The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-11-27
THE MIRROR.

Copyright. 1908. by American Press Asso-
oiation.l
Rena Yeotl was to be married to
Johan Tephold. Rena was pretty as
a picture and was the envy Of all the
girls of the village, and all the young
men envied Johan his possession vi
her.
the young pair were leading a process
sion to the little church an officer OF
the law stepped up to Rena and laid
! a fough hand on her shoulder She
| Tie, groom, the peasant attendants
stood aghast BW the officer, never
faltering IN his duty, led her away and
locked her up in a cell. st.F ~. a.
Instead of becoming a bride Rens
became a convict Her lover. con.
vinced Of her guilt, turned away from
her when the Judge pronounced The
sentence, and she went to her prison
home without word Of either sym.
pathy or reproach from him. Only her
poor mother befriended her, wept over
her encouraged her.
Rena in prison fell into a stupor. She
hardly knew when 1t was day and
when II was night. She hardly
thought After awhile she began to
realize her position She raved and
tried to dash out her brains against
the wall Of her cell But sudden
thought came over her-a thought with
which was allied a heaven born hope.
Her beauty would she destroy it,
What use would it ever. be to her ?
Then Il possible future reunion with
the lover who had come so near being
her husband occurred to her In ten
years she would be free -..
She knew that she was innocent. and
she knew the girl who had committed
the crime for which she was accused.
But what could she. prisoner, do to
prove the real criminal? For ten years
her hands would be tied Then per-
hhpsl she could begin to weave the
thread Of evidence. Aud If she sue
ceeded? Suppose Johan were still
without sweethearti All. then she
would need her beauty She would not
mar 1t by striking her head against the
wall.
From that moment her looks were
all to her. But there was no way OF
watching II 10 note II Il waued. One
article Of toilet was denied the women
prisoners. a mirror. often they would
plead with their iallers for the coveted
glass, but 1t was never granted them.
AS the years passed Reua more and
more lOnged TO see reelection OF her
features. She asked her fellow prls-
oners II her comelincss were growing
less The most kindly of them told her
that snc was every day more beauti-
ful. A few inhuman beings told her
she was growing homelys Which
should she believe? oh. for bit of
mirror, even the tiniest, to get one
glimpse of her facet
Rena was seventeen when she was
sentenced and had served nine years
without ever Laying had that glimpse.
Her hair had been cut when she en-
tered the prison and was. not long
enough for her to see IL. One. day
hair came out In her hand. II was
white. She pulled out another. II. too,
was white. They were all white. A
prison official came along the corridor
She stretched forth her hands aad
with streaming eyes lmplored him to
bring her for Just one mOment u mir.
ror. He shook his head and passed on
The tenth year had half passed and
Rena was looking forward to freedom
and a possible yindicatlou when one
day an official came To her and told
her that the girl who had committed
the crime was dead and before her
death she had confessed all TO n priest
AS soon as the formal legal papers
could be executed the innocent one
would be permitted 10 leave the prison,
Then came word from ,Iohan that he
had loved Rena always, though he had
believed her guilty He had. tried to
conquer his love. but II had grown
stronger each year lie would not be
free TO come TO her till the next day,
but he would come then. .ag-
Rena dreaded the meeting When
her lover would see that her beauty
had gone, that her hair was white, he
would surely turn away from her.
She did not ask for mirror now; she
dreaded to see what her face was like.
She would wait ana note by her lovers
expression when he saw her whether 1t
was pleasing or dlsngreeable. ....,
The hours ill he came were honrs of
torture. She had but little hope that
any OF her beauty remained and be-
lleyed that her face was as wrinkled
as her hair was white. But wait. She
would see what 1t was IN JOhan's eyes,
She sent word TO him to bring a mir
ror when he came.
Johan was there at last. A jaller
came to Rena's cell and said she was
wanted. He led her to n reception
room, where she stood alone. A door
opened, and man with grizzly hair
and habltual melancholy stamped on
his face entered He stopped, looked
at Rena eagerly as though confused
between two plctureS-pictures Of the
then and the now. Presently n pleas.
urable expression began to steal over
his features as a pleasing dawn rises
In the sky, and, starting forward, he
took her in his arms. ,... l.
"My-my"-sh she gasped-"is 1t all
gone. Johan? For the love of God tell
me and fell me trulVr'