The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1904-02-19
AN OLD MAID.
by vieao Tespfsr.

We had been old that there was M
enc in ALI Rome who could remember a
she, but It was only after . long search
that we finally found her little house IN
a miserable. narrow street, and We had
to climb = ricksty old stairway before
we reached the door with her card
written in o~ld-fashioned lettess.
We had expected to md an ordinary
working woman. but no n could
doubt for q second that the old woman
in her shabby dress was q lady born
md bred.
In her little room not . grain Of dust
could be seen. and through the door
you could look n . little kitchen With
copper cooking vessels shining IKE
gold. While my friend told her about
the work she wantNd done. and the OLE
maid wa listening with . sad smile On
her pale lips, I ran my eye around the
room until they finally rested on q vase
filled with the most beautiful Nolets,
an unusual luxury in December. Over
the AN. on the wall. hang an old
daguerreotype portrait In . simple but
arttsttc frame.
But where did you get tAose beauti-
full vtolets!" I could not help asking.
They came from q florist in Genoa,
who sends them to me twice . week all
the year round" she answered, with .
certain expression OF pride.
Seeing my expression Of surprise, she
continued: Yes. they do cost quite a
little. but I have always been able to
earn enough to buy them even II I nave
to e~conoRtixe on other things.
I went over to h table and looked
at the old, faded portralt@a handsome
young oficer n = foreign uniform.
The old maid followed me and took 1t
down from the wall, and q tear stole
down her wrinkled cheek.
1T is an Austrian uniform h said,
many years ago."
And though we did noA question her
she told us quietly. without a trace Of
bitterness the sac story OF her youth.
How she had been born in a little pro-
vincial town. where she grew up to
~maidenhood with her brothers and her
strict father. without great passions
and without anything to break the
hum-drum OF her daily life.
But the yea 1848 came, with its polit-
ical storms, and changed everything.
She had grown into a beautiful maiden
and she had fallen in love, alas! with
an officer who wore the hated Austrian
uniform.
We loved one another" she said,
with an expression which showed that
her love today was as strong as ever.
SAS WIZ = NhS we AASS.
Il am sure" she said, that you know
how real love is stronger than any
other feeling, stronger than the love for
your country and stronger wen than
your pride. but my father was q pa
triot, who would sooner have killed me
than see me marry an officer in the
enemy's army"
my friend exclaimed; Tho had no
right"
She smiled sadly and shook her gray
old head
MY dear girl. in those days girls
never thought of their right. a fathers
will was all powerful: you could only
obey"
But you could have waited until you
became Of age"
That would have caused my father
great sorrow; it might have killed him.
I could do nothing but give in"
And he?" 4
Her thin, bony hand moved a little;
she could not speak. but her face told
all.
He fell at solferino.- she whispered
after q pause. He died the death Of
q hero with my name on his lips. His
mother afterward sent me his picture
to fulfl his last wish"
III stood before us. grand in her deep
sorrow, a heroine herself, who had
found strength to fight the battle of life
alone. faithful to her first, her great,
her only love. rich In h midst Of her
poverty.
The neighbors. practical women.
smile dertsively every time the letter
carrier brings the little pastboard box
filled with the fragrant vio1ets. her trib-
ute to her dead love. but she does not
see their plying smiles: she lives only
In the dream of her youth. happier in
dreams than they have ever been in
real life. with q happiness which is not
of this world and which no one can de.
Drive her of.