The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-26
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Commercial Advertiser.
l found Josephine standing in the mid
Gle Of the floor in the library, where the
wedding presents were laid out.
Counting your spoils?" L said, cheer
fully.
She cast a lack-lustre eye over the med
ley Of crystal, silver and porcelain. fat
lamps and tables and the like, and said,
as she shook hands with me, absentIy:
No, half of them haven't come yet.
There are still two weeks, you know.
You haven't sent me anything, have
you?"
mot yet. but I'm going to. Don't look
at me In that chilly way. | came to ask
your advice about IT. 1 had thought of
sending that picture did Of you once
in the garden-remember it?"
No; was it washy thing in slimpsy
white frock, with purple and green shad-
oWs? l thought you sold that ages ago.
Tried-couldn't, said gloomiIy.
WE'LL don't give 1t to me, then. If
nobody else wants it I'm sure 1 don't
But look what I've done"
She pointed to a 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 your
One of Jacks horrible old aunts. I
don't care anything about that. I can
get 1T set In again, you know. But it's 50
awfully unlucky to break mirror
rs 1t? Yes-of course
The mirror cracked from side to side:
Inc curse Is come upon me- cried
The Lady of Shalottr'
Josephine gave me a look out of her
narrow eyes. She was actually pale. I
had once painted her as the Lady Of
Shalott-her black hair floating to her
knees and the web of her own weaving
twisted about her. She walked away
from me and dropped into chair
But curses are out of date" 1 added
reassuringly. Don't be afraid of me-
What's on your mind? I used to bore
you with my woes. Turn about's fair
play"
Il don't care about boring you-no OBJ
Ject. You couldn't console me as easily
as did you. But wish 1 hadn't broken
that mirror
She was STEPPED in superstition, like
many women of no imagination and very
little heart. But the shadow aud the
frown went well with her Irish eyes and
mat raven Swing 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
G1sgusttngly healthy And there isn't
time for him to lose his money between
this and the 25th.'
Josephine's heavy lids dropped and fut-
tered.
said ''io
Send me away then. I'm used to 1t.
mat is, If you won't tell me your trou.
bles"
She rested those impenetrable eyes upon
mr.
lying on the black leather arms of the
chair
Phil. do you believe in palmistry?"
she asked
sat down near her and took one Of
her hands
Certainly, I believe in palmistry and
phrenology both Also in astroIogy and
any other device you might mention for
cheating the lords of life and death.
Want your fortune told? You have
very interesting hand, Josephine"
Really? What do you see in my
hand?"
A ehequered career. About your past.
however, l say nothing. l will not even
refer to your royalty heartless treatment
of an individual who shall be nameless--
but to pass on, Josephine, to the future.
You will be twice married. Your second
husband VIII be fair young man, a
pdIiilISi, lOO, Oul, n6dVen--
She jumped up suddenly and the arm
chair as she pushed it back hit tall,
thin table and knocked off a Royal Wor-
cester cream-jug, which. of course, broke
into several pieces. on the polished floor.
Josephine fed into the back drawing
room and began to make tea, apparently
in a passion. She put two slices Of lemon
and no sugar in mine, whereas always
take three Jumps and no lemon. And as
L remarked when pointing out to her the
mistage, she looked exactly like a pastel
had done Of her, LA Belle Dame Sans
Merci. . I 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, I didn't do much else, did l.
that first year 1 came back from Paris:
You were an angelic thirty-second cousin.