The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-05-18
TERMs.J $1.OO per year, in advaI CO
Six Months so cents.

watched him closely whenever they saw
him about their places. On this
evening he had just come from a
nelghboring yard and was about to
cross the street, as he heard Gertie
speak, for she intended he should hear
it, although he could not see her, for
the vines, which covered the front of
the porch.
EYES," he said to himself, as he ran
across the street, "every one has to have
kick at me, except Bill"
That night Gertie Strong received a
beautiful diamond ring from her uncle
as a birthday present, which had been
delayed several days in coming. She
was so delighted, she could hardly wait
for morning to come, so she could wear
it to school, to show it among her
friends. The first thing on awakening
was to look at her ring, and she thought
she would never be able to thank her
uncle enough for it. She wore the ring
to school and was as happy as a queen
and felt as important as one, when the
admiring boys and girls crowded
around her to look at it. But when
Charlie Brimson tried to get a look at
it, she instinctively put it out of sight,
she had such an aversion for him. Be-
for leaving school she placed the ring
in small case, in which she received it
and put it in her pocket. AS Gertie
was going home, she pulled her hand
kerchief out of her pocket to use and
the ring case came out with it, un-
noticed by her, and fell in to the middle
of the road. A little while afterward
the village pariah, Charlie Brimson,
came along, kicking up the dust with
his bare feet and found the ring. He
put it in his pocket, thinking of what a
chance had fallen in his way, to get
even with Gertie Strong, for all the in
suits he had suffered from her. When
Gertie got home and discovered her
loss, she began to cry as if her heart
would break, and got her brother and
some neighbors to help her hunt the
road for it all the way back to the
schoolhouse, but of course could not
find it. All she could do that evening
was to cry and take on about that ring.
At the same time Gertie was so un-
happy, Charlie was debating what to
do with the ring. His injured feelings
said, hide it away, and his conscience
said, give it back to her. In the end
his conscience got the better of him
and he said to himself: eff 1 keep it, I
will be just as bad as they think 1 am;
so L will give it back to her." The next
morning as Gertie was going to school
with the tears in her eyes. she caught
up with Charlie, for he was purposely
walking slow to let her catch up
with him.
"Good morning." said Charlie, as she
was passing him; but she would not
speak to such boy as he. "Hold on,
Gertie, have found your ring" and he
held it out for her to take. Gertie
turned around in astonishment and
took it from him, as she did so he
started on a run for the schoolhouse.
She stood looking at it in amazement.
To think that Charlie Brimson, whom
she had always considered thief, and
had been so hard against, should come
and give the ring back to her. Then
the tears of shame began to roll down
her cheeks and a resolution came into
her mind, to ask his forgiveness. She
told the teacher, and the teacher told
her she was proud of her for it. When
all the boys and girls had been as
sembled together, the teacher called
Charlie up in front, and then Gertie got
up and asked his pardon for all the in.
suits she had given him; and told the
school why she did it. Charlie could
not keep back the tears of joy as he
forgave her, and all the rest of them.
From that day Charlie Brimson's char
acter was Thoroughly vindicated, and
every one thought well of him. When
Bill Strong heard of it, he said:
81 knew that boy was only bad be-
cause the people thought so, and wanted
somebody to look down upon"
M. j.