Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-01-14
TRUE TO MADELINE.
a Pretty Story Told by Emilio Zola.L Mas
ter OF french Fiction.


met us with his amiable Smflo ana wo
dincd undcr tho arbor covered with vir-
gin vines, while Paris beyond murmured
IL tho falling night.
You mover know his hfo. I; whogrcw
up sdo by sidc with him, can tell you
of his heart. lilo lived at CLAIMANT for
who died go quietly. 1t is q history sad
and hcart-GrcakinS. .... -
jacques had met Madeline ut tho fcto
at ST. Cloud. lilo began to lovo her be-
cause sho was sad and suffering. He
wished before that poor Child was laid
away i'll tho ground to give her two sea-
sons of love. So no won't to hide HIM
sclf with her in that little plot of ground
at Clamart. where tho roses crowded
each other like flowers COMO crazy.
You know the house. 1t was worry
modest, all white, hidden like n nest in
tho green foliage. Jacques littlo by lit
tic was possessed with an infinite lovo
for the dying one. lie watched the mall
ady gaining ground daily with bitter
tenderness. Madeline, like q wax night
taper which throws brilliant light just
before it goes out, illumined the white
house with her blue eyes.
During two seasons tho child seldom
won't out. She filed tho tiny garden
with her charming spirit, her light
robos, her gontle footballs. 1t was sho
who planted those wild gilly flowers
from which she made us bouquets; and
tho gcraniur, the hcliotropc, tho
rhododcndrons only lived through her
and for her. 81. ,.sg ., .-..
hn hn 20 &loA -
nature.
Then autumn came. You remember
Jacques came to US and said huskily:
''ohc is dead"
She had died under the vinc-grown
arbor like an infant that falls asleep, at
that hour when tho sun is sinking to
rest. She had died in tho midst of those
vcrdurcs in tho wild gap whore lovo
had Soothcd two years of her agony.
never saw jacques again.
] know that ho still lived on at Cla-
mart, under the arbor in memory of
Madeline.
Soon tho siege commenced. was SO
broken with fatigue that 1 thought no
moro of him. But the morning of the
18th, learning that they were lighting
on tho side of Mendon and Scvres, saw
again in memory tho little white house
hidden by green foliage.
So l left tho gate of Vauves and
walked on. The roads were encountered
with wounded, SO 1 arrived at Mouli-
nc&uX, where / heard of our victory;
but whom ] turned tho wood and entered
the gap n terrible emotion tore my
heart.
Before mo on tho ravaged ground
saw no longer the little white house,
only q mass Of blackened timbers and
stonc where tho torch of tho inccndiary
had passed
descended tho hill with tears in my
eyes.
All! my friends. what terrible catas-
tropho had taken place. You renem-
Der tho hawthorn hedge, it was RACED to
tho ground by the cannon. Tho great
gilly flowers, the gcraniums, tho rhodo-
demons, torn, faded, scattered. l folt u
real pity for them, as if they wero the
torn members of friends of mine.
Tho house was torn on ono side, dis
playing openly tho room of Madeline
that had been closed since her douth.
This room, opened brutally by the
cannon Of the Prussians, this alcovo OF
love, from which ono could SEQ the
whole range of tho valley, mado INC
think that l stood in tho cemetery OF
my youth.
Tho sun covered tho debris with q
golden glory, bringing into brighton
prominence tho devastation. jacques
must havo abandoned tho house whom il
was fired upon.
Walked on.
entered tho green arbor whcre We
had dincd together. by u miracle ID re
manned intact ..s IT..
There on tho ground in tho midst bf {
pool of blood Jacques slept, his breas
wounded by twenty bullets.
lilo had not fed from tho virgin vine,
he loved; no died where Madeline died
picked up ut his foot his empty cnrt
Inv la