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Madge Morton's Secret

Madge Morton's Secret

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Chapter 1 THE INTERRUPTED STORY

Word Count: 2417    |    Released on: 01/12/2017

pple tree. She was reading, and she never stirred except to turn the pages of her bo

odor of ripening apples. A press under a tree still dripped with the juices of yesterday's c

ard by a low stone fence and the length of the kitchen garden. It had a

man and a young man were alighting from it. A few moments later a girl came out on the back veranda. She put her h

ed. "Oh, do answer me in a hurry! I ha

hen ran to the stables. Pompey, the colored boy, declared that he had not seen Miss Madge all morning. Once Eleanor leaned over the orchar

ithout telling a soul where you are going, you must take the consequences-

her book, swinging herself down without a thought of her dignity. "Oh, dear me!" she exclaimed. "Why did I have to drop my book

ritically at the heavily-laden branches. Mr. William Butler, her uncle, owned a fruit

on a white company frock and her hair had been freshly braided. Madge did not see her cousin at first. Nellie eyed her sympathetically, but at the same time her face wore an

have been reading in the orchard. But why are you dressed so br

she returned, "but we have had some visitors. We

morning callers, even if it is September," declared Madge indifferently.

ll you who our visitors were. You'd never be able to guess in a thousand years. Our old friends, Mrs. Curtis and Tom, have b

for the house on a run, closing the orchard gate behind her

rry, but I did look for you everywhere; so did Pompey. We called and called you. Mrs. Curtis and Tom were dreadfully disappointed. They were afraid to wait any longer for

them," lamented Madge. "When

stay to luncheon, but they had hired such a slow old horse

ow I can overtake Tom and Mrs. Curtis before their train leaves the station. I may be able to get just a peep at them. Here, take my book, please, Nellie. Mak

more enthusiasm than money, found and transformed a dilapidated old canal boat into the pretty floati

, who were summering at one of the fashionable hotels along the shore of the bay, prepared the way

ches of a family of rough and uncouth fisher folk, and taken aboard the "Merry Maid," where it developed

romised Mrs. Curtis, however, that for two weeks before returning to school they would be her guests on their own houseboat, which she had arranged to have removed fro

he was thinking as she raced across the fields. She had missed Mrs. Curtis more than she could say, and h

gly as she ran toward the enclosure. But the pony was bent on a frolic. She heard Madge, saw her approaching

when she called to her? With a sudden thought Madge reached into her pocket. There, to her joy, she discovered an u

tress and appropriated the apple; but the next instant Madge's hand was in her m

bareback this time. I never will again. But I simply couldn't wait to put a saddle on Dixie. I

uncovered back as easily as though she had be

horse that they had been able to hire. But the day was warm. It was near Dixie's feeding time, and the animal saw no reason for making unnecessary haste. Madge coaxed and urged her pet to do her best. If she could onl

the road. There was no watchman stationed at the crossing to give the signal, not even a red flag to tell of

point in the road. Almost every day they crossed this track, driving back

n her journey, she saw a rickety carriage drive ov

eedlessness was upon her. She gave no thought to her promise to her uncle, to the chance of the oncoming trains. Madge-fashio

old horse he was driving. His mother leaned out of t

. A shriek from the engine, a hoarse call from the engineer as he swept around the curve and saw the pretty figure on the track so close to his train. Madge felt the wave of heat from the locomoti

self forward, with both arms about her pony's neck. Dixie gave a single, frightened leap. She cleared the track

climbed hurriedly from the wagon and came back to her. "I know it was dre

holding out her hand to Tom, she said, "Do you think I could let you get away without seeing you for a minute at

time for the Curtis's train. Madge could not leave Dixie to walk to the front of the station, so Mrs. Curtis a

to say so. He had learned by embarrassing experience that Mistress Mad

and aunt have given their consent to the arrangement. We leave it to you and Nellie to communicate with Lillian, Phil, and Miss Jenny Ann. You must rally the houseboat pa

ing after it in happy anticipation of the good times that w

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