Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1885-01-29
MISS MADISON'S MATCH
A Very Clever Woman's Very
Clever Scheme.

Madge Madison was good looking.
She was neither too tall nor too short,
too plump nor too skinny. She had a
clear complexion, regular features, and
a pair of wonderfully attractive liquid
gray eyes. She had also an undeniable
knack of so manipulating her some
times rather shabby clothes that the
beholdcr ceased to remark their shah
bineSs in the distinction of the wearer.
Not that she liked shabby clothes she
loaihed them with fervor few people
credited her with, but she was essen
italy self-contained person, and en-
dured the minor ills of life with grace
full fortitude. The Madisons had never
had any money to speak of, and just
now things had come to crisis with
them,
"What on earth's to be done with all
you girlspn Colonel Madison had
asked, helplessly, of his four mother
less daughters that morning at break
fast a GA t.i-a-
1t was the Christmas holidays, and
the three younger ones had, of course,
turned up with tie Christmas bills,
equally importunate and inopportune
60 -Shoi---:.--r-~~>---:- s. 49, IN -.
more mouths to be filled. three fine,
tall, growing girls to be clad in some
thing, and the school bills going on
merrily all the time. No wonder the
wrctched Colonel groaned over his
quivcr-full.
1--WE must marry" said Lillian, the
beauty.
1--WE must work." said Ethel, who
took life seriously, and had views"
Thank goodness, I'm too young for
anything heroic to be expected of me, "
said Barbara, the baby, pointing
''IIas anything particular happened"
asked Madgc.
THE bank has gone, and with it all
/ had, except my pension" said the
unfortunate Colonel, signing deeply.
"IYhen | die you will oil of you be
paupers. so it will be better for you to
set about doing something for your
selves before the bad day comes. For
your sakes, children, / shall take every
;.,,. e-;---Li~ IS ,,,Jsalf, hat ale 7
the best of us u but mortal" The
affecting thought was too much for the
unlucky parent. He lapsed into mel
ancholy taciturnity for the remainder
of the meal.
At its conclusion, Madgc, who had
been thinking matters over, said:
Father. you are right about our
doing something Nr ourselves. l cant
be a governess, / don't know enough;
but old Lady Dumbledon wants a COM
pany-keeper. I'll ask her to take me.
lsshall be earning EGO a year, and at
the same time be relieving you OF one
of your membranes.
you're good girl, Madge. l am
sorry to sacrifice you, but don't see
any help for it..
Miss Madison was a girl of action.
She speedily had all the preliminaries
settled with Lady Dumbledon, whose
service she was to enter toward the end
of January. But before taking up hel
new duties she permitted hersdf the
s o% %e G Ct sdift ana SnS IN Ken
sington.
She returned from this outing some
what pensive, and, in reply to the af
fcctionate badinage of her sisters. suf
fered it to be elected that she had Ret
a man at her friends house, whom in
more fortunate circumstances she could
have cared good deal for. Unhap
PLY if, as she owned that she suspected
the favorable impression had beer
mutual, there could be no results from
it. Her too brief visit had come to an
end; and she and her delightful fellow.
guest had separated after their three
days chance acquaintanceship, in al
human probability never to meet again
Such is life and-luck!
She had, however, miscalculated the
power of her own attractions. On the
eve of starting for Lady Dumbledon'!
she received singular letter from tn,
man whose good fortune it had beer
to so strongly recommend himself t.
her.
ale had been irresistably drawn {,
her." he said, ''in the few days tina
they had been thrown together, but h
had then been too poor man to let tn
dictates of his heart find utterance
He had let her 60 in silence aud hac
suffered much in so doing. Now thing
were changed with him. He had mos
Unexpectedly come into property o
10000 year by the sudden death o
relative, and he fastened to offer him
self and his newly-acquired fortune 70
her acceptance. Circumstances con
nected with his accession to FORUM
nece ssitated his Immediately startin,
for Australia, and would keep him on
of England fora year. Would she for
give his precipitate wooing out O
charity for'th violence of his passion
for her, and to promise to become hi
wife as soon as he returned homer"
This, denuded of many passionat
expressions of regaEd, was the sub
stance of the letter.
Miss Madison carried it to her father
What shall you do, child?' he asked
anxiously.
II will take your advice, bat / an
inclined to accept Mr.. Smith-White'
Offer" she added, casting down he
eyes and growing little pale.
"You were always a most sensibl
girl. Madge, and to be trusted abou
your own affairs. Accept him by al
means, il you feel you can"
down on your knees, and thanl
heaven, fasting, for a rich mans love,
quoted Lillian, the beauty, on the mat
ter being explained to her, in the abso
Lutte need of her usually self-relian
sister for conlidante.
Thus encouraged by her family, Mis-
Madison accepted her fate. In return
for her complaisance she received
raDturous (registered) letter OF thanks