The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-14

wouyd have sought a physician. She struggled through it like some self-hat- ing fagellant of the Middle Ages
 The end was inevitable. It came on a night of storm, when the northwest wind thundered strong and horizontal, driving rain like shot across the earth. Tingling in all her nerves with the thrill of the gale, she went out longing for wings to fly with it. She noted not how far or whither she walked. Suddenly she seemed to pitch headling down an abyss and knew no more.
 When her life-machine resumed it's reg ular workings she saw objects around her that she knew must be unreal She was in a room that she never had seen before but in that room were pictures and mir TOTS, and even furniture, that she knew at once. They were all objects that had been familiar to her childhood in the ! house of her godmother.
 She hardly had opened her eyes before l that godmother herself stood by her side very little changed, tall, well attired, with her comedy face, which goodness and character made beautiful. Mrs. Breton discovered at once what her son had not perceived, and Lucy Snowe had to confess her identity at last
 Once she had yielded, she was aston l ished what delight it gave her to find that she still had friends-for friends they were, and they took her to their hearts as they had taken her long ago. They in- sisted on keeping her long after the holi- days had ended, and Mme Beck made no objection when she learned that pr. | Johns mother was the mistress of La | Terrasse, the finest chateau in the neigh borhood. Such friends add distinction to a pensionat, and the stout little general was quick to perceive it.
 | Mrs. Breton imperiously ordered cos- tunes in bright colors for her. Lucy fought against it, fearing to emerge from | the dun-colored shell that had enyeloped her body, in harmony with the dun gar- ments which she had forced on her soul. l With trepidation and a shrinking heart she accompanied her friends to a great concert, the first she had attended. As | they entered the doors she caught a glimpse of a strange lady in pink advanc- l ing toward her. In another moment she knew that it was her own reflection in A. ] great mirror. But for one instant at least, she had seen herself as others saw her. The sight, thought she, was not un- duly fattering, yet 1t might have been Y worse
 A party consisting of Miss Fanshawe, De Hamal and others occupied a box near them. Miss Snowe's shrewd eye soon per- ceived that Miss Ginevra was saying something about them and she judged from their smiles that it was something sprightly and, consequently, uncompl- mentary.
 She perceived, too, that Dr. Johns in- fatuation blinded him to what was so patent to her. But suddenly during a pause in the music, even he heard few
 words that fell from the beautiful lips.
 And from that instant he was cured : Tor Miss Fanshawe had made a sarcastic allusion to his mother.
 To Lucy Snowes surprise he took it
 very calmly. It required some days for
 her to realize that the love which had
 grieved her so had not been deep after
 all and that the handsome fellow had dis
 missed It almost lightly.
 When she finally departed to return to