The record-union., 1892-12-10

The maid Immediately shakes it out
and lays it across the bed.
es, it will be Just the thing. I will
bring some flowers"
Left alone Madge walks to the mirror
and steadfastly regards herself True to
| her word she has shorn the long braids,
| but instead of lessening her charms it
| has quite the reverse effect, and the short,
crisp hair curls III a boyish mass over her
dainty little head, adding a decided
piquancy to the tantalizing, mischievous
small face, altering her appearance so
that she seems but a child i'll years.
Now. Madge is not at all an orthodox
young lady, am sorry to say, and occa-
siOnalIy a naughty word will slip from
those sweet lips of hers; so, at this mo-
ment, as she notices the Improvement,
she growls:
Dash it. Everything seems deter
mined to go against me-"
She had heroically made up her mind
TO sacrifice a couple OF the tiny pearls
from the front Of her mouth, but. after
testing them carefully between her thumb
and finger, they seemed to be pretty
firmly planted in their crimson bed, and
her courage failed. Hoping against hope
she donned the green gown, but the effect
was so startling, the emerald dress only
heightened the soft fairness of her milky
skin, making il dazzling, altogether
charming, so that, with a groan of de-
spalr and rage, she tore it off and left it
behind
The maid re-enters with great bunch
OF hali-opened yellow roses. Then AIadge
is quickly arrayed i'll the Indian muslin
which clings soft and closely to the
girls slender young limbs.
There, miss,' after fastening a cluster
Of flowers at her breast and waist, you
look lovely"
"Will there be many guests at dinner"
Madge asks timidly.
mo, miss; only the family-besides
| yOurselves-Mr. Cameron, Mr.. Alger-
non and Mrs. Burton, the masters Wild
owed sister, who you saw when you first
came, the sweetest and kindest lady in
the world"
Madge hesitates. She does not like to
question servants, though she wonders
why there is no Mrs. Cameron men
toned. Then her curiosity gets the bet
ter OF her and she asks:
is Mrs. Cameron not at homer"
Mrs. Cameron! No, miss, there amt
been no Mrs. Cameron here for eleven
years past. She is dead, poor thing"
The maid seemed TO be quite willing
to give information but Madge did not
care to inquire further, and a moment
later descends the stairs to be met by
tall footman who conducts her to the
drawing-room door.
The Reverend William, in the center of
the apartment, is in earnest conversation
= IL
! braVely. Will takes her hand and draws
her forward to where his companion
| stands.
Mr.. Cameron, this is Margary. Dear,
allow me to present you to our host, Mr..
Cameron"
The gentleman smiles slightly, extend
ing his hand meanwhile.
Welcome to D, Miss Dundas. l
hope my sister, Mrs. Burton. has made
you comfortable. / regret exceedingly
not to have had the pleasure Of welcom-
ing you upon your first arrival"
Madge bows cOldly. Her eyes wander
to the fireplace and rest with an un-
friendly glance, upon the young man,
leaning 50 indolently and lazily inditfer-
ent against the mantel. He slowly comes
forward.
Mr.. Cameron speaks.
This is my son AIgernon, Miss Mar
gary"
He extends a womanish white hand.
and holds Madge's fingers i'll passive
clasp.
"Delighted to meet you, Miss Dundas.
Did you have a pleasant trip down?
Railroad travelling is a beastly bore.
Feel tired?"
St@25, ''9oy,
He starts slightly at the abrupt an
swer.
Then Mrs. Burton enters hastily, pro-
fuse in apologies for the delay, and din
ner is announced.
A week passes. The Reverend Will
lam has returned home, leaving Madge
at the hall, and numerous plans have en-
tered her wicked little head how to obtain
the coveted fortune.
"Pu do something desperate soon. AL
most anything except marry that prig
Algernon. L always did hate the name Of
| Algernon."
Thus she muses., leaning against her
chamber window, long after bed time,
| when, through the trees, she eSpies the
tall form Of Algernon smoking a cigarette.
In an instant her mind is made up. and
she is flying down stairs at breaknecl<
speed to join him, breathlessly, in the
elm walk.
The young man turns in some surprise
as the girl fits, like a shadow, beside
him, and then drawls:
Isn't it rather late for little girls to
be out of doors?'
AZ couldn't sleep without a smoke
Mine are all gone. Please give me one"
He looks at her in astonishment for
second, then tenders her the well-filled
case. She dainty selects one, and after
placing 1t between her lips, holds out an
impatient hand for match, which she
touches to the cigarette. She smokes
away with the guStO Of an old sport. Af-
ter silence of perhaps, five minutes, she
looks at him from the corner OF her eye,
why doesn't he say something's" She
wishes he would speak and show his dis
gust. The fortune seems lowering near.
In fact, almost within her greedy grasp.
The leaves of each tree in the yellow
moonlight seem touched with gold and
silver. Why doesn't he say something?
She has smoked so fast and furious the
cigarette is growing short.
"Have another?" laconically, whilst a
smile twists his lips into a grin. She
mods, and again she puffs away like II
steam engine. Growing desperate, at last
she asks:
What are you thinking about?"
"YOu."
''Me?'' He mods.
81 know what your thoughts are"
waving the cigarette in the air and in
dangerous proximity to the young mans
carefully-curled mustache. {" Nou are
thinking l am rather speedy.
Now, aren't yOu?''
But, alasi before he has time to answer,
Madge is seized with q strange, sickly
feeling which turns her deathly white
and cold. She filings the weed from her
with a shudder, groaning inwardly she
fears the game is lost.
She catches his arm and wheels him
around. "Oh! look-look behind your'
! Before he has time to turn she flies in an
opposite direction until exhausted. She
leans for support against gigantic elm
trunk. Aladge is in agony. Every small
boy who remembers his first cigarette
will understand and sympathize with her
in her present plight. She means and shiv-
ers. AlgernOn's step is beside her.
"Oh, go away" angrily.
"W hat is the trouble, Margary?"
For a moment she is confused.
please excuse me. l thought it was
your SON."
tn I,Y1t