Madeline Brandeis

“ Thus it happened that Auntie Sue arrived at the nursery door in time to hear the two little girls discussing a serious question.
Auntie Sue did not want to eavesdrop. She would not have listened to the children if she could have helped herself. But the fact of the matter was that Auntie Sue became rooted to the floor, and she could not move.
For the first thing she heard was Jeanne's voice saying, "Oh, Margot! I hate all those silly clothes! I hate being a model. I want to be just a little girl." ”

“ All the time Jeanne was brandishing her sword. She was Joan of Arc and she was riding at the head of her army of France as Joan of Arc had done long, long ago.
"Wait, wait!" called a voice. A policeman was running after them through the Bois. "Stop! You have stolen a statue from the park. Bring back the iron horse!"
He was so little—that policeman—and the horse was so big that they did not mind him.
"He is only a policeman," said Jeanne to Pierrot. "He is always clubbed and kicked in the Guignol plays." ”

“ Jeanne rocked her baby.
The invasion came. It was one of the last invasions before the Great War came to an end. The enemy burned the little town to the ground.
The great march of the refugees had started. The roads to Paris were alive with homeless people—struggling, homeless humanity, with only the hope of reaching Paris alive.
The village—Paul's village—was a desolate place. As the troop of French soldiers returned after the invasion and marched into it, there was not a soul to be seen. Among those marching French soldiers came Paul. ”

“ When Jeanne told what Madame Villard's grandchild wanted, it seemed that Suzanne flinched at the name.
But she smiled and answered, "Yes, dear. Tell her you will go. It will be so nice for you. And to-day is Sunday. There is no work."
Jeanne was only a child, and she longed to go with her new little friend. She longed to ride in the big motor and to play. But she hesitated just for a minute.
"You are sure you will not need me, dear Auntie?" she asked.
[Pg 132] "Run along and tell the little girl you are coming," laughed Auntie Sue. ”

“ He would say to Mother after Margot had left, "Has the sun gone under a cloud, Marie? It seems darker to me."
[Pg 111] You see, he felt sunshine while his little daughter was there.
But the nurse would not allow frequent visits. Ah, Father might never be allowed to forget that bitter war!
So Grandmother played guardian to Margot. And a loving and indulgent guardian was she!
Margot could play from morning until night if she wanted to, except, of course, for school hours.
The nursery was filled with costly toys. They did not interest little Margot any more. There were so many of them. ”

“ JEANNE SHOWING A NEW FROCK
[Pg 104] "You have made her a poor little girl who has to work. If she lived in the lovely apartment house with her grandmother, she could play and play and play."
Suzanne clapped her hands over her ears to stop the voice. But Conscience came from her heart and did not need her ears to hear him.
He went right on, "What would that soldier say? What would the old man say? What would the grandmother say? And Major d'Artrot?" ”

“ For Paris is well dressed, both inside and out. French cooking is an art, as is everything that these art-loving people attempt.
[Pg 141] At the end of their happy day the little girls drove to the park. They sat upon a bench beneath shady trees and they watched a Guignol play.
They had chatted and laughed and now were the very best of friends. Margot was a happy little girl that day. She had learned from Jeanne how to play.
"Sit still, Pierrot," scolded Jeanne softly so that only Margot might hear.
"Pierrot, you shall never come again if you do not behave!" continued Jeanne. ”

“ She intended to stop at a little graveyard in the Argonne (är-gō̍n ́) and pray.
And while Madame Villard waited thus for little Jeanne, Suzanne Moreau was bringing the baby to Paris.
On the tramp Suzanne had found the child a sweet and tender thing. Little Jeanne had hardly ever cried. She was satisfied and sleepy, or gurgling and gay.
Her life had been a rough one and her feedings irregular and sometimes insufficient. Still the baby had seemed happy, and Suzanne had smiled a great deal more than she had ever before smiled in her life. ”

“ She was too busy ever to think of such things. While she loved to help Auntie Sue, it was hard work, and often Auntie Sue worried.
"Ma chérie," she would say to Jeanne as she stroked her silky brown curls, "you are happy; are you not? You do not mind the work—the hard, hard work? Ah, Jeanne, it is not pleasant sometimes, I know."
And this was true. For when many, many mothers and children came, Jeanne had to walk back and forth, back and forth, through the room. She had to show the silken dresses, the velvet [Pg 59] coats, the little fluffy bonnets and hats. ”

“ But now how splendid it all seemed to the little girl, as she sat beside Margot, with Pierrot firmly clasped in her hand! For Pierrot had been invited, too. I doubt whether Margot would have welcomed Jeanne as heartily without Pierrot. Pierrot was half of the performance.
They rode through Paris. They passed the Place de la Concorde (pläs dĕ lä kôn-kôrd ́) , that most beautiful of city squares, where a sight not so [Pg 136] beautiful once stood. It was here that the guillotine had stood. It is the terrible instrument which beheaded so many people in those frightful, stormy days of old. ”

“ That other grandchild—but I must not talk of her. I must talk of Margot. For Margot was all that Grandmother [Pg 15] Villard could talk about or even think of that day.
Her own little daughter's daughter! It was so wonderful to think of Margot's being here. So wonderful for poor Madame Villard, whose only son Paul was fighting at the front in the Great War.
When the war had started, Paul had gone to fight for France. Now it was many months since Madame had heard from her soldier boy.
Soon after Paul had joined the army, he had met and married Jeanne (jēn) in a tiny village of France. ”

