The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1900-09-10
ed. and Madeleine found herself In Mrs.

BlairS kindly embrace.
$50 delighted to have you once mere.
| my sweet Sissy! Your train is quite ten
| minutes behind time. You have more
| color than you used. and the sea air
| has tanned you! Dear Mrs. Sinclair. SO
glad to see you! A thousand thanks for
bringing this child to me safe and sound.
All! Colonel, how goes it"' Brief greet
| ings exchanged. the colonel hurried OIL TO
collect their luggage, while Mrs. Blair,
having drawn Madeleines arm within her
own and held it close to her side, asked
after mutual acquaintance and answered
| friendly inquiries until Colonel Sinclair.
| with the success and celebrity of an old
| campaigner, gathered the baggage. called
| cabs and did the needful in all directions
| Then Eau revoirs' were exchanged, the
| Snclairs drove Oft to their hotel. and
| Madeleine and her sister found them
selves descending the steep slope to
| Il somehow did not expect to find you
| SO completely grown up. dear, said MIS-
| Blair. you were quite babyish for your
| years when / was last at homeland that
reminds -ne-where do you think L have
| taken no pms. for | ana obliged to stay
| In town some time longer. there is SO
! much 10 be done? At the old place
| where you stayed with me before 1 mar
red the Gear general-where poor Geof
| frey Iisle gave you that pretty necklet
| the day he disappeared. and no one has
ever heard a word of him since!
| How strange 1t will be to see the old
place again. said Madeleine. who felt in
| some unreasonable way that gong there
| was a good omen.
And tell me how is John? Is he really
succeeding with the farm! You know
low little he ever tells in a letter.
suppose it is a CHASTITY place to live in. and
| L am afraid John is not very sympathetic
| to you Madeleinel''
| well, no; but he could not help thatl
| Dolly and Jim are dear children. L do
wish John would have let Dolly come with
me. 1t is time she began to learn more
| than l can teach.
! BY sucn fragmentary talk the long drive
| to Westbourne Park was shortened.
Then, who does not know the mixture
| of pain and pleasure in such a meeting,
| when one of the friends has just seen
! the grave close over the companion whose
| needs occupied her whole life. and whose
| loss eft 1t bare and empty. the confusion
| of question and answer. and the CULVER of
| light from the dawning possibilities of the
| future. creeping over the edge of present
| depression? Madeleine felt really for the
first time in her life the delightful sense
of being at home. of being of real impor-
| lance to her sister. who looked worn and
good deal older than when last they
| parted. She had grown thinner, too and
| the brightness had faded from her red
| gold hair: still the face was pleasant to
look upon. and a touch of sadness about
the mouth and eyes made 1t moro inter-
| esting
| The train from SOUTHAMPTON arrived in
| time to allow the travellers a necessary
| change of dusty garments before dinner,
| winch was most refreshing on a sultry
evening at the end of August. Madeleine,
| as she took her seat opposite his sister,
could not help contrasting the neatly
| spread table. the flowers, the extreme
| cleanliness and prettiness of everything
with the solidity and Iargeness of all the
appliances at Ravenscleugh, yet how low
| ingly she remembered the rugged ampli
| tude of that homely dining room. with
| it's grand outlook over the veldt to the
snow-capped mountain range beyond!
Time flew swiftly by, for the sisters
had much to tell each other. But deeply
/ enjoying their sympathetic talk and free
| ly pouring out her heart to her recovered
friend. Madeleine kept the curtain of
silence over one experience, the most
| important of all. She had promised
| North never TO betray her knowledge of
| his Identity and she would be faithful
whether they ever met again or not.
At last Mrs. Blair exclaimed. as a
| neighboring church clock struck, "Oh,
| Madeleine! can that be l. o'clock? We
| must W DSu' NhiiN' iOu hiu9N 10 '~AS
| tired"
Indeed. 1 am not: I could talk on for
| ever"
80 could I. However, we shall have
many a day to exercise our tongues to-
gether What a comfort to have you
with me, my little Sissy. But I must drop
that childish name: what a mistake on
the part of nature to condemn me TO
! chIldishness. How L should have de-
lighted In boys and girls Of my very
own; but I am thankful to have so good
a substitute as yourself, only you'll mar
| nv some horrid man and leave me. Now
| go away to your bed and sleep sound
| We have severe days shopping before
us tomorrow. l promised to meet Mrs.
! Sinclair at Shoolbred's at IL. She is
| i'm a great hurry to rig herself out, as
they are going to stay with some grand
| relations in Scotland-there we must get
| your mourning, soto bed. to bed, 10
| bedW
The last Of August is not good time
| for shopping. The heads of firms are
| taking their holidays, so are their prin-
| cIpal assistants. The summer stock Is
| nearly sold out and the new autumn
| goods have not come in: moreover. what
| remains of the former supply Is dusty
| and creased from much turning over
| Nevertheless activity and resolution en-
abled Mrs Blair and her friend to &C
compIish their herculean undertaking,
and in a surprisingly short time Mrs,
Sinclair was equipped for moor and
mountain.
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