The Florida agriculturist., 1885-02-04

out on their mournful journey. A coach
from the nearest jobmaster the driver
dressed in decent black, so as to be in
harmony with the melancholy occasion,
pulled up at the door. The four black
robed figures, with Colonel Madison,
took their places in it, Barbara sitting
bobkin, her eyes bright with excitement,
for even funeral was something to her,
as she had but few distractions. They
arrived punctual to the minute at
the cemetery, and waited for the fun
eral cortege to appear. Time went
on but it did not appear. One hour, two
hours, passed in, anxious expectation,
and still the funeral Jagged strangely on
the road. Colonel Madison interviewed
the officials. No notice of Mr.. Smith
Whites intended interment had been
given. Other groups of black robed
figures came weeping buried their dead,
and went away, and still the Colonel
and his daughters fingered, unwilling
to be accused hereafter of any lack of
respect.
A cold, cutting northeaster whined
mockingly amongst the head-stones,
seeming to deride and insult the mourn
ers with its bitter cheerlessness. At
length it became apparent to every one
that some ineXcusable mistake had been
made, and the useessness of further
waiting was obvious. Colonel Madison
slowly withdrew his little cohort from
the field, matchmaking the wind, the
officious friend of the deceased, and
every available subject for displeasure.
He went that evening to Kensington to
see the lady at whose house his daughter
had first met her betrothed, but only to
find to his dismay that the house was to
let, and that no trace of Mrs. Bigley was
to be found. Nothing, therefore, was to
be ascertained from that quarter. He was
at loss to know where else to apply for
information, and SO waited patiently with
the hope that the post would bring him
some explanation.
But no such explanation came. Puz-
zled and furious, the colonel telegraphed
to the hotel in Paris for the particulars
of Mr.. Smith Whites death, and the
subsequent disposal of his remains. An
answer came back that that no such per-
son, nor any one answering to the de-
cription, had visited the hotel, and the
proprietor Indignantly denied that any
one had died suddenly under his roof.
1t then began to dawn upon the unfor-
tunate family that they had been made
the victims of an infamous and cruel
hoax.
The dowager Lady Dumbledon, filled
with pity for the poor girl thus heart
lessly made fool of, CARRIED her off to
Brighton, charitably trusting that change
of scene might assuage the acuteness of
those agonies of shame and modification
that the deceived and deserted young
otr1ra Il
The little circle wherein the Madisons
to its foundations with Indignation at
the heartless cruelty of which poor
Madge had been made the victim
The tale of herwoes leaked out in Bright
on, and awoke perfect furore of sympa-
thy. Her behavior was pronounced as
perfect-she was so quiet, so dignified,
so patient under her unmerited suffer
ings.
Lady Dumbledon became quite proud
of her young friend, who was undoubt-
edly the success OF the moment, and re-
ceived the greatest possible attention.
After a few weeks it was semi-officially
given out that Sir Reginald Dacre, "a young
man offamily and fortune and irreproach-
able character, had successfully sought
Miss Madison's hand, though no formal
engagement was to be entered into for the
present, so that the poor girl might have
time to recover her shattered feelings.
Meanwhile, Colonel Madison was re-
ceiving great deal of sympathy, too.
He became feature of his club, and en-
joyed a notoriety he could well have dis
pensed with, as the father of the young
lady who had met with so extraordinary
and unpleasant an adventure. Everyone
offered him advise in the matter.
"Hang it, Colonel, the blackguard
ought to be discovered and made to pay
for it" cried one of his old friends ener-
getically. "Set detective on his track,
man."
The Colonel considered his friends
advice, and, after soma considerable hes
itation, concluded to act upon it. He
therefore went to Scotland lard, and,
on the suggestion of an experienced Of
ficer, he decided to take the gorgeous
betrothal ring to the jewelers. whose
name was in the case. Here a shock
awaited him. The ring had been order
ed by lady, with instructions that it
should be placed to Colonel Madison's
account.
"Good heavens, Roder!" he stuttured.
"You dared to put ring like that to my
account without any authority of mine
Gould not you see that it was a vile, in
famous, disgraceful hoax? ?"
Mr.. Roder stood high in his calling.
He was sorry for the colonel, and so at
once took back the ring expressing his
regret that he should have fallen into the
error complained of; but as soon as Col
onel Madison had left his shop he went
down to the Scotland Yard and there
made certain communication he had
refrained from volunteering to his agita-
ted customer.
A few days after this Sir Reginald
Dacre's younger brother ran down from
London and walked into his rooms.
going to marry Miss Madison j. he said,
slowly. "Well, take my advice, and
don,t -