“ But Margot and I have never been to the shop. Now since I know that they are friends of yours, we will surely go."
"Ah, you are kind," said the Major. "Auntie Sue deserves what little one can do to help. She is struggling alone and works very hard. I assure you, dear Madame Villard, that she is a most deserving and honest person."
"I believe that," smiled Madame, patting the Major's hand. "For to be a friend of yours, one is obliged to be deserving, honest, and kind."
[Pg 78]
CHAPTER VIII
THE GUIGNOL
Auntie Sue watched Jeanne as she skipped along to school. ”

“ And the face in the locket seemed to agree with the voice.
"To-night the child stayed in the park with a puppet—the only play toy she has ever had. She fell asleep in front of the Guignol, where happy children [Pg 107] go to clap and laugh. But you give Jeanne no time for play and laughter."
It was all true. But Suzanne knew that if Jeanne stopped showing the clothes she made, her audience would cease to be interested. If she did not draw her audience, she could not sell the clothes. And if she did not sell the clothes, she could not support Jeanne. ”

“ They are all absorbed in Guignol—their Guignol. He is kissing the lady now.
But not for long are they happy. The alligator comes gliding upon the stage. There is another battle, and Guignol vanquishes the alligator.
Then indeed is Guignol a hero. The curtain falls to the pleased applause of the young audience.
Only Jeanne has noticed Pierrot. He lies in a heap on the ground. Nobody has come to fetch him.
Time goes on, and as the sun sinks lower, more and more children leave [Pg 88] the park. ”

“ There was the cellar where some poor souls had lived for weeks, listening to the booming of the battles in the woods near-by.
There were the German helmets captured during that last battle. There were many, many reasons why travelers were drawn to Major d'Artrot's farm. So Major d'Artrot turned his house into a hotel. One of his dearest friends was Madame Villard. She had helped make life easier for the Major and for his little brood.
During the long years following the death of her son, the Major had tried [Pg 67] to help the stricken mother in her search for her lost granddaughter. ”

“ A day in the woods was planned with a picnic and a boat ride, but, best of all, with Jeanne and Pierrot.
The morning of Margot's birthday arrived. As the little girl opened her eyes, a dismal sight met them.
The gray sky was pouring down bucketsful of rain. The morning was as gray and dark as a rainy morning can be. Margot saw her day in the woods spoiled, and she started to cry.
But Grandmother arranged that Jeanne was to come to the apartment.
Margot's pout did not make of her a [Pg 155] very happy looking birthday girl. But she had to be satisfied with these plans. ”

“ He, too, must march to Paris.
An old man with a baby!
It was a long way, but he had given his word to a soldier of France. Did [Pg 31] this not make of him a soldier, too?
The old body stiffened, and he stood erect. His hand slowly saluted the departing troops. He, too, was a soldier.
He looked at the address which Paul had pinned to the skirt of little Jeanne: Madame Villard, Avenue Champs Elysées (shän ́zā-lē-zā ́) , Paris.
Paris? Why, yes; he could walk to Paris. He was a soldier! Marching refugees from other villages were constantly passing. The old man joined the peasant procession. ”

“ THEN MARGOT TOLD A STORY TO JEANNE
Margot answered, "We do not need [Pg 184] Pierrot for this play. You see there is only one heroine, and that is you."
Then Margot told a story to Jeanne—a curious story of a little baby who was kept away from her grandmother and her cousin. Yes; the baby was really kept for a number of years from a home of love and protection and made to work. She had very little time to play. She did not even [Pg 185] know her real name. How could she? It had never been told to her.
She told Jeanne of another little girl who lived in that home and had everything. ”

“ When Margot left Jeanne at the door of Auntie Sue's Shop, she wanted to know when they should be together again. She asked when they should play more of Jeanne's stories with Pierrot.
[Pg 147] Jeanne did not tell Margot that she would not be able to play again for many days. Work would interfere. Work was always there to stop play. ”

“ The d'Artrots left, and Jeanne and Margot and Grandmother sat together for a long time. They sat silently.
[Pg 187] But suddenly Jeanne exclaimed, "Oh, poor Auntie Sue! I must go to her. I must go."
Grandmother held her back.
"No," she said. "Auntie Sue is all right, Jeanne. She only wants you to be happy."
"Ah, but how can poor Auntie Sue sell the dresses now, when I am not there to show them for her?" asked Jeanne.
[Pg 188] "She will not have to sell dresses any more," said Grandmother. "Grandmother will ask Auntie Sue to live with us always, Jeanne, if—"
"If what, Grandmother?" ”

“ Margot had motored many times with Grandmother throughout the valley of the war. She had passed villages, gray and ruined. She had passed villages, new and shiny, with American flags flying beside the French.
AMERICAN FLAGS FLYING BESIDE THE FRENCH
She had passed American cemeteries, with thousands of little white crosses like snow upon the ground. There were brown crosses, too, and huge stone monuments to soldiers.
AMERICAN CEMETERY NEAR ROMAGNE
There was one monument built around a line of bayonets where a company of soldiers had been buried alive [Pg 161] by an enemy bomb. ”

“ Her heart was fluttering and her [Pg 49] hands were shaking as she put the locket about the child's neck. Then she sat by the little cradle. Before she knew it, the tears were falling down her cheeks. ”