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WILD MARGARET. - 481
“ness which had struck Margaret as rather uncommon ina
woman of Mrs. Day’s class. |
In about twenty minutes she came back to them.
‘The colt is here, sir,’’ she said, simply.
‘Mrs. Day, you would make an excellent aid-de-camp,”
said Blair, with a laugh, ashe jumped up. ‘‘ Good-bye,
3
Madge; Isha’n’t be long. I can’t bring all the things, but
Ul bring some of them, and they shall manage to send the
rest.”?
Margaret put her arm round his neck. Mrs. Day had
retired.
‘Don’t go, Blair,’’ she said, with sudden and unex-
pected earnestness. ‘‘ I don’t care about the painting; I
would rather——”’ . .
‘No, no!” he said, steadfastly; ‘‘ you only say that to
save me a little trouble, and all the while I’m feeling glad
_to be able to do something for you, Madge! Trouble; the
ride will be rather jolly. I'll tell you what Ilfracombe
looks like, and, perhaps, you'll feel inclined to tear your-
self away from your beloved Appleford, and make an ex-
cursion,’?
Margaret turned her face away. A strange and sudden:
presentiment had taken -possession of her, and she was
ashamed of it.. ;
* Well, go then!”’ she said, forcing a laugh; ‘‘and if you
_ do not come back, why I shail think Ifracombe has proved
too fascinating.”
‘All right,” he said; ‘‘ but I think you’ll see me back
by dinner time.”’ .
At the corner of the lane he turned in his saddle and
looked round for a last glance at Madge—his wife, his dar-
ling—and was rewarded by a wave of her white hand.
“Now, my young friend,” he said, addressing the colt,
Who was rather frisky, ‘‘have your little game by all
means, but when it’s over let us get on, for I’m anxious to
get back to that young woman on the hill behind there.”
Margaret stood until Blair had disappeared, then she.
sank onto the ground again.
After-all, it had been foolish of her to let him go, or why |
had she not gone with him? She had had half an idea that
the change would be good for him, it was not wise to keep
& man tied to your petticoat though he love you ever so
truly, and so she had given him his liberty. Well, he.
would come back at dinner time hungry and gay after his
ride, and would love her all the more dearly for the short
Separation, . .
_After a time she put on her hat and went down into the
little fishing town, which clustered on the hill rising from
the point where the sea and the two rivers met. It wasa
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