Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1901-10-10
III TaGaE.~ v..s'.' ;.
ELIZABETH
N1dnriage, , ~.


and then, having bade me sit down. she
drew the cord of another silken curtain
that hung against the wall of the room
just in front OF me, and when it was
drawn aside / saw a large. oval mirror.
not of glass. but apparently OF polished
steel.
Keep your gaze fixed upon the mir
ror. mademoiseIle,' she said to me.
You may do as you please, mademoi-
selle,' addressing Lefty. for the mirror
will show you nothing. whether you
look or no.
And then. putting her hand TO her
breast. she drew from the folds of her
dress a pastille, which she lighted, hold
ing 1t in her hand all the time until IT
had quite burned away.
But Lefty gave her head a saucy
toss and answered.
Never mind me, ma'am; i know my
fortune in the way of a lover
81 started and looked at Lefty in sur
prise, but Madam Durand only smiled
gravely, and said:
81 wish you joy of him. child. I hope
he is worthy OF a good young girls
love-
Her manner was 20 kind and gentle,
almost affectionate, and she seemed to
take a real interest mus. though I'm
sure she could never have seen either of
us before in all her life.
ct is for you TO look into the mirror,
them she continued, turning TO me.
And at the SAM time she rose and
came toward us, her stately walk and
tall figure making her seem more i'm
posing than ever.
1T filled the air with a thin, vaporous
smoke of a %pungently aromatic odor,
but the extraordinary thing about 1t
was that the smoke gradually collected
like a cloud, over the mirror, and as !
kept my gaze fixed on it-and I was
now trembling with excitement-I saw
a face some slowly into view on the pol
ished mirror, while the smoke from
which 1T seemed to be evolved rolled
away, leaving the air quite clear, but
heavily perfumed with the aromatic
odor 1t had created.
81 saw the face, mamma, as plainly
as / yer saw my own fac reflected In
the looking glass. and the moment / be-
held Shirley Austin / saw that face
again.
And / love him-oh, mamma, don't
laugh at me, don't despise me, for I do
love him so dearly! / loved him from
the moment when his face came out,
slowly but clearly, on the mirror. And
when I again saw his face, I knew him
for the man who held my destiny for
good or evil, and j shall love him while
/ live, whether he loves me or hates me.
Nothing can change met is fate-the
magician said so--and II is true"
Nrc Martin lIttarad a oroan 90 10
spair. Far from laughing at Bertha or
soothing. her heart sank with dismay
when she realized the passionate fervor
of her daughters words.
AS she had a thousand times told her
self. such a owe had wrecked her own
life: and yet, what was the most cher
ished recollection. among all the bitter
disappointments OF existence, that still
bloomed and glowed In her worldly ma
ture?
Kate Martin would have despised her.
self, but she could not have denied to
her own heart hat the brightest and
happiest memory of all her days was
the time when her lover had courted
her. and declared that nothing else or
earth was half so fair and sweet to him
as her blushing face and the sound of
her happy, ripping laughter.
He had been a model husband-he had
often wrung her heart in many ways
but he had never looked with love on
any face but hers; he had never kissed
any lips but hers: and his memory and
the days of her young love were dear
and precious TO her yet.
All this passed like a fash through
her mind; but she felt that she must
rouse herself and try to combat the ia
tai love which had taken possession of
Bertha.
At that moment the front door was
opened, and the heavy sound of it's
closing was distinctly heard where they
sat
Mrs, Martin started to her feet. She
felt, instinctively, who It was that had
entered.
1T is he, mamma-it is Shirley! /
know his stepi" whispered Bertha.
She slid noiselessly from her bed, and
followed her mother, who had moved
toward the door.
Mamma, mamma" she whispered, in
a low, intense voice, you will help me
He must love me-oh, he must, or I
shall die! Help me to win him. I love
him. If you will only help me-"
"Oh, hush, Bertha, my darlingi" cried
the wretched mother; and, clasping her
daughter in her arms, she kissed the
girl ~passionately. Now. be patient,
dear, / must see his face as he goes by.
Hark, he is almost at the door!"