The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-04-26
7, !, !. !, F0pefb0QgMss. 5, !. :

Commercial Advertiser.
1 found Josephine standing in the mid
ole of the floor in the library where the
wedding presents were laid out.
Counting your spoils?" L said, cheer
fully.
She cast 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, absently:
mo, half of them haven't come yet.
There are still two weeks, you know.
You haven't sent me anything, have
your
mot yet, but I'm going to. Don't look
at me in that chilly way. I came to ask
Your advice about 1t. 1 had thought Of
sending that picture did of you once
in the garden-remember it?"
NO; was 1t washy thing in a slimpsy
white frock with purple and green shad-
ows? / thought you sold that ages ago"
'"Fried-couldn't. 1 said, gloomily.
We'll, don't give 1t to me, then If
nobody else wants 1t I'm sure I 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
''One of Jacks horrible old aunts 1
don't care anything about that I can
get 1t 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 side;
Inc curse IS come upon me, cried
The Lady of Shalott! "
Josephine gave me look out of her
narrow eyes. She was actually pale
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 a 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But curses are out of date" 1 added.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"
II don't care about boring you-no OBJ
ject. You couldn't console me as easily
as did you. But 1 wish I 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 we'll with her Irish eyes and
that 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
disgustingly healthy. And there isn't
| this and the 25th.'
Josephine's heavy lids dropped and fut-
! tered.
You are certainly disgusting" she
said
Send me away then. I'm used to 1t.
Ihat is. II you won't tell me your trou-
| bles.'
She rested those impenetrable ewes upon
| me, and then looked down at her hands
| lying on the black leather arms of the
| chair
phil, do you believe in palmistry?"
| she asked
| 1 sat down near her and took one of
! her hands
Certainly, I believe in palmistry and
| phrenotogy both. Also in astrology and
| any other device you might mention for
cheating the lords of life and death.
| Want your fortune told? You have a
very interesting hand, Josephine"
| Really? What do you see In my
| hand?"
| "a chequered career. About your past,
| however, L say nothing. 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 will be fair young man, a
| painter, too, but, thank heaven"
| She jumped up suddenly and the arm
| chair as she pushed it back hit a tall,
thin table and knocked off Royal Wor-
| cester cream-jug, which, of course, broke
into several pieces on the polished floor
| Josephine fled 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 1 always
| take three Jumps and 10 lemon. And as
l remarked when pointing out to her the
! mistage, she looked exactly like a pastel
! l had done Of her, la Belle Dame Sans
Merci.' 1 was fond of illustrating poetry
in those days, and Josephine somehow
| fitted into almost everything.
Zone 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 I came back from Paris?
You were an angelic thirty-second cousin