The Penn's Grove record., 1886-03-27
IN TIMES OF TROUBLE.

We grew up side by side, Madeleine
Constant and I-Antonio Michael.
was an orphan when ten years old, and
was sent from Italy to my Aunt Peron.
l had then-I have now-all the faults
and some of the good qualities of the
Italian nature.
l saw Madeleine for the first time
one autumn evening when / had wan
dered away in disgust and bitterness.
/ had been a witness toa quarrel be
tween my cousins about a franc, in
which quarrel they launched against
each other every oarse epithet it was
possible to think of, and finally turned
on me because l would not take part in
the matter. l left them contemptu-
ously, and wandered across the field to
the Chateau, and stood for a while at
the gate. l often paused there, look
ing at the costly entrance and we'll"
kept avenue at the stately trees and
distant castles, which seemed SO lordly
and powerful.
As l stood there that day, Madeleine
came out with a basket on her arm.
She looked so good, so joyous that at
once l set her in my mind in contrast
to the two ill-bred ours l had Just left.
The basket seemed heavy; she set it
down a moment outside the gate to
rest.
''ShalI 1 carry it for your" I said
quickly stepping up to her.
Sse looked up and smiled.
"Thank you" she answered; 81 shall
be very glad"
"Where shall l goP' l asked, a ]
walked by her side.
ITO the little cottage by the roa1 as
you turn to the village. | am Made.
leine Constant" she added. 81 thought
you must know me, for I've seen you
several times. You are the italian
who came to live with the Perons2"
nodded. We walked on silently
for a while, but l did not care for this
l wanted to hear her talk-her voice
sounded pleasant and soft. I never
was shy with mar or woman.
"What have you in the basket"
"Things they have g&en me at the
Chateau for my sick sister,"
"Do you like to accept aims from
rich people.
know my eyes flashed--I was al
ways so proud. She looked at me with
surprise.
They are very good to ME at the
Chateau; 1 love Mademolselle Adele:
why should a be angry at their kind
ness to poor H~ortenseP" Perhaps l had
a sneering expression; Madeleine flush
ed, and added, 81 don't live on what
they give me; 1 work very hard; every
one knows l work hard"
1 felt ashamed of myself, and very
sorry for having hurt the poor girl.
We were scarcely more than children;
but suddenly l felt a mans contempt
for my W cowardice in wounding her
by a word,
II beg your PARDON" l said; ''of
course, If they are for you, it's all
right; but 1 bate the MOBILES"
"Why?"
Her large eyes looked at me in won,
derment.
"They are cruel and unjust; they
think US dogs to kick, beat, or starve;
and what have they doneP"
"Ab, they do many good things!
Mademoiselle Adele, she is kind to all,
and the old count, he is not cruel, Pm
sure; he looks good; and he loves his
son and daughter.
l smiled at her ignorance.
"You don't know; you are petted at
the Chateau because you are pretty and
harmless. The count is cruel; he turn
ed old Francois Lorraine from his home
the other day; he struck HIM too, in a
rage. | suppose the young count will
be like his father"
Madeleine's face clouded.
81 am very sorry If this is true, very
SORRY"
"You are only a girl, OF course; you
don't know; and Pm glad they are kind
to you."
1t was pleasant to me to be with this
girl. l remember wishing that | had a
sister.
When we came to the cottage, Made
leiHe asked me to come and see Hor-
tense, and l went in; and l think 1 sat
quite an hour with the poor cripple.
She was a woman who had read and
thought a good deal, and she seemed
wonderful to me, for | supposed in my
foolish youth that women knew moth
ing.
Many and many an evening after
that 1 worked in the garden with Mad
eleine. When fine, Hortense was lift
ed out and talked to US; when it grew
cold she watched us from the window
Those were happy days. l was an
i~ron-worker, and l had an inventive
brain; night after night | used to lie
awake planning machinery. 1t was
the dream of my life to perfect a ma
chine, the first crude notion of which
had flashed into my mind one day in
the furnace-room. After l knew Mad
eleine, the joy of telling her when l was
successful was added to my dream.
There was n little difficulty in my in
yention which l could not get over; for
months and months it haunted me. 1t
was n cold moonlit night in Deem
Der, IS ] lay in bed looking out at the
clear frosty sky, that the difficulty van
ished. Suddenly, as clearly as possible
l saw how my invention could be work
ed out in It's entirety.
l sprang out of bed-the others were
asleep-and in the cold moonlight
worked out my scheme roughly with
pencil and paper. l think l never had
such a moment of triumph as on that
night. OF course l kept silence on the
subject; | had never made my cousins
my conhdants-thank Heaven, L had
too sharp a wit for thatl They had dis
covered how often / was at Madeleine's
cottage, and had amused themselves by
me a gay cavalier; but l took no
of them.
Coming home from work one day,
rather radiant perhaps, because that
morning l had quite completed my IN. J