Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1902-09-26

stage which brought the
weekly mail over the mountain to
Rougemont, late on Saturday night
had dropped her and her tiny bundles
at the door of the little French inn
She wanted q room, she told the old
woman who came in answer to her
knock-not the best one, she could
scarcely afford that and she shouldn't
mind how small it was so long as she
and her baby might have it quite to
themselves.
Old Marie mumbled as she hobbled
along before: Mon Dieu, but what
child it is! And so pretty, too. Where's
her husband"
Then she held the door of the room
open and the young woman passed in;
her sharp old eyes noticed that she
wore no wedding ring. Marie shrugged
her shoulders significantly, then hur-
ried down stairs TO inform her col
leagues of the fact. AS for the young
woman, once the door was closed she
laid the baby down upon the bed and
walked to the bureau, upon which
stood a lighted lamp. She raised her
left hand and looked at it closely. Di-
rectly below the knuckle of her third
finger the flesh had been compressed
and redeemed, but both the marks and
color We're now gradually dying away.
by this time tomorrow every trace
of it will have gone. AS far as looks
go, it will be-exactly as though |
never had any ring at all"
The cure called the next day. He
was an old man and had seen queer
things even in that quiet place, but he
believed in her instinctively. you
must take me on trust for n little
while" she said to him in her gentle
way, when she caught his eyes WAN
dering to her hands. st doesn't mat
ter what you call me-Brown, Jones or
Robinson-anything. l was married
year ago, but it doesn't matter to
whom. That's why I've come here, |
wanted to get somewhere where
neither my baby nor l need be known
by her fathers name"
She was English, but she spoke
French eXcellently, and her gentle
manners won his sympathy.
AS he was leaving he called Marie
to one side and pressed a coin into her
hand.
'That's for you, Marie-on one condi-
tion. You must see to it that they all
call her madame"
"Mais, Monsieur lie Cure"
"Eneugh, Marie! Do as 1 bid you
now, and say no more about it."
The days went by. but none of the
village people came to see her. They
never called" in that vicinity; they
were far too primitive for that. But,
nevertheless, had things been other
wise than as they supposed, they would
have soon shown her, after their own
fashion, that she was welcome guest.
One day the cure came and found her
knitting upon long, white, 1eecy
cloud
Look" she cried, holding it up for
him to see. Isn't it pretty? Tell your
your people-all of them down in the
village there-that if they will pay me
l will make them clouds and mittens
and all sorts of things far prettier than
to know me; l only want to earn my
own living"
So the cure told them of it. and put
In a word parenthetically upon the lit
tie mothers behalf. go and see her."
said he. "She can't harm you. It's
lonely up there alone, and you older
women could help her SO with the
baby"
But the good people would have none
of her; il she worked well they would
pay her well, but with her they would
have no fellowship.
One night about two months later old
Marie came hobDling down to the
cures house and told him Madame was
i'll. When he came TO her she handed
min the envelope in which she kept her
slender earnings. On the envelope she
had written the name of well known
pawn broker in the city, forty miles
away. There's just enough" she said
II have counted it. Take it to him
yourself, or send it by some one whom
you can trust and who will lose nc
time. They will give you little box
with my ring inside Tiny wedding
ring, you know. l had to pawn it Il
pay my fare on the stage the night We
came. Even if am not here when vol
get back, you must put it on my fingel