The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1910-03-25
Broken Mirrors
By CHARLES GALBERE
Copyright, by Short Stories Co.. Ltd.)

Copyright, by sh
The little mirror slipped from Ma
rfe's fingers and lay shattered or the
floor.
Marie is very superstitious. She has
horror of crossed knives, spilled salt
and especially of broken mirrors. Sc
to console her and also as a measure
OF self-protection for the dear CIR
can be the least bit disagreeable wher
things go wrong) I told her the fol
lowing true story:
In the little town in which l was
born there lived a joiner named Nal
Veu1l, who had learned his trade II
Paris and was renowned far and wide
for the remarkable excellence of his
workmanship. But though his skill
was admired, and though he never
gave the slightest cause for offense
he was not we'll liked. Perhaps i
was because he was so MORALLY home
ly, and also because he seemed tt
prefer his own society to that of 9th
ers;
If Malveuil, like the other young men
mad frequented the tavern and strut
ted about in his best clothes on Sun
day afternoons nobody would have
paid any particular attention to him
But he Stunned his fellows, spoke lit
tie, and laughed not at all. Every
day, from morning to night, his tall
gaunt figure and ugly, red-bearded
face could be seen bent over his work
bench. Long, solitary evening walks
were his only diversion.
Great surprise was therefore occa
stoned by his appearance, one sum
mer evening, at the weekly open-ail
dance; but as he stationed himself by
the side of the musicians and re
NAMED motionless through the en-
tire evening, his presence was soo1
forgotten. For several weeks in sue
cession he repeated this performance
the meaning of which became appar
ent when it was observed that his
eyes never left MARITIME, the prettiest
girl and the most notorious flirt in the
village
MARITIME laughed scornfully whe1
she was told of this discovery. The
young men leased her: Don't yor
feel proud? Still another admirer!
See him casting sleeps eyes, the wild
man"
She made pirouette and replied
Il
one more or less when l have sc
many?"
But such q one!"
"All the better!"
She neither frowned nor smiled OF
the joiner, but as she was resting aft
er quadrille she saw him suddenly
leave his post and march straight
toward her.
What imPelled her to accept his in
vitation? Perhaps she felt flattereG
because she had been the first tt
charm and tame the wild man. Al
all events, she astonished everybody
by whisking through the next waltz
with him.
On the following day, however, the
mere mention of the name of bel
strange admirer was sufficient to pro
woke her to mirth, and two days after
ward she had ceased to think about
him, engrossed as she was with rib
bons, laces and other adornments Of
her precious person.
So she was very much surprised one
afternoon, when her uncle was busy
repairing saddle and she was sit
ting in the back room, to see the join
er enter the shop, cap in hand, ant
accost the old gentleman. She lis
tened. of course, but failed to catcl
any but the last words of the con
/ versation.
We'll, after all, good looks are not
everything" her uncle said. Il have
nothing against you. If the little on
is agreeable, l shan't stop her mar
rying you"
And when shall l come for her an
swer?"
Come tonight and ask her your
self"
Malveuil came, but wasted a lon,
time in desultory remarks inter
spersed with periods of embarrassed
silence He felt almost certain of ,
refusal, but at last he plucked up cour
age and said abruptly: Il have CONF
to ask you to be my wife,"
MARITIME did not derive quite a.
much pleasure from this proposal a.
she had anticipated, for the humble
though eager entreaty in her suitor
eyes checked the cruel, premeditatet
; reply that rose to her lips. Only TO
the instant, however. Then she re
turned to the plan of action upol
which she had decided after consult
ing with her girl friends.
people who marry" she said, mus
have furniture, and no one can max,
that so we'll as you. First make tn,
furniture, and then-well, we will see
do not promise anything, mind"
Malveuil was forced to content him
self with this ambiguous answer. Mex
morning he selected his finest wood
and went to work. He shut himsel
up in his shop and for weeks neve