River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1896-01-23

pOOA
And so the village curiosity was sat
isfied to some extent, although many
of the good folk still wondered whether
Mahala wasn't crazy after all; aud they
still looked at her curiously from be-
hind blinds and curtains whenever she
appeared IN the drenching showers.
IL was noticed, however, that she did
not now, as of yore, go out every time
there was a storm; moreover, that she
always wore her bonnet; and, instead
OF gazing upward, walked along as
other people did. But n new and pc
culiar phase soon developed itself which
more than counterbalanced this n turn
to the ordinary and accepted.
Several, driving along the country
road, had seen her with her sun bonnet
thrown back, violently shaking the
trees and bushes, looking mp the while
fxedly as she went from clump to
cIump. apparently lireless. People be-
gan to warn their children to keep away
from her. and said TO each other that
something must be done.
One day, the word went round that
Mahala was sick. The minister had gone
there to call, and had found her hardly
aole to crawl to the door. The people
fiocked in. They sent for her half sis
ter, Rose, who was a trained nurse in
New Haven, and to an adjoining town
for a doctor. He shook his head grave
ly, and said that exposure in her weak
ened condition had done the work, and
that it was a chanc. if she ever got any
better
AS she Law on the bed, pale and weak,
she called again and again for the look
ing glass. When il was given her, she
only groancd and turned her face to the
wall.
Another phase of the insanity, the
doctor says" people repeated to one an
other; but one who was there went
home, and, going to the garnet, hunted
up an old mirror that had belonged to
her grandfather. lie had been n sailor
and had brought il home from some for
eign port. 1t had the property of MAX
ing almost anyone look fair and well
favored, If not positively handsome. At
first, the family had exhibited it to
everyone who came in, but, in the
course of years, it had been laid away
and almost forgotten. Now it was
brought forth and laid by Mahala's bed.
II was the next afternoon that Rose
came.
80, sister, sisterI" cried Mahala,
throwing her arms about her. Il want
to tell you everything. ! haven't had
no one could tell-no onei"
10 -,I~
her things and seated herself on the
bed by her side, Mahala told her how
Reuben Davis had said to her, when he
went away ten years before: wait
for me, Mahala, I'll be back one of these
DAYS, and we'll get married.. Where
else could L find such good girl-and
such n compIexion!" he had added,
laughingly.
She had been SO happy, she muir
INJURED, flushing, and had cared then for
her looks because he had. But as the
years went on, and especially after her
mothers long illness and death, she
was getting old and wrinkled and yell
low. 1t WIS then she had read a recipe
for changing all this.
IF YOU went out in the rains, IL said,
il would take away the wrinkles and
bring back rosy cheeks." she cried
piteously. "And then when folks got
| to talkin' about me not wearin' my bun
net, and lookin' up TO the sky all the
time-mOre rain beats down on your
face that way'-she added simply
Il used to go way out in the country
SOS / could take il off and nobody
wouldn't know. And then when il
didn't rain hard" she went on after a
pause, Il shook the branches. 1t was
J just like rain. But it want no use-it
| want no use," she moaned. And now
Reuben's comm back in little while
his aunt told me SO, and I'm so old and
ugly he won't want me-" She buried her
face in the pillow.
Presently she reached out thin hand
TO the little table that always stood 10y
her bed. She picked up the mirror,
not noticing it was a strange one, ard
gazed IN it. She started up excitedly.
ITS true: it's true!" che cried, her
poor wan features lighting up. II was
afraid it wouldn't be-ever. But il
said il would take time. Oh. Rose. I'm
Il 81 IL ltO pOSt. size
whispered. TREMENDOUSLY, hell 'thinl,
I'm much changed2"
The next day an unusual ripple of
excitement reTvaded the little village.
Mahala was dead, and it was reported
| that her las. words were about Reuben
Davis. Mrs. Brown had heard what she
said, ard the minister's wife, 100.
They had run over that morning TO see
how she was getting alcng. 1t was
just as Rose was supporting her in the
death struggle. Tell him." she had
murmured. painfully. in great gasps,
tell him that / never forgot him
never! And that-I-always-- believed
-he-would-come -hsck-to-me.''
All this the town knew, with perhaps
some necessary additions and enlarge
ments-for il had passed through scv-
eral hands before making the rounds
but what il didn't know was how faith
fully the two neigEbors had pledged
10 each other inviolable secrecy con-
corning it. Ii didn't know how they
mad tiptoed out of the kitchen-t bed
room was Just adjoining and Rose
hadn't seen them-their hearts flied
with a dim sense of the pathos and sa-
credncss of il all, and had declared TO
each other that they would never tell
anyone-nerer. No one should ever
know the truth but themselves. They
would wait outside few minutes, aud
then go in as though they had Just
come.
OF all this, the town knew nothing.
nor of the struggle there had been be-
tween the sense OF what was right, on
the one side-and the habits of life
slime on the other-joned, il may he,
to the inherited proeiivities of genera
lions.
a week later, Reuben Davis and bis
young bride stood above Mahala's
grave. The painted board with her
name and age:
4 .-----.------.-.-----..-+-- -.-ss-s-.--.
Mahala Goodenow.
| Act % Years. Months. Days.
1 ...--.--.---..-~...-.--....
the few withered flowers, the unbroken
! clods, the one little tree set out by some