Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1879-09-16
IN A MIRROR.

Come, now, Cousin Esther" we
three girls clamorec, "a real story-one
about school-days."
'.School-daysP" said Cousin Esther,
yielding at once, as she always does
and I'll tell you one I've been thinking
great deal about of late"
We settled ourselves comfortably, and
Cousin Esther went on:
on have often heard me say that
when was about seventeen | went for
a year to Miss Lennox's school, at Burt
net. | taught some of the Younger
scholars and had good instruction nv
self, and my best friend there was Alice
Arthur.
The day arrived Miss Lennox asked
me to'be kind to Alice; she was study
ing to be a teacher, and her life was pc
culiarly trying; her widowed mother
lived in Boston, and Alice had been
compelled to accept home with q yery
disagreeable relative in Burtnet while
she attended school.
Il loved Alice at once; her manner
was SO sweet and cordial, and she
seemed such real lady. Though ONLY
fifteen, she was taller than /, and I
thought | had never seen ANYTHING pret-
tier than her bright wavy hair and blue
eyes. .ff3 W ftFfN]I
"She was poorly dressed, but her
manner was so charming that no one
ever thought of her dress.
Our friendship prospered, with but
one drawback. A girl named Louisa
Bywell insisted upon following us about,
like shadow; we never sat down for
quiet talk but we were certain to be in
terrupted by Louisa. 7
"She was thin, awkward girl. in
orainately vain, fond of dress, but good
ht trted in a sort of way; vet from the
moment | appeared 10 be Alice's friend
she seemed foolishly jealous. oia1a
. All the girls admitted Alice Arthur
to be their superior; she had a certain
high courage combined with gentleness,
which made her a sort of leader among
us, and it was said no one had ever
known her to prevaricate or even exag-
gerate in the smallest degree. Of her
home-life she rarely spoke, vet / knew
what it was.
One day a friend of papa's, in Burt
net, Mrs. Rogers, invited several of us
to go down to her pretty house and see
some of her daughters wedding presents
and finery.
Mrs. Rogers was always particularly
kind to Alice, who was evidently great
favorite with her. | shall never forget
that day. I could not go, on account OF
teaching, but saw the party set off,
early in the afternoon, in high spirits
Louisa Bywell, Lydia Samson and Mat
tie Jones, who were boarders. and Alice,
who was to go from the Rogers directly
home. 4A,r
lit was about six O'Clock when they
returned, and looking out of the school.
room window, / knew at once that
something unusual had happened. They
were talking eagerly and excitedly
Alice's name fell upon my ear, and be.
lieving some accident had occurred. Irar
out meet them. What is the matter
with Alicep' / cried, anxiously.
L ouisa's face flushed. Always
Alice she said, resentfully; but Matti,
Jones interrupted with
Why, Alice Arthur is a thief Sh,
stole Miss Sallie Rogers cross and chain
81 started back as If had been struck
{ Hush, Mattel exclaimed; how cal
you say such thingp'
But it is true, the girl persisted
I'll tell you how it was: Miss Salli
showed us her box of trinkets, and ther
was filigree gold cross and chain anon,
them. Well. when we came to leave
Alice pulled her handkerchief out of he
pocket the inside pocket of her jacket
and the cross fell out
o. And yet she declares, said Louisa
she never put it there