Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1880-07-23

child9' cried Eltrlda, wondcringlN, II
thought that was m artists ideal pic
ture Z
1t VAS the image Of our lsadore II
. years Of age replied Miss Mildred,
trying to cover the sudden break and
tremhle IN her voice by loud Hem"
And 1t Ii, She was far beyond that
painting for beauty" continued Miss
Mildred Strangers used TO stop i'll the
street 10 look n her; and to inquirS
who she was. But she appeared to
know nothing and care nothing about
her wonderful good looks. She was
good and gentle, and always amiahle,
without the least apparent sign of
vanity.
Ripe for heaven, our good old
minister used to say. wish she
might have gone there then = said Miss
Mildred, with Il stitled groan.
she did not die, thcn" exclaimed
Elfrida. Il WAS So afraid You We're
going to tell Us of her death -
she did not die, God help herr" re-
Piled Miss Mildred, with Il sigh ST. deep
and sad that it was almost groan,
Here, in this very wing-chamher, my
brother Oliver, thought of il" She said,
after long pause Here he called
me to help him decide how to carry out
the plan. You see girls, lsadorc was
like Your friend Evelyn-she possessed
great courage. She seemed to have no
fear of anything OH earth Oliver knew
this; 50 did l. And neither Of lis cN-
pected ANYTHING moro than i hearty
laugh ut her expense or nj our own,
when the evening frolic ended
1t was Hallow Eye lSadorc and
her dearest friend, Miss Nancy Bruce
who lived then 1T the farm just below
this onel, had agreed 10 try fate. With
spells, ON that evening. They dared
each other 10 one thing and another,
and finally lsadore pledged herself 10
go into the lonely old north rooms with
Il candle, at at 8 o'clock that evening
and eat I'M apple before Grandmamma
Thornes great mirror that had been
stored away there for safe keeping for
fifty Years or more.
You see, girls, the idea was. that her
future hushandS'S face was To appear
to her, looking over her shoulders, in
that mirror, ~ She stood before it, eat
ing herapple.
We'll, Oliver overheard the girls
planning this that afternoon, and he
told me And, rs | said before,
helped him, here in this very room,
that evening, while he disguised him
self i'll a long white dress, and painted
his face all over Il dcathly white, with
Ian
met forming II black arch across his
forehead
at changed him terribly, and he
looked SO like corpse in that shroud-
like dress, that was half scared my
sefat him. But neither Of us thought
of lsadore's being frightened.
and SO we stole into the north room,
and contrived to get the mirror out of
its frame Oliver put his face into the
vacant space ! hung 4 drapery around
it, and charged him to keep perfectly
still, and then stole away to watch for
lsadorc in the hall
In few minutes She came down
the stairs with her candle and apple III
her hands She was smiling roguishly
to herself as She opened the door
of the north room and went in.
And what happened?' asked FL
frida eagerly as Miss Mildred paused.
where was your mother? How
could she let Isadore go into that dread
jul room2' breathcd Marian Hurst.
Father and mother were both stay
ing with sick ncighbor us watchers
that night" said Miss Mildred; "and
watched and waited, in the outer hall
till Nancy Bruce came, crying down
stairs, to tell some one what they had
planned to do, because she thought
something awful had happened to keep
lsadorc so long i'll the north room.
when Nancy saw me she caught
hold of me and dragged me with her to
the door of the north room. We went
in. The candle was burning on the
table. The apple had fallen to the floor.
Beside ii my brother Oliver was lying
sensclesss, ina fit. His face looked like
fire, in in the half darkness. The poor,
foolish boy had rubbed phosphorus all
over tito make it look still more ghast-
~ and ghostlil5c.
"And Isadore-wherc was Isadore?"
cried Marion Hurst, beginning to shycr
with nervous dread.
I'VE found her huddled down in Il
heap with her face turned to the wall
She knew no one. Oliver told us long
afterward, that she stood gazing at him
i'll silence 50 long that he advanced his
face toward her through the mirror,
meaning in play to offer her a kiss.
The light, the life, the intelligence,
all went out of her face at that mo-
ment,' he sad, she flew and crouched
down in the corner; and he believing
then that he had fatally injured her,
fell fainting to the floor
Poor fellow sighed Elfrida where
is he now, Miss MildredY'
In heaven, hope. lie was one Of
our first volunteers from this town. and
one of the first officers who was killed
in the last war. They told me he ex-
posed his life in leading his men into
action did not noun for him. girls
| knew hoW gL1d he was to go, Our
parents died heart-brokcn, one year
from that fatal lIallowee en-
But Isadore where is she?" asked
Elfrida. halffearfully
AT the state lunatic asylum At