The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-06-30
,MARGOT.
BY N. l. TAFT.

1t is . good many years now since
Margot drst made her appearance In
the world. How, when, or where that
event took place no one who knew her
could ever tell. Margot herself did not
know. It was evidently an event Of SO
little importance that 1t had never
been thought worth while to make a
record of It.
As far a. Margot herself was con-
cerned she counted back her years to
one Sunday morning when she was ta-
ken on board big steamer in Germa-
ny. Then, after what seemed to her
months of tossing around and misera-
BILE suffering she discovered that the
sun was still shining and that she was
In place which was called America.
The name itself did not mean much
to Margot. She might have been in
Africa for all she knew. The previous
years Of her life she speedily forgot all
about, though there must have been
nearly twelve Of them In all. But
they had been spent In a monotonous
routine within four walls, VIII, one
day was almost exactly like another ex-
cept once year, Weihnachtsabend
when the joyousness Of the feast of the
Christ child penetrated even those
thick walls and to the little strays be-
hind them; for Margot was found
ling.
But on the big steamer Margot be-
gan new life. 1t was all SO very
strange and wonderful that it seemed
quite natural to her, when she could
raise her head to think at all, that this
marvellous change which had come into
her life should be accompanied by such
a great upheaval of the whole world
as that in which she seemed to be
enveloped.
Occasionally in the midst Of the up
heaval would come kind voice to
speak to Margot. That was the voice
Of her mistress, for--Oh, the delight of
it!-Margot was leaving the asylum
behind forever, and was to be the little
maid to the kind Hausfrau who was
coming to the new land to hive.
Such happy life as 1t was! Margot
was busy from morning until night.
She hummed little tune to herself as
she worked-a little tune that no one
had ever heard before, low, purring
notes which gave voice to Margots
happiness and contentment. Some
times when Margot had given the sill
yer and the brasses an extra polish
the mistress would speak of 1t. THAT
is very well done, Margot," she would
say kindly. And the girls song bub-
bled into words. and the world SEEM,
cd to her a big place full of joy and
gladness and sunshine.
- Their there were other things in Mar
got's life. II she finished her work in
the house quickly she could take the
children out walking on pleasant days,
and there were strange people and
strange sights to see, and Margot was
very, very happy On Sunday there
was Gottesdienst in the kirche, and
Margot went always once a day. If
there were too many things to be done
about the house in the morning, she.
went In the evening. But finally she
gave up the evening Gottesdienst alto
gether, and even If she had to be I'D
an hour earlier never failed to have
her work ready so that she could leave
1t in the morning.
A strange thing happened to Margot
one Sunday evening. 1t was five years
after she had commenced her new life,
and she vas seventeen. She was a
round, rosy, blond-haired little maiden,
very pleasant to look upon, but this
she did not know. To be sure, there
was mirror in her room, but it was a
little one, and 1t had strange way Of
twisting the face Of the gazer into its
depths into many queer forms and an
giles. Margot did not care for that.
for what time did she have to look at
herself If she possessed the inclina-
ton? She was always in a hurry to
dress as soon as she was up in the
morning, and at night she was very
glad to say her Vaterunser and slip
into bed, where she was asleep as
soon as her head touched the pillow,
There had been one day when Mar
got had had surprise. She had been
sent to bring something from the
dressing case, In the young mistress's
room, and as she stopped for minute
before the big mirror she saw such a
strange vision. 1t was an attractive
vision, and 1t astonished Margot so
that she stopped to gaze at 1t, stopped
full five minutes-so long that her
young mistress came to see what was
the matter.
"Margot, Margot," she said, entering
the room and finding the absorbed lit
tie maid at the mirror, what will the
good God think to see you so proud of
a pretty face?"
Then Margot. very much ashamed,
slipped silently down stairs and the
young mistress, standing in the place
she had vacated, Strengthened down the
ruffles on her pretty frock, put back a
lock Of curly hair, and smiled to her.
self, for the image abe saw In the mir
ror was also very attractive, if not so
round or SO rosy as that of the little
maid.
And Margot down stairs was very
much ashamed, but withal there was a
warm feeling about her heart, for had
not the young mistress said something
about pretty face? And Margot knew
herself that the face she had seen in
The mirror was very pleasant face to
see. 1t was the Sunday after this that
he strangest experience of all Marquis
life came to her.
She had been very busy all day. for