Middletown transcript., 1895-11-23

i
of the city called the French quarter
where French emigrants~ had settled
with sprinkling of Italians and few
Spaniards. No one in the quarter
seemed to know the little woman's
name, and she was universally called
simply "Mademoiselle. She was so
quiet and so busy. She worked for
some great establishment where ready
made clothing was sold. Her wages
were pitifully meager. Fortunately
she had very small income,
which paid room rent and fuel. She
had plenty to eat from what most peo-
pie would call ''scraps." Her dress
was exquisitely neat, and, in spite of
being made over and darned and
patched, could not be called shabby.
sShe toiled on increasingly, but she
had time 10 smile upon the children
and to give them fresh buns and cakes,
which were unbeard- of iilxiries to
most of them. If anyone in the great
building were i'll, it was MadenIoiselle
who climed stairs and waited upon
them. She made such appetizing
broths, and her ways were SO soothing.
Some of these people had declared her
face the kindest in the world, and said
they loved her. But they always spoke
of her in half patronizing manner rs
"quiet body" or THAT little woman
In the top of the house, VI "Mademoi-
selle, the seamstress, above stairs"
and almost forgot about her when they
were well. One day a Most unusual
thing occurred. The postman left a
letter for Mademoiselle. She was out
when 1t came. The wife of MarteI,
the blacksmith, kept it out of the chill
dren's reach till she came home. She
told Suzanna Arnaud that Mademoi-
selle turned pale--so very pale-when
she gave it to her, and seemed hardly
able to get up the stairs. -
! For who in the whole wide world
could have written to her, or have
known her whereabouts Alone in her
bare room she broke the seal. 1t was
q foreign letter, and the postmark was
France. The news it contained Was
far more startling than the fact of its
arrival. Madeomoiselle was informed
that she was sole heiress to The estate
Of Monsieur Leon Neville, her re-
spected uncle, who, old and childless,
had died Sept. 8, and his will had been
found to leave everything he possessed
to her, after his debts and funeral ex.
penses were paid. The lawyer who
wrote the letter further informed her
of the amount of hsr fortune-a small
sum in bank, and his house, shop and
personal effects. 1t was very small
fortune which she had inherited, but
to Mademoiselle it seemed palatiaI.
She sat there numb and confused, hold
ing the thin letter in her hand. She
could not believe it. Her uncle Leon,
SO stern and sharp, and VIII, was SO
angry with her father for coming to
America! She thought he had forgot
ten her existence. And then he al
ways seemed SO poor. lie had been
very industrious, to be sure; but his
shop was SO very small. He had sold
notions for many years to the villagers.
In her childhood she had thought his
wares most lavish and beautiful, but
since she lived in America she knew
they were poor and cheap. For once
Mademoiselle allowed herselftO dream.
For once her work lay by her side, not
even taken from its wrapper. She
dreamed of France-the home of her
innocent childhood, her happy youth.
Since then she had had so much shad-
ow in her life-death, poverty, and
hard work. But her father had laid
by something for her, and she had been
most fortunate in many ways. The
uncle or the lawyer must have known
her whereabouts from the village
mayor, to whom she had written once.
The lawyers direc! iohs were clear, |
sven to Mademoiselle's confused mind. |
II was just before. Thanksgiving that |
The money came. Tbesshep, ,house, and |
personal Effects had been sold most |
Unexpectedly, and he debts paid in
,luding lawyers fee. ;f @
Till then mademnisells had not al
owed herself to believe fully in her
1indfall. zea5 5tf...s .5iss tar esf I
"Thanks be to God, can keep some
me at lastW she said, tears starting to
Ter eyes.
Many years before in All England
own Madem0iselle had sewed in
Wealthy family at Thanksg living time.
fhe preparation for the feast had made
great and lasting impression on her
mind. No one was frgplt n-she her
elf had had bountiful basket given
and kindly. .aaa i
I And now it Was very near Thanks
living again, This time she. too,
night be able to make glad the hearts
+ others-only in 4 Very small way.
There was Suzanne Armand, IN her
vretciled health with her drunken hus- t,
and; and the children, all over the
ouse; and kind hsrdworking. cheer
al Justine, Martel's wfe-surely she
ould do something for each. The
cry thought was dazzling in its possi- +
'ilities. Madenoisslls could hardly
lose her eyes the night the idea came
. her The day before Thanksgiving /
he d iisheti her work 10y sitting up
cry late niglilsI before the SECULAR
Il