The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-02-06

Up on the hill, in quaint, beautiful,
lonely little house, lived young Madame
Ninton, quite alone save for her SER
wants. The village lay below her, like
a toy town out of a chip box from Hol-
land-little white houses all alike, Il
little white church with pointed stee-
pie, and rows of poplar trees, stiff and
black along the streets.
The stone house, with its painted
glass windows and Gothic doorway.
looked quite like n miniature castle
from below. But it had not taken the
fancy of the residents of Poplartown.
1t seemed to them queer and lonely,
and since its builder and owner died,
the executors had found no one to buy
or lease it, until young Madame Vim
ton, III her velvet dress, drove up to the
gate one morning, and interviewed the
care-taker.
1t was hers very soon after that, and
she lived, as we have said, alone with
her servants.
For guardians, she had two great
Siberian blood-houuds, fierce us dogs
could be TO all but her. 1t was well
known that, at word from her, they
would tear any man to pieces; and they
lay across the outer door at night. She
needed no other protection.
Young, beautiful, and a widow, charm
ING in her manners, no wonder that the
gentlemen admired her. But the ladies
fought shy of her. They made no
calls. They looked solemnly away as
they passed her in the street. When
she came TO church, and sat in the pew
she had hired, no one took any heed of
her presence. The clergyman called.
as in duty bound, and took his wife
with him. Unhappily, they found the
pretty FrenchWoman smoking cigar
cite. That sealed her doom. She
was sent to Coventry by all the respect
able society OF Poplartown-the ladies
society. But, somehow, through her
landlord, cosmopolitan bachelor,
gentlemen were introduced. 1t was
not her fault that these only came. and
that they sang her praises and defend
ed her against the hints of their female
relatives. She did nothing but adhere
to tie habits of her country. Poplar
town had been uncOurteouS to her, not
she 10 it. Her maid sat in the window
sewing when she had gentlemen call
crs. She never received them alone.
"A cruel thing of you women,n said
Squire Gilbert to his mother-''a cruel
thing t. be 50 hard on Madame Vim
ton What does she do but dare to be
beautiful? ! suppose God made her so,
as he made the five Misses Chesney,
who hate her SO bitterly, ugly as
witches. What do you know against
her. mother?'
Il know nothing, child. said Mrs.
nothing but that no ladies go
to see her"
why don't they, then?" said the
squire.
There must be some reason" said
the old lady; Mrs. Praygool saw Il
cigar on the table near her. Ladies
don't smoke"
English ladies DO not replied the
squire. But perhaps she does not
know that. Why don't you call and
tell her?'
",iy dear. l never call anywhere"
replied the old lady. The young peo-
pie come to see me. don't say any
thing against -Iadame Ninton. | hope
she's all right; indeed. do
But she resisted the entreaties of her
son to drive with him. to call on
Madame Nintoa, nevertheless; and so
one day the squire went alone.
He was a handsome. active, elegant
| man, bat he was no longer a young
one. st twenty he had been in love,
but his weetheart died. He had ever
since remained true to her memory.
At fortv-eight he lived with his mother
still, her only son. He had. perhaps
for this reason, something of the frank
| and careless manners of boy He
! had not hardened, as most men do be-
fore bis age.
The squire called on Madame Vim
ton from spirit OF chivalry-so he
thought. at least; but he left the door
with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes.
and he called again because he could
not keep away. Soon, to his mothers
cousternat,oau, rumorS reached her
/ that he went to Madame Einton's house
every day; and at last she, as well as
( all Poplartown, knew the truth. Her
sou was engaged to be married to the
French lady. with whom he was desper-
ately in love.
The five Misses Chesney shrieked in
chorus when they heard it. All the
other marriageable single ladies We're
equally shocked; but old Mrs. Gilbert
bore herself braveIv.
My son." she said, Il give you
credit for being a man of sense l
know YOU wouldn't marry a person
who would disgrace our good name.
/ I'll 90 with YOU to see her once, and Ell
welcome her kindly. Nothing must
come between Us, my dear-nothing." D"
And Mrs. Gilbert saw no cigarettes
near Madame Einton's elbow. when
/ she called, and could find no fault with
/ her manner. She returned home great
I ly comforted, and set herself to put
i down the talk in Poplartown. to the
/ great disgust OF her neighbours. who
/ had hoped To be entertained with the
/ items of 4 family quarrel.
| 1t was September when the news
/ first reached Mrs. Gilbert's ears. Be-
fS~e Cnristmas day her son would be