El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-02-09


les might have a little heartache that
day when one of their number was to
! gain the prize and keep 1T and cherlSh
! i; fondIy forever, as 1 know he did, for
| theirs was happy, happy life
And now my long wait is over, for
! here comes my lady back again. 1t
! must be late. She told her maid not TO
wait up for her tonight, and now she
! is coming closer to her old friend, and
! she looks at me in new, critical way
when she sees her reflection, and l Won
! der what she is thinking of; and her
/ ewes deepen with some thought; ana
! then the little blush comes and the dim
| Piles show, and she laughs joyous lit
/ tie laugh and says, "Oh,~Tm so happy.
| and I'm so glad I'm alivel and he's
| coming again tomorrow night and Will
ask papa before we go to the opera.
/ Just can't go to bed yet; l want to sit
up and think things over" Then she
| puts out the gas and goes across the
/ room to sit in big easy chair in front
4 of the fire; and the glow from the Goals
I throws a soft, rudy light over my dear,
! happy little mistress.
The next night she looked positively
radiant. Dressed for the opera, and with
! her fathers consent given-for he has
! come to her room to tell her about his
/ interview with her lover, and what was
! said, and how pleased he and her moth
3 are. IOT they ike n1Iu very
I she leaves the room with a look of min
gIed aIacrity and hesitation, and 1 am
| lonely again. Presently her maid enters
TO put away the scattered articles and
arrange the room for the night. But be-
fore she has finished the waitress comes
to the door to tell her her young man"
is down at the lower door and wants
to speak with her for a few minutes. So
down she goes at once, leaving several
alrrab Ia Jewels the dressing table
for my young lady was extra particular
tonight as to what she should wear, and
so looked through her precious posses
sionS several times before she reached
a decision. The few minutes stretched
themselves out into a much longer time,
when the door opens, and l look to see
my young mistress or else the maid walk
in But instead of the dainty prettiness
Of the one. or the pleasant comeliness of
the other l see a dark, dirty, llfea-
tured face which does not look at me
/ at all. but whose eyes shine when they
rest upon the jewels exposed to his sight.
"Ah, here's a snap" 1 hear him nut
ter, and, Quickly depositing the gems
in a black bag he carries, he walks
stealthiIy across the room to the bureau;
he opens the drawers nOiseleSsly, then
searches the drawers Of the chiffonier,
then ransacks the desk, crosses back to
where 1 hang over the dressing table
and looks into the strong box that holds
the other jewels which he had overlook
ed in the first general grab. How to
save my young Iady'S valuableS l do not
know. In a few minutes the rascal will
be gone, and I cannot scream. AT that
moment the fellow straightens up and
happens to knock his elbow against my
frame 1 CULVER minute my cord
breaks, and down I come with perfect
crash.
The larm is given. In a second there is
the widest confusion Ny young lady
and her sweetheart, who had returned
home just before 1 got my blow; ner
father and mother and several guests
who were staying in the house, the maid.
the butler and all the other servants,
come rushing Up stairs. The man, drop
ping his booty, makes for the window,
opens it, and in less time than 1 could
have imagined psossible faStens a rope
TO the window sill. lets himself down
and makes good his escape. But the jew
els and other Taluables are safe Sud
denly the father says TO his daughter:
We'll, this old cord that held I'D your
favorite did Us a good turn, didn't it?
For, even II the glass is broken. IL is
Of less consequence than the loss of these
other things would be-" But turning me
over they find that my heavy. protrud-
ing frame has saved me from an I'M
timely end. When 1 am stood up on
the floor against the wall | see for the
first time face whose picture has been
near me for several weeks 1t Is the kind
OF face [ like; and while l am watching
it the owner Of it says to my young
lady in q low tone so the others do nor
hear: Don't tremble so, darling: I |
know you've been frightened but every |
thing is ali right now" Then in louder (
voice he says, I've often heard DeoDIe
say il is unlucky for a mirror to fall. !
but disagree with them most emphatic |
ally"
Yes" says another voice, Il think |
this gives them what Shakspere wo1IId /
call the lie direct"
L wonder how the thief got in. any |
way" some one else remarks. and while I
they are all conjecturing and explain
ing, and talking eXcitedly, I hear nv
young lady say softly, I'm glad the dear |
old mirror isn't broken I've looked into
ii so often"--
"Of course" he Interrupts.
Not any oftener ghan you've looked
into yours, though. 1 guess" she an
7vers back merrily.
But just think what this one looked |
back at I've often envied # in nv
thoughts I don't now. though: onlv I
would like to hang it In our home some /
day soon, shall we. dear?''
They are all going away now. after
having seen L4idl eN CIElNlng Is fastened |
securely. though my young lady VOWS
she will not sleep here tonight She and
he are the last to go. and as thev mass
through the door and out into the han
lose sight Of them. But now tbev are
or the third stair down. and I catch
another glimpse of them. He has his
arm around her and as she turns TO-
ward him she sees me looking at them
II startles her, and she speaks of If. ana
then he says something which cannot
hear but which l know is. That's only
ourselves in the mirror Kiss me Quick
sweetheart. before any one looks back
upstairs" Anyway, she looks down first
cautiously. and then-ah, then,
And that the last 1 see of Them FOR
down they go, hand in hand each look-
ing a little conscious. but so hannv
This morning q man came and took
me away in a wa gon. 1 shall be como for
q short time. but I know I will be vol
cared for and shall see her and him
200. again for I am TO have a place Of
honor "some day soon in their home"
Copyright. 1909. by the New YORK
Evening Telegram New York Herald
All rights reserved.