The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-01-07
The Globes Daily Short Story /

as 10 what had made the man, as they
put It, kind O. queer" For during the
years years that he had lived and worked
WIN lnem no word Or sign of the life
he had lived before he had come -
them had John ever given them. Moth
| ing OF the wife and child for whom no
heard 0y ever
1t was the month Of October and the
| mountains wore their purple and gold
! en- maze, preparatory snowy winter garb
| soon the little cabin would be showed
i, IN and communication with the town
! smut OFF. In anticipation Of this time
Two OF the men took a journey to town
about this season Of each year and prr-
| chased necessary supplies for the coming
cold weather. John was almost aIway5
| one OF these, for his knowledge of house
4 ioIu economy was of value in making
LHe purchases. Several days We're oc-
GSupled usually in TINS journey and this
little period Of change and activity was
welcomed by those men Of the mountains:
and the woods.
One evening while mis- 'pard" was abb
Sorbed in game of cards where the
Gags OF gold dust lay thick upon the
LaapIe: John wandered away through the
streets OF civilization The sun was lust
resting on the horizon before it babe
Soou night to the pretty little mountain
town. And up and down the street lined
WIN graceful trees and cosy homes, were
10 De seen the children i'll their happy
play. And the hour was full of peace
1uI forebodIng that the twilight brings
10 the tired son Of man. But Of these
Ihlngs ABOUT him John seemed - have
nttle knowledge or care. until one OF
the homes he passed by seemed for a
moment to attract him. 1t was q low
cottage standing in the midst of Hover
uecked lawn, and over its windows climb
ed and doomed the noneysuckle The
sight Of 1t stirred something in The breast
or pfaln OF this man, rs if a dream for
cotton mad almost come oack TO him.
he looked again at the house and from
rear Ci ftIIYxr -,
suit Of playful spaniel, came a golden
halred child, very fair to look upon.
AS she ran toward the walk in front,
Keeping close after her playfellOw, a
woman stepped out on to the broad porch
under the noneysuckle and called 10 her:
Madeline, come-it's supper time"
Madehne-Madeline! In a fash the cur
tain of darkness lifted from the mans
brain and the life that he had forgotten
all came back to him. The magic word
the name of his own little girl spoken
Dy another mother to another Madeline
was the Key that started again the Won
derful wheels of memory. The ioy OF
1eelmg, remembering, of living was his
again.
frightened when she saw the strange,
rough man take her little girl in his
arms and kiss her passionately. And the
chlld was frightened, too, at the express
sionate, as he compelled his recreant
memory to bring back to him that which
1T had hidden all these years. He turned
and left the child. who ran to her mother,
not little Shaken by her strange
friends actions.
Four days later the darkness was turn
ed to light and the mourning to joy, and
his own Madeline's question had been
answered. And a week later from the
Madeline in the East to the Madeline
in the West there came a box contain
ing the most beautiful of French dolls,
and with it was a note which explained
how she Of the West had found a father
for her of the East.