The Argosy — page 154: what you’re looking at

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

144 Madge's Sacrifice. into the fire, and glanced across at Tom on the opposite settee. But as their eyes met,'a conscious blush passed over her fair face, and the blue eyes drooped again under his earnest gaze, while httle Clare added to her confusion by exclaiming, with a sudden happy thought : ‘TI do believe Mr. Tom meant Madge all along, and that she ts his beautiful princess !” Upon this Madge rose, saying she must go and look out for her guests. And Tom presently followed her, and found her standing in the quaint old porch, cooling her blushing cheeks in the frosty air, and waiting for the children. “Oh! Madge,” he said in a tone of entreaty, ‘‘ will you be my own beautiful princess, and teach me through life your lesson of Selbstver- leugnung ? ” Madge raised her glistening blue eyes to his, and said, smiling through her tears : “Oh! Tom, how can I be that, when you know I am such a fright P” How Tom convinced her of the contrary, it 1s not our mission to inquire. We only know that the considerate school-children gave them time to settle the matter there in the porch to their mutual satis- faction, and that the said children received a beaming welcome from the happy pair as their reward, when at last they made their appearance, trooping up hand in hand to the vicarage, singing a carol as they went. Never had a happier Christmas Eve been passed under that dear old vicarage roof than was spent by the young people on this particular occasion entertaining their merry guests. And when the vicar laid his hand on Madge’s head as she wished him good-night, saying, ‘‘ Bless you, my child, it was a golden deed after all,” she felt that her cup at least was brim full. Some years have passed since then. Kit has taken his degree with- out any more failures or debts, and is helping his father as curate: the villagers respecting him none the less for being the best cricketer in all the country round. He and his pretty wife live with her mother in the dainty cottage aforementioned. His friend Tom has led a brilliant career so far, and 1s looked upon as one of the most promising young barristers at the Bar. His wife’s golden head is often bent with his over his work, and she is in the full sense of the word ‘‘a helpmeet” for him. —riar ele 9T~ CONNCMOOOKS (GO)