The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-20
FoRETHoUGHT.

die of the floor in the library. where the
wedding presents were laid out.
Counting your spoils?" l said, cheer
fully. $50
She cast lack Mstreseye over the med
| ley of crystal, silver. and porcelain, fat
lamps, thin tables, and the like, and said,
as she shook hands with me. absently:
| NO half of them haven't come yet.
| There are still two weeks. you know. You
haven't sent me anything. have you?'
Not yet. but I'm going to. Don't look
| at me in that chilly way. l came to ask
your advice about it'll had thought Of
sending that picture l did of you once-in
the gardan-remember- it?''
mo; was it washy thing in slimpsy
white frock, with purple and green shad-
ows? l thought you sold that ages ago."
'Tried-couldn't.' 1 said, glOomily.
We'll, don't give it to me. then. II
! nobody else wants it I'm sure don't. But
look what I've DONE
She pointed to sort of cabinet thing
! made Of brass work and mirrors. One of
| the little swinging mirrors was cracked
| across and across.
"Oh. that's very sad. such tasteful
| thing. Who gave it TO you?''
"One of Jacks horrible old aunts.
| don't care anything about that. 1 can get
| it set in again, you know. But it's SO
awfully unlucky to break mirror"
rs it? Yes-of course-"
! The mirror cracked from side to sid,;
The cursc is come upon me. cried
The Lady of Shaott.
Josephine gave me a look out of her
narrow eyes. She was actually pale.
had once painted her as the Lady of Sha-
| f-ts
and the web OF her own weaving twistsd
| about her. She walked away from me and
| dropped into a chair.
But curses are out of date" 1 aided.
reassuringly. Don't be afraid of me.
| What's ON your mind? l used to bore you
with my woes, Turn about's fair play
II don't care about boring you-no OBJ
| ject. You couldn't console me as easily
as l did you. But | wish / hadn't broken
| that mirror"
She was STEPPED in superstition. like
many women of no imagination and very
little heart. But the shadow and the
frown went well with her Irish eyes and
| that ravens wing chevelure. She looked
the picture Of the uneasy sorceress.
You don't think anything will happen
| to Ashenden, do you, my dear? He's too
disgustingly healthy. And there isn't time
for him to lose his money between this
| and the 18th
Josephine's heavy lids dropped and fiut-
| tered.
You are certainly disgusting" she said.
Send me away. then. I'm used to it.
That is. if you won't tell me your trOub-
| les"
| She rested those impenetrable eyes en-
me, and then looked down at her hands
| lying On the black leather arms of tie
chair.
Phil, do you believe in palmistry?" she
asked.
| l sat down near her and took one of her
hands.
Certainly. l believe in pamistry and
phrenolosy both. Also in astroogy and
any other devise you might mention for
cheating the lords of life and death. Want
your fortune told? You have very in
teresting hand, Josephine"
Really? What do you see in my hand ?"
"A checkered career. About your past.
however. | say nothing. | will not even
refer to your royalty heartless treatment
of an individual who shall be nameiess-
hut to pass on, Josephine, to the future.
You will be twice married. Your second
husband will be a fair young man.
painter. poor. but. thank heaven"
She jumped up suddenly and the arm
chair as she pushed it back hit tall. thin
cream jug, which, of course. broke into
several pieces on the polished floor Jose
phne fed into the back drawing room and
began to make tea, apparently in passion.
She put two slices of lemon and no sugar
in mine. whereas 4 always take three
Jumps and 10 lemon. And as | remarked
when pointing out TO her the mistake. she
looked exactly like pastel | had done of
her. La Belle Dame Sans Merci." l was
fond Of illustrating poetry in those days,
and Josephine somehow fitted into almost
everything.
"One would think you had done nothing
but paint me" she said as she rectifed
the matter of the lemon and sugar.
well, didn't do much else, did THAT
first year I came back from Paris" You
were an angelic thirty-second cousin. And.
you remember, hadn't money enough to
hire models 20
81 know-poor Phil. what a blue devled
little chap you Were. And yet, |
wanted" She smiled at this.
And yet wanted-.the morbid maiden.
with white fire laden. whom mortals call
the moon'--remember that one? Absurd
for a man without money to want the
moon! | know somebody offered me $50
for that little pcture-the maiden with
white fire laden-you-and l wouldn't sell
it. needed the money. too
81 remember scolding you about 1t. Poor
Phil. you never could be practical and L
liked you for it. But yet If you had
been, or if
Now, JOsephine!"
She. was really too bad put down the