Madge Morton's Victory Part 23

Mrs. Curtis said nothing. She just kissed Madge's forehead, both rosy cheeks and once on her red lips. But when the little captain left her, and Mrs. Curtis turned to find her son standing near her, his face white and his lips set, his mother faltered brokenly: "I am trying hard not to be selfish, Tom, and I am glad, with all my heart, that Madge found her father, but no one will ever know how sorry I am not to have her for my daughter."

"Maybe you will some day, after all, Mother," returned Tom steadily. "We are young, I know, and neither of us has seen much of the world. Still, I am fairly sure I know my own mind. Perhaps Madge will care as much as I do now when the right time comes."

At the last, Madge could not say farewell to her three chums. Her eyes were so full of tears that Captain Jules had to lead her aboard the yacht. She stood on the deck, kissing both hands to them as long as she could see them, until their little boat had been towed far out into the great New York harbor.

Madge's father stood by her, watching the sunlight dance upon the water.

"My little girl," Captain Morton began, with a view of distracting her attention from the sorrow of parting, "I have always forgotten to tell you that I saw you graduate at Miss Tolliver's. Jules was not with me that day. He knew of you but never saw you until you went to Cape May. I wonder I didn't betray myself to you then, dear. It was I who first called out to you when I saw that arch tottering over your head."

Madge nodded. "I know it now," she replied. "I must have caught a brief glimpse of your face. You and Captain Jules sent me the wonderful pearl.

We never could guess from whom it had come."

"Yes," answered Captain Morton, "Jules and I had kept it for you for many years. We determined that sooner or later you should have it. I shall never forget the day when Jules came hurrying into 'The Anchorage' with the news that he had seen you and talked with you about me. He was sure that you were our Madge even before he knew your name to be Morton. It was wonderful to hear that your dearest wish was to find me."

Madge slipped her arm into that of her father and laid her curly head against his shoulder. "If it was Fate that separated us, then I shall never be dismayed by it again, for love and determination are far greater and through them I found you," she declared softly.

"I am afraid I am very selfish to take you away for a whole year from Mrs. Curtis and Tom and the houseboat girls," said her father, almost wistfully. "You are not sorry you are going to spend the next few months with no one but two old men for company?"

"But I spent eighteen years without you," reminded Madge. "Don't you believe I ought to begin to make up for lost time? Just think,"--her eyes grew tender with the pride of possession--"I have what I've longed for more than anything else in the world, my father's love. Perhaps when we come back next year we can anchor the 'Little Captain' in Pleasure Bay and invite the 'Merry Maid' and her crew to visit us. Then Miss Jenny Ann could be married on the houseboat. We must be very sure to come home on time if we carry out that plan."

"Aye, aye, Captain Madge," smiled her father, "unless our good s.h.i.+p fails us we'll anchor next September in Pleasure Bay and send a special invitation to the crew of the 'Merry Maid' to meet us there."

The End