her fea-
lures plain. Mrs. Ponsonby-Jones, weighed
down with bright-colored silk and jewelry,
said in her finest tone that Mrs. Selwyn'S
ward would be quite femme d'eSpru. Madge
had no lack of society, but she kept a place in
her conversation for Jack HaWkeSbury, and
her love of mischief was gratifed to the full
by his making of it what he called "a hawi-
BILE muddle." But the trivial triumphs and
pleasures of the night were long fogOtten by
Madge before she lost remebrance OF scene
that passed in the conservatory, where the
music was hushed by heavy curtains, and
there was only the soft light Of few dim
lamps among the masses of blossoms and dark
green leaves. She had lost the flower from
her hair-one of her favorite camelias-as She
said, ''with darling bud' and Fitzallan had
promised, with Ponsonby-JOnes' permission,
to get her another, with darling bud, too.
She had placed his gift in her hair, and she
sat near the dewy grass, saying it was cool
there and she would rest. FitZallan stood at
a little distance, pen-knife in hand still,
swinging carelessly the fan-like leaf of a
dwarf palm.
.'If this were nearer, 1 could fan you," he
said
"Thank you; am rather tired than hot. :"
Never in her life before had Madge been so
serious or so troubled as she was now, in the
soft light among the cool plants, within sound
of the half hushed music.
"Will YOU do me favor 20 she inquired,
raising the gray eyes that Shone for a moment
with liquid brightness.
You have only to name it am at your
SERVICE
His manner, unromantc to studied de-