The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-09-11

sought tor LOGGING place. Under shed
back of a bundle of fagOts. she made her
chamber. Beneath a bunch of fagots
which served her az q pillow, she placed
large stone; under the stone she ding q
hole, and here she hid the , sous which
she had earned.
At the break of day Mathurine placed
the fagots over the stone, and in short
time was at her work.
In a few days the cure became aston
lshed because his pensioner came no
more for bread.
What has become of Mathurine 2"
he asked of Noun.
L do not know, VI. lie Cure. "
Why Is it that we see her no more .,
My opinion is that she is up to some
wickedness, = replied Noun. grufly
Eight days passed and Mathurine had
not appeared At the end of sixteen DAVIS
she had saved 81 sous. Her treasure
was accommodating. Every evening. by
the light of the moon, she counted It
with trembling hands, her eyes brilliant
as stars. When she had replaced the
great stone with the fagots above il. she
danced in her joyfulness.
If any of the villagers had seen her
they would indeed have said, Mathurinc.
the sorceresS!
How changed she was A brilliant
CLEAN IN the shadow of her thought
taught her much which had been before
unknown to her. She remembered the
few whom she had loved and the many
whom she had hated. In seeing others
work she had acquired taste for labor,
and looked upon the prosperity of the
village she called home. she became
ashamed of her misery. When she re-
membered the little she had earned. and
what it had cost her in hard toll, she be-
gan family to comprehend the goodness
OF the kind cure, who for SO long time
had nourished her.
The evening before Christmas. Mathu-
rlne, as was her custom upon entering
her hut, raised the great stone. There
was nothing there. Nothing! 1t is not
possible! Wildly she searched every
corner of the hiding place, but it ayailcd
naught; all her treasure had been stolen
from her
Whom did she suspect? Noun and
his daughter They were the ONLY ones
IN her mind associated with such an
action, All her hate returned. just
then rang ont the Angelus:
Ding don. Noun has stolen it
from me. Ding! don't Noun and Lisa!
Ding. don! The white bonnet! Ding,
don! [ will have vengeance! Ding!
don!"
She ran like CLEAN in the night to-
ward the church, without any plan,
without any project, without knowing in
the least what she wished to do; only
because the bells were ringing, she
thought Noun to be there.
The wind blew violently from the
mountain; the icy earth creaked at every
step, and the long frosty needles swung
from the branches of the pines. The
moon was obscured by drifting clouds,
and III the village all VAS silent. Noun
had left the church, but before taking
his departure he had lit the small lamp
III the chapel Of the Virgin.
Standing on tip toe at an open win
dow, MathurIne could see this twinkling
light, and the chancel filled with flowers.
adorned Tor the great Christmas festival.
Her hate became more violent. To her
the church represented only Noun, Lisa
and the bells; she did not think of the
cure. If she were to do evil to the
church, she would be revenging herself
upon those whom she hated.
Trembling, pale, disheveled, and with
chattering teeth, she passed through the
window long branch of dry wood She
held it for an instant in the flame of the
burning lamp suspended near the wall.
and then placed the burning brand
against the pine boards which inclosed
the church and belfry
In five minutes the building was sur
rounded by flames. Mathurine ran fleet
ly away, and from a safe distance. hid
den among the rocks, she watched the
CLEAN. She believed herself
proud of her work. she trembled-she
could have wept for Joy.
Suddenly the church bells rang out
into the night:
Ding! don! What have | done
Ding! don! 1t is a crimel Ding! don,
Noun was wicked to me! Dingl don,
He was kind to me! Ding! dom 1t is
crime! Ding dom Oh, bells be 81
lentI'
Half crazy Mathurine returned to the
village. The church existed no longer.
The beams of the bellfrv had burned
apart, and the bells, III falling into the
ruins below, had sounded their last peal
Before the ruins stood the cure with
clasped hands, watching the destruction
OF all that remained of the house of God
That holy dwelling which he had loved
so long, for which he had saved and
cared with SO tender an affection. and
where he had so often offered prayer
Great tears gathered in his eyes and
chased each other down his cheeks.
Mathurine, frightened by his tears
gazed at him an instant In that one
moment her soul was opened to knowl-
edged, to faith, to repentance, to affec-
ton. She made a movement as if to
throw herself at the feet of the cure, and
cried out to him:
Forgive me. forgive mel
Then rising quickly she suddenly dis
without awaiting for his reply
Six months afterward Mathurine ex-
changed her black bonnet for the white
cap of the Sisters Of Charity. Then her
life belonged to the poor, the sick, the
humble and the uncared for little ones.
And now, when the Angelus sounds.
Mathurine no longer clasped her hands
over her ears.
Ding. don! Ring BELL Ding! dom
Thou art a voice from above, Ding
don, Ny God forgive me! Ding don!
Forgive met
rp1f+sviIIe PA s Evening Chronicle