Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1896-01-30


mistake" said Madeline, with burning
cheeks. "The last letter I wrote was
returned to me from the dead-letter
office. Ii said they had gone away
Gone away. and left no address
That is absurd.
Madeline dropped her eyes honc-
lessly.
Fl never heard Of anything so extra
ordinary. said Miss Joyce, angrily.
You must have addressed the letter
wrongly Write again at once and ask
your father to write to me or to come
and see me. OF course you know that
with the death Of your generous grand
father some Of your arrangements may
have TO be changed. Not necessarily
Of course, but possibly So.
Yes, | know said Madeline. in q
low voice II know"
Frances surreptitiously sr3ped her
hand III 9 Madelines with a sudden re-
alization Of thc fact that her friend was
miserable; but when Mis- Joyce i
stately, stumpy figure had rustled out
Of the room, she was sufprised to see
Machines head sink on the table be
fore her in an agony OF tas.
Madeline, dearest, dat cry. What
Is it, thought you did not kno y
your grandfather very well r.
No more she did" Constance's cool
voice rang out across The table. She
is crying for his money. 1t was he
who sent her to school and she won't
be able to stay now She will have
to go to cheaper place and learn to
be goyerness."
Constance, how dare your said
Frances.
4 dare always speak the truth,
said Miss Esler. Gen. Armstrong was
relation of my own and know all
about it. There will be no money for
Madeline Despard either. The general
had sunk all his savings on an an
nuity which ennis at his death.
Don't mind her, Madeline" whisp-
cred Frances, to the still sobbing girl
at the table. She Is very ill-natured
at the table. She is very ill-natured
Write home and your father will ten
you what to do"
AS If nerved to fresh endurance by
this mention of her father, Madeline
suddenly sat up and dried her eyes
But she die not respond in words to
Frances attempt at comfort, She sal
white, silent and red-eyed for a time
and then proceeded to write the letter
which Miss Joyce had told her to write
But she was firmly convinced in he,
own mind that it would bring her nc
answer. What her father had dcne
before ne could easily 10 again. He
might not write 10 her for weeks and
what would Miss Joyce think or say?'
For the next three or four days Miss
Joyce said nothing on the subject. But
her demeanor toward Madeline hovefed
between cold repusion and pity and
her brow grew daily darker The
schoolgirls avoided her as much as
possible and conferred in school giIl
fashion on the likelihood of "a row.
but Miss Joyce kept a rigid silence and
was seen very little in public. On the
day she was understood to be away
from home altogether. And Madeline
waited, with vague sense Of appre-
pension and discomfort, for some cat
astrophe which was to come
On the fifth day she was summoned
to Miss Joyce's private bcudoir, room
seldom entered by the pupils except foi
judgment. Madeline entered it timidly
Lady Frances had accompanied her tc
the very door and murmured enceur-
agement. Don't be frightened, dar-
ling; it is sure to be nothing at all
Very likely she only warts to see y u
about your mourning
For as yet nobody had said word
to Madeline about black froeks, al
though Constance Esler-a much more
distant relation already clothed
from top to toe in the deepest and
most fashionable Of mourning CARDS
Madeline had more courage than ap,
peared on the surface; and the very
look on Miss Joyce's facethe expires.
sion Of unmitigated wrath and scorn
served to brace her nerves. TX was
almost q relief to her that the dreaded
moment had come at last. Miss Joyce
was not alone. Her head-teacher, q
tall and rather graceful-lookins
woman, with hard lines about hel
mouth, sat on her right hand And Il
Miss Joyce, in her large. richly carved
and cushioned chair looked stern ant
grim as Rhadamanthus. it was cleal
that Miss Welby's expression was care
fully modelled after that Of the princi.
pal.
stand there, said Miss joyce
pointing sternly to the edge Of tht
carpet on which her little writing table
was placed Stand there Now what
have you got to say for yourself2"
Madeline raised her pleading eyes to
the face of her instruetress.
II have been treated shamefully,'
said Miss Joyce "and YOU have known
It all along. | say you have. Dom