The Prescott daily news., 1908-11-24
THE MIRROR.

Copyright. 1908. by American Press Asso-
 ciation.]
 Rena Yeoti was to be married to Johan Tephold. Rena was pretty as picture and was the envy of all the girls of the village, and all the young men envied Johan his possession Of her. nt
 But on the day of the wedding as the young pair were leading proces. sion to the little church an officer of the law stepped up to Rena and laid rough hand on her shoulder She, the groom, the peasant attendants, stood aghast. But the officer, never faltering in his duty, led her away and locked her up in a cell.
 Instead of becoming bride Rera became 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 a 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 stupor. She hardly knew when it was day and when it 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 1t? What use would it ever be to her | Then 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 haps she could begin to weave the thread of evidence. And if she sue ceeded? Suppose Johan were Still [ without a sweetheart? An, then she would need her beauty. She would not mar it by striking her head against the wall
 From that moment her looks were l all to her. But there was no way of watching it to note if 1t waned. One article of toilet was denied the women prisoners 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 reflection of heI | features. She asked her fellow priS oners if her comeliness were growing less. The most kindly of them told heI that sine was every day more beauti full A few inhuman beings told hel she was growing homely. Whicl should she believe? Oh, for a bit ot mirror, even the tiniest, to get ont glimpse of her face!
 Rena was seventeen when she wa: 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 lon. enough for her to see it. One day hair came out in her hand. It wa white She pulled out another It, too was white. They were all white. / prison official came along the corridor She stretched forth her hands an, with streaming eyes implored him t bring her for just one moment q mir TOT. He shook his head and passed on
 The tenth year had half passed an, i. Rena was looking forward to freedom and possible vindication when on day an official came to her and tol, her that the girl who had committe, the crime was deod and before he