The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-19
MADGE'S MISTAKE.

The speaker was a TALL handsome man,
of perhaps five and twenty, with bright
eyes and a dark, resolute face. He looked
every inch a soldier as he stood beside his
friend on the platform of the crowded |
London terminus, where they had met /
each other, after a separation OF some
eighteen months.
RMadge!" said the young officer |
friend, "surely you are not engaged? |
You. who were always so proud to pro |
claim yourself a Woman-hater."
mot engaged, returned George En- |
field, with slight flush on his bronzed |
cheek. "Not engaged, LIE Roy, but mar
ried Where have you been all these
months not to have heard the newsl"
II had forgotten how time passes,
has not been standing still since l left
England, with the grim determination not
to open book or newspaper until had
regained the health and strength l had eX-
hansted in long hours of study.
"And you have gained your object,
said George. with friendly solcltude'
LIE Roy made no immediate answer, but
turned his eyes away that George might
not see the look of anguish which had
darkened them for moment.
II am better, he said at last with no
trace of emotion on his fine face. Il am
better, or l should not have returned to
take up the old life.
"You have come home for good2' said
George, eagerly. "You really mean to
remain in England?"
ayes. said LIE Roy, absently. "A man
can not fly from himself. l have come to
the conclusion that the man who seeks
health in travel had far better remain at
home
George felt that lie Roy was hiding
something from him, but he would not
utter word to bridge the barrier OF re
serve which his friend had allowed to
come between them.
"He shall tell me of his own free Will,
or not at all, thought George Enfield. u
will not try to wiring his secret from him.
So there was silence between them for
a space. as they strobe up and down, each
occupied with his own thoughts:
George was the first to speak, and his
voice startled LIE Roy, arousing him from
a painful reverie. He looked up eagerly,
meeting the eager gaze of his friend
"What is it, George?" he asked apollo
getically. Forgive me- but l scarcely
heard what you were saying.
Il was telling you LIE Roy, that my
people do not approve of my marriage,
and could not think of letting Madge go
TO them" @
"I am sorry to hear this, said LIE Roy
at must be hard for her and for you; she
viii not be quite alone, L hope OF
course, your wife has her own friends L"
"She has one sister. replied George;
shut the two poor children will be very
lonely when l am gone, LIE Roy, and
want you to extend your friendship to
them. !" It was strange request to make,
but George could see nothing strange In
Il. He loved his friend, and had every
faith in him; he knew that Wllfred LIE
Roy was the soul of honor.
GHow fortunate that l should have met
you here, he continued. without giving
T a. NNlI
to our little villa and let NE introduce you
to my wife. know you have an eye for
beauty and will appreciate my good taste
Don't accuse me of egotism, old fellow,
until you have seen my Madge
They Jumped into a cab, and as they
drove quickly in the direction OF George
home, the two friends fell to talking OF
old times, and LIE Roy was laughing quite
merrily when the hanson drew up before
q pretty cottage not far from Hampstead
Heath.
A pretty little maid with bright eyes
and rosy cheeks opened the door in answer
to Georges ring, and lie Roy followed her
into q quietly furnished parlor, where a
young lady was bending over some needle
GMadge!" said George, putting his hand
on her shoulder, "let me introduce you to
the best friend l have in the world-Wl
fred lie Roy; Wilfred, this is my wife.
den CHASTITY pallor came over LIE Roy's
face. while the girl seemed about to faint.
Then, with warning glance, as quick as
flash of lighting, LIE Roy held out his
hand to his friends wife. and expressed
his pleasure at making her acquaintance.
~Where is Bertie?" asked the uncon
scious George. an the garden, as usual
suppose. III go and look for her. "
And he hurried out of the room, leaving
his wife and Wilfred alone together
Madge leaned back in her chair, white a
the 1acework that had fallen from he
slender fingers.
ously lifting her beautiful eyes to VII
fred's face
Wilfred was silent for moment; b,
could scarcely trust himself to speak. But
he controlled his anger by mighty effort
and said calmly:
"Let the past rest-it is gone forever
/ wish to remember only that l am you
husbands friend.
It cost him a great deal to speak thes'
words, for Madge had treated him very
badly in days gone by. They had beer
engaged, and she had Tilted him on find
ing that his prospects were less bright thai
people had led her to imagine 1t hat
been secret engagement and he hat
never told the wrong she had done. Blu
It was rather hard on him, to find that slit
was the wife of his friend, and that b.
was expected to look after her durin:
Georges absence.
The worst of it was that he loved hel
still, although he felt that she was I'm
worthy of his love. Weak and tickle as
she had been, he could not help the mem
ory of the sweet past coming back to him
when he looked at her beautiful face
"Then you will keep my secret?" sal,
Madge. anxiously; George has sue
strict ideas He would be angry if h
knew I had been engaged to you. l don
think he will ever forgive me.
"You can trust my word, hope, re
turned Wilfred, coldly-an the NOR
coldly because of the love he could nc
subdue.
And then he held up his hand war;
inglY, for he could hear voices in the hal
and in another moment George entere
the room in company with a young lad
whom lie Roy had never seen before, fo
she had been at school in Germany whe
he had first known Madge.
George introduced her informally t
LIE Roy as his sister-in- law, and then lei
her to entertain his friend while he too
his wife out of the room to break the sa
Aews to her of his speedy departure fc
Egypt :.