Trial and Triumph

At her modest home, Mrs. Harcourt discusses a recent controversy involving her granddaughter and an irate neighbour. Having sent Annette out to the grocery store for oil, she unwittingly gave the young girl an opportunity for mischief-on her way home, Annette managed to spill oil on Mrs. Larkins″ stoop, causing the particularly diligent housekeeper to curse the girl for her carelessness. Embarrassed but unsurprised, Mrs. Harcourt has grown accustomed to Annette″s wayward nature. Ever since her mother″s death, Annette-who was abandoned by her father at birth-has struggled to find purpose in life. With few opportunities for education, and despite her affinity for reading, Annette faces prejudice and indifference from her community, who remain either cautiously protective of their children or too involved with their own problems to pay heed to another struggling youth.