Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-07-01
DAILY SHORT STORY
A TRIPLE PICTURE.

than waned. and as soon as she could
understand anything she knew OF her
remarkable beauty. 1t could only be
expected that hearing of IL from baby
hood and reminded OF II every time
she looked In the glass. she would be
come conscious OF II. She was good
girl. truthful, amiable and full of
kindness. Indeed there was but one
blemish resting upon an otherwise
estimable person-she became absorbed
In her own beauty.
When Bertha was twenty she met
Edmond Benedict, man ten years
older than herself. and of strong char
acter He soon discovered that when
ever she forgot her great charm she
showed herself a charming woman
At such times he loved her, but no
sooner would she lose herself in the
contemplation of her features than his
feelings for her were cooled. Bertha
on the contrary first admired him for
his sterling qualities and talents. then
he became necessary to her
This near approach to perfection.
married only by a single blemish in the
girl he loved, was tantaliZlng to the
iONeT- NblltI WHICH, he WAS Win hCA
she would show uninterruptedly the
most engaging traits. but If she hap
pened to pass n mirror she would be-
come In a mQment frivolous. At such
times he would turn away from her
coldly and leave her to herself. She
not understanding the cause of his
sudden cooling would go to her room
deeply hurt. Such Interruptions to
their happiness We're. to say the least,
wearing and at last Benedict made
up his mind that he must find some
device by which to show her that
beauty quickly fades, leaving nothing
tangible. or he must give her up.
Often when coming to call OH his
fiance Benedict had found her coritem-
plating her features in a hand mirror.
She did not seem abashed at being thus
caught. Indeed. at times she would
continue to take an occasional glunce
at herself while cOnversing. She had
grown To wOmanhOod as used to her
beauty as she was to breathing the
air. Why, then, should she suddenly
grow ashamed OF looking at it? so
unconscious of anything amisS was she
that had not the feasting on her beauty
changed her nature for the moment her
lover would not have objected to it. 1t
was this change that troubled him.
One summer evening after dinner
Bertha sat in Il nook on the piazza
screened by Il vine waiting for Bene-
dict. He did not come as soon as she
expected, and TO pass the time she took
up her hand mirror and began to look
OIL nr 60 = i'll, II;
worthy of contemplation. The curve
of cheek and chin, the eXquistely
carved lips, teeth white and regular,
eyes expressive and lustrous, lashes
long and brOws fine as silk-these were
the individual parts, though the chief
beauty was in a union of the whole
But the possessor of this physical love-
illness never saw far greater charm
charm that others SAVIOR whenever
she took up the glass her own honest
eXpresslOn-the real Bertha-instantly
changed for one of vanity.
Benedict studied how he could show
her her own self, but this he could not
do directly. He must first give her
realization of the mortality OF physical
beauty; then, having ceased to value
IL, she would see what he wished her TO
see.
Bertha sat looking at herself and,
though fully conscious rs to why she
was admired. wondered why she was
loved. The twilight was fading. and
still her lover did not come. Charmed,
as she had always been with the sight
she saw she gazed on till the darkness
had so far deepened that her face was
no longer visible. then she was about
to lower her glass when suddenly there
was fash or light. and she saw in the
mirror the face Of an old woman. The
teeth were mostly gone, the skin was
wrinkled, the hair a mingling Of white
and yellow. Through the skin there
was to Ice seen traces of the skull hol-
low eye sockets. SutureS uniting the
different bones OF the head. cavities IN
the Jaws from which teeth had been
lost. Blended with the features of the
old woman and the skull Bertha saw
the outlines of her own face. These
three in one were visible only for an
instant then all was dark as Erebus.
With n cry the girl fell back in q
swoon. When she came to herself she
was lying on n sofa in the house. and
bending over her anxiouSly was her
lover.
"Will 1t come again?" she cried in
voice Of terror
WHAT"
The face"
She told him of her vision. He lis
tened thoughtfully. and when she had
finished asked her - permit him to
bring the mirror that she might look to
see II what she had seen would come
back. but she declared she would never
see her face again.
Weeks after when Bertha had recov-
cred from her fright her lover one day.
catching one of her pleaSantest express
sions. suddenly seized the mirror and
held it before her face. Then for the
first time she saw her features free
from the blight that had rested so long
upon them. The effect was delightful