Outing . o has been masquerading as abachelor. Madeleine had not, as yet, been able MAXIM US. 577 to bring herself to tell Mrs. Bennett ofher engagement ; but her seeming indif-ference had excited the suspicion of thatastute young woman, and she managedto change the subject, and, furthermore,to keep Madeleine out of the way ofmost of the gossip concerning the affair,for the news spread like a prairie fire. The golden June days were moregloomy to Madeleine than Novem-ber rains ; the gorgeous Dakota sun-sets, to her tragic thoughts, were likemammoth stains from bleeding hearts And then Maxs lett
Outing . o has been masquerading as abachelor. Madeleine had not, as yet, been able MAXIM US. 577 to bring herself to tell Mrs. Bennett ofher engagement ; but her seeming indif-ference had excited the suspicion of thatastute young woman, and she managedto change the subject, and, furthermore,to keep Madeleine out of the way ofmost of the gossip concerning the affair,for the news spread like a prairie fire. The golden June days were moregloomy to Madeleine than Novem-ber rains ; the gorgeous Dakota sun-sets, to her tragic thoughts, were likemammoth stains from bleeding hearts And then Maxs letter had come, and,mad with grief and indignation, shehad returned it unopened. What shall I do, what shall I do ! she cried wildly. Oh, the shame of it! Ihave been in his arms and felt hiskisses, shall always feel them—would toGod I could burn off every spot onmy face that he has touched !—he, amarried man, a man whose name hasbeen in many mouths, whose privateaffairs have been the theme of manytoneues. READING MORE BY MEMORY THAN SIGHT. {p. ^74-) covering everything else from seemed to her that she hated every-thing connected with nature and itsbeauties. Wild roses filled her witha nameless horror. Wimpling waves,floating clouds, sweet breezes—oh ! shecould not endure them ; she would getaway from them all; she would goback to Boston, where everything waslimited, narrow, but where there washonor and truth. And as the days went by, and hertorturing thoughts went on and on andon, in ever-widening circles of shame-laden misery, she said to herself, with atouch of grim humor that might havecome from Herder himself, I am likeone seasick. At first, I was afraid Ishould die ; now Im afraid I wont ever, ever. * * * Max Herder, too, speeding away had 578 OUTING FOR MARCH. had his share of meditating. A yearago, he had not been anxious to sliphis head into the matrimonial noose,as he had been wont to term it. Hisbachelor life, with its freedom fromcare of any description,
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