The Argosy — page 143: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Madge's Sacrifice. 133 pounds—twenty, I think—of Tom Helston ; and he’s so hard up now, poor chap, that he can’t put his hand on the pound or two to come home for Christmas. His mother and Mary will be in a fine way about it.” “Oh, Kit! how could you? ” exclaimed Madge, the colour mounting to her temples, and her blue eyes filling. “Tom Helston, of all people ; with his poor mother a widow, and pretty Mary going without a new dress for Christmas, even !” Kit blushed this time, and said, penitently : ‘I am a selfish, thought- less brute, Madge; but you’ll help me through this once more, won't you P If you don’t stick to me, I shall come to grief for certain. There’s nothing like being stuck to, for keeping a fellow straight.” Madge could not restrain a smile at the comically dolorous tone in which this was said, and at the look of resigned despair on her brother’s handsome sunny face as he appealed to her. “Oh! you are incorrigible, Kit; but I’ll stick to you, never fear, till I leave you in safer hands. But let me warn you that Mary doesn’t approve of handsome do-nothings any more than I.” ‘‘ What on earth is that to me?” said Kit, getting red, but not with anger. “ Anyhow, you'll manage about the twenty pounds, won’t you ? I haven’t the face to ask the dear old governor for another advance just now P” A pained expression passed across the sister’s face as she answered, “'That’s half cowardice, Kit. It’s the doing wrong, not the confessing it, that we ought to shrink from, I think. Suppose, now, you give up your pipe for the holidays: that would go some way towards bringing Tom home; and I’ll advance you two poynds out of my allowance to send him. We must see about the rest by-and-by.” ** Beggars mustn’t be choosers,” said Kit, with a shrug; “but I call it hard lines on a fellow. Anyhow, here goes!” and he threw the mahogany-coloured meerschaum under the grate. Thereupon Madge rose, and going to a neat little desk, took out two sovereigns, wrapped carefully in tissue-paper, stored away for some pet scheme of her own. She did not tell Kit, as she put them with a smile into his hand, that they were the scraped-together savings of the year, hoarded up with care for the pleasure of giving a Christmas- . tree to the school-children this Christmas-tide. Kit drew down the fair face to his own and gave it a hearty kiss, and then rose, saying more gravely than was his wont : ‘‘T declare, Madge, you’re a regular brick, and I feel no end ashamed of myself. I won’t make any more promises. Least said soonest mended ; but you'll see if I don’t turn over a new leaf.” So Kit went off to the post-office, and Madge sat down by the fire again with a happy face. Not to think over her sacrifice, but to ponder long and earnestly on the possibility of getting the rest of the money - to pay off Kit’s rash debt. ECOMRRIC OOO Ss (GO)