Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1919-06-11
MIGNON
By MILDRED WHITE.

MlSQOn sat peTcHeu Hhe H''iS
brown bird, upon the tall show case,
in .he queer old shop. 1t was from
here only that she could catch a
glimpse through small high window
Of ,he leeming street outside; For the
queer shop was in basement of an
old stone city building, and through
its humble doors came often those
known to fame. ssas:i: p ---'''
Old Monsieur Martinez, who had
crossed the seas and settled there SO
many years ago, had gained a unique
remtation, as costumer in his own
small way. Monsieur would attend 10
but one customer at time, as MS
wo lderfully correct costumes were all
of MS own making. Actors came mere
for particular work, and now, motion
picture actors and actresses as well;
and little Mignon, monsieur's only
daughter, possessed certain skill l.
mcnding and Transforming for new
roles, garments which her father hao
made.
Mignon's life as child was happy.
Her energetic French mother mao
hustled about the shop then-and
made pretty playthings for MignoE
from bits Of leftover satins. When
the young mother was gone forever.
the father had been most kind, and
Mignon in her effort to comfort ana
help him had almost been happy
again. 1'hen-the Stepmother came
1t vas difficult to believe in the step
mother; to realize that another wom-
an boldly filed her own mothers
place. And like an oldcn tale that
Mignon had read, the stepmother nad
daughters of her own and brougnt
them with her to the home rooms JUST
behind the shop, which Misnons
mother had made so pleasant. And
as time went on, 1t was the daughters
Lucy and Lucille, who enjoyed the
privilege of music lessons, pounding
out their scales upon her mothers
dearly bought piano.
Lucy and Lucille also wore pretty
frocks and went to high school far
away on the street csrs.
Monsieur was irritable now, too, al
most i seemed that he had forgotten
his French daughter in his tireless
assistant. The stepmother formed a
habit of making fun of Mignon's dark
face-perhaps its piquant resemblance
to the pictured face which monsieur
insisted upon keeping in the parlor'
may have aroused some jealous de-
men. But Mignon could not know
that. She could only regret, wistfully,
her own plainness.
There were those who, coming into
the shop, thought the shy, dark-eyen
girl appealingly attractive. Men OF
the stage who would go away saying,
"If we could but have the face OF
Mnrtinet's silent daughter to portray
such or such a part"
But Mignon, high on her window
seat, bent over her fairy stitches and
wordered-wondered it was al
ways to be so-the music and laugh
ter of young people in the evening be-
hind the store, and she-working
weary-eyed at accounts which never
would come straight. And one eve
ming when they had all gone merrily
together TO the theater, Monsieur Mar
tinet, one of the party. little N!snon
struggling to finish sewiD a long,
long seam, fell asleep az dreamed q
dream.
1t was she, herself, wonderfully
transformed Mignon, who stood and
bowed from the stage which her peo'
pie were watching. And all about
eager faces were upralsed. and friend.
" hands applauded. Mignon saw her
self with flashing eyes and loosened
hair going through each role; now,
she was the little "Iiady Babbe," and
new-she was driving home in her
own closed car, to beautiful place.
where books and flowers and all the
thi1gs which she so loved pervaded.
Lucy and Lucille came to her there,
and strangely respectful was their at
titude. The stepmothcr, too. laughed,
but not so {iarshly, and exclaimed:
"Who would have thought it of the
brown wrenr'
Then. all in a pleasurable excite
mert. Mignon laughed herself, and the
musical sound awakened her to con-
sclousneSS.
Well" said a man who stood lean
ing over the counter, Il thought you
never would wake up. I've come Tor
my waistcoat."
And Mignon who had known the
friendly actor for some tir<e. although
her shyness had not allowed her to
speak much to him, under some inf1u-
ence born Of her dream, came near
and told him all about 1t. Even, she
loosened her hair like Lady Bsbbie
of the play, and laughed at him
through its veil to show exactly how
it should be done.
"Pv Gporpain cried the movie idol,