Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1908-12-10
THE MIRROR.

,.h.n TephDld hena was pretty as
-,.,ure and was the envy Of ell the
~ the village, and all the young
- envied Johan his possession Of
D.. On the day Of the wedding as
vonng pair were leading a process
70 the little church an officer Of
- law stepped up to Rena and laid
,onpb hand on her shoulder. She,
~ groom, the peasant attendants,
-,ood aghast But the officer. never
altering in his duty, led her away and
.0eked her up in a cell
Instead of becoming a bride Rena
osme a convict. Her lover. con-
1900 of her guilt. turned away from
~ when the judge pronounced the
.antence, and she went TO her prison
b0me without a word of either SYM
Osthy or reproach from him. Only her
ooor mother befriended her. wept over
~ encouraged her.
pena in prison fell into a stupor. She
hsrdly knew when 1t was day and
wben it was night. She hardly
thought. After awhile she began to
r.slIze her position. She raved and
,y,ed TO dash out her brains against
NJ wall of her cell But a sudden
Thought came over her-a thought with
which was allied a heaven born hope.
Her beauty-would she destroy it?
what use would 1t ever be to her?
Then a possible future reunion with
ne lover who had come so near being
mr. husband occurred to her. In ten
wears she would be free.
She knew that she was innocent, and
sbe knew the girl who had committed
the crime for which she was accused.
But what could she. prisoner. do to
proye the real criminal? For ten years
her hands would be tied. Then per-
haps she could begin to weave the
thread of evidence. And If she sue
ceeded? Suppose Johan were still
without a sweetheart? All. then she
would need her beauty. She would not
mar it by striking her head against the
wall.
From that moment her looks were
an to her But there was no way Of
watching 1t to note IL it waned. One
article of toilet was denied the women
prisoners, a mirror. Often they would
plead with their jailers for the coveted
glass, but it was never granted them.
AS the years passed Rena more and
more longed to see a reflection Of her
features. She asked her fellow pris-
Oners If her comeliness were growing
less. The most kindly of them told her
that she was every day more beauti-
full A few inhuman beings told her
she was growing homely. Which
should she believe? Oh, for a bit Of
mirror, even the tiniest. to get one
glimpse of her face!
Rena was seventeen when she was
sentenced and had served nine years
without ever having had that glimpse.
Her hair had been cut when she en-
tered the prison and was not long
enough for her to see it. One day a
hair came out in her hand 1t was
white. She pulled out another. 1t. too.
was white. They were all white. A
prison official came along the corridor.
She stretched forth her hands and
with streaming eyes implored him to
bring her for just one moment a mir
TOR. He shook his head and passed on
The tenth year had half passed and
Rena was looking forward to freedom
and a possible vindication 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 a priest
As soon as the formal legal papers
could be executed the innocent one
would be permitted to leave the prison
Then came word from Johan that he
mad loved Rena always, though he had
believed her guilty. He had tried to
conquer his love. but it had grown
stronger each year He would not be
nee to come to her till the next day
but he would come then.
Rena dreaded the meeting. When
her lover would see that her beauty
nae gone. that her hair was white, be
would surely turn away from her
Sne did not ask for a mirror now; sht
dreaded 10 see what her face was like
She would wait aud note by her lovers
expression when he saw her whether Il
was pleasing or disagreeable.
1he hours till he came were hours Of
torture She had but little hope tina
any OF her beauty remained and be
heYed that her face was as wrinklet
4s her hair was white. But wait. Sh,
would see what it was in Johan's eyes
one sent word to him to bring a mir
TOR when he came.
1ohan was there at last. A jailel
tame 10 Rena's cell and said she wal
wanted. He led her to a reception
iOOn, where she stood alone. A doc
Opehed. and a man with grizzly hal
and habitual melancholy stamped OF
S lace entered. He stopped, lookes
= Rena eagerly as though confuses
e'Ween two pictures-pictures Of tn
uea and the now. Presently a pleas
,aole expression began to steal owe
S features as a pleasing dawn rise
q the sky. and. starting forward, b
Voo6 her in his arms