The Monmouth inquirer., 1898-12-29


! IDENTIFY the matron, who looked at the
new conner for several minutes before
answering her inquiry for Mrs. Tre-
mont.
"Mrs. fremont is not over well, she
said. but come in and you shall see
her"
The old woman Wa lying on the bed
and Margaret fremont stepped up be-
! side it and leaned over. taking the
feeble hand in hers. Her heart was so
fun she could say nothing. BE you
my Margaret?s asked the old woman
opening her eyes. Don't you mind her
Miss" said the matron, she asks ev-
cry strange person that comes here Il
they are her Margaret, she was her
grand daughter and ran away one
Christmas Eve and joined a show COM
pany.H The simple reply astonished
her:
Il am Miss fremont; will you kindly
leave me alone with my grandmother :
The old woman put out her hand
and stroked feeb.y the fur on Mar
garets coat You be not Margaret, Z
she said, you're great lady and
she's a little girl, you do look some
thing like what Margaret would look
like when she grows up, if it were not
for your fine clothes. but you're not my
Margaret
GRANDMOTHER dear, don't you know
me?'' pleaded Margaret. i was a lit
tie girl that night | left you. when
wore my old blue flannel dress, have
it yet And ! was a little girl when
used to act plays with your red ta-
BILE cloth for cloak, but that was
years ago, and I'm changed. but look
at my face and you'll see your little
Margaret" AS she said the last
words dawning liebt seemed to come
into the old woman's eyes. she stretch
ed out her arms, and drew her grand
daughter to her. At last, at lastis
she murmured
There was a crowded house that
night at the Opera House. wao were,
alas. doomed to disappointment. There
was rustic of expectation through
out the building before the curtain
rose. every one wanted to see the new
star who had made suca decided hit
In the front row of the orchestIe a
man sat playing restlessly with his
programme, every now ana then he
looked at his watcn wondering if the
curtain was never going up. Two
minutes more and it would Suddenly
there was silence throughout the build
ing, the manager stood before the cur
fol hot IA vi .cr9
Il regret to say that owing to an ILL
ness in her family, Miss fremont, our
leading lady, will not be present to-
night, her understudy will take her
place. A waive of discontentment
passed over the house. New Workers
hate to be disappointed and they show
it. The man in the front row of the
orchestra, who had been playing with
his programme, rose and left the
building hurriedly The curtain went
up the performance was a failure, the
understudy was pronounced, very
poor" It was a disgusted crowd that
left the building at the close of tae
performance, and it was weary and
disappointed man. who sat in the man.
ayers chair that night
In the little New England village oe
South Wilbur bright light shone
once more in the fremont cottage. Mrs.
fremont lay on a couch watching every
movement Of her grand daughter, as
she fitted around the room arranging
chairs and tables, and putting the
room in order.
Margaret, my child" said the old lady,
gazing wistfully at her Margaret went
over to the side of the couch Gran
ME dear, / must leave you tomorrow
for few days. 1t would not be right
for me not to fulfill my engagement
with Mr.. Raymond. Tomorrow is
Christmas Day and / shall have to be
in my place. She tried to soothe her.
and before long the old lady was lis
tening attentiyely to the account of
Margaret's triumph; of all the things
the papers mad said Of her; of the fiow-
ers she had received; and last of all
about Randolph's note
"And all that for my little Marga-
ret" murmured the old grandmother,
udfI dlouu. I1dFe yc hilOWu t4S IIu6
gentleman long Margaret my child, and
why did you not take him?" sI
have known him every since that night
at Hereford when he helped me out OF
the trouble with the manager. and he
has always been very good to me, but
Grannie, / didn't take him because ?
There was a knock at the door. and
Margaret rose and opened it, and the
light fell on tall, handsome man,
who stretched out his hands to ner
Margaret" was all he said. Come
VIII, and see grandmother" she ans
wered, closing the door, and leading
him into the room
Grandmother, here is Mr.. Randolph,
he is going to be your grandson"
1 Christmas night, and once more the
Opera House was crowded from the
gallery to the boxes, and once more
encore after encore brought Miss Tre-
mont on the stage.