Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1921-03-04
What the
Mirror Told
By ANNA WINNIE

tNopSTbnl-J
The girl slipped out Of the brightly
lighted cabin to the deck. and chose
a sent in dim and deserted spot,
close to the rail.
Once. indeed. she did say softly:
oh. Lord! Pm that glad-honest !"
The two. who paced the deck leis-
urely at some little distance, ap-
preached her at length, coming so d.
rectly and with such evident intent
that she looked up.
Then she rose ut once and stood be-
side her chair. for one was the cloakcd
and yelled black figure Of q nun, with
beads and snowy bands and deftly-
plated winple.
Sister and have been talking
! about you" said her young companion.
She was hlack-clad, too, slender, pale,
and grave.
shes going to be one, too" flashed
through the mind nf the girl, poor
thing!"
and sister Is SO glad and happy fer
Eou-nnd So am THAT your father
did such wonderful thing We
heard: all the passengers know. How
! proud you must be Of himf'
Something IN the sad young voice
| pierced the reserve Of the girls pent-
up emotion, and though she struggled
for seif-cOntrol as she met the eyes Of
| the speaker. the rise and fall Of her
breast quickened and she pressed her
hands over her quivering face as she
| burst into tears.
"Ain't ], thought" she sobhed "that
! proud. R-bub-but---" Her voice
failed.
/ The young woman looked doubtful
for an instant. glancing at the nun !;
then stepped nearer 10 the girl and
pushed toward her the chair she had
occupied.
'There," she said gently, "you are
oyerwrought-cry 1t out; It's the best
way"
"Tain't that" protested the girl !:
tits how I always felt till now. SUP
pose he'd been killed and ME never
! different-oh-h
ITS tough for girl to feel at O.
parent like I always felt at pop---but
his getting in jail for seven years
| when I was kid done 1t.
1T seemed like treating mon, kiud
Of thin with three Of us already and
the twins, when he wasn't gone six
months. And it's cinch what a
mans up against when he gets out.
1T don't take no clairvoyant to see
trouble ahead for him. good and pien-
TO pNr,bn
now, ana say, honest-well. there's q
lot Of hot air blowed about the broth
erhood OF MALL hear 1t al the union.
but take It from me-rot. That's
what.
"They amt nobody playing that
game with tallbirds--they're poor re-
lations."
Bitter lines in the little old-young
face decpened and her mouth shut
grimly. but she did not pause long.
Indeed, she talked with IN eager
brcathlesSncss which showed n heart
full to bursting.
The s0mber habit Of one listener
took all strnngeness from the fact that
she talked to strangers. She needed
w lhih~io" Silc nfetpu TO lNlk.
"All pop needed was a chance--I
know now; learnt that yesterday and
today. But it took this steamboat
company Job. and busted boiler, and
next door to his dying for me to find
IT out"
She fell to sobbing again softly, and
nothing was said until the voice OF
the young woman asked: did you
tell him7"
She shook her head, sobbing hard
er. Tell him--nothing," she Jerked
forth, when I seen him laying In that
hospital bed, With bandages all over
him, most up to his eyes, and them
kind Of holiow.lookine, like he'd seen
whole lot Of ghosts; It all come over
me and Jumped right down, hanging
onto his hand-one amt burned, only
the arm down to the eibow---end only
saying. Pop--oh. pop. my poor old
pop" b.. .... 80. ...
- The young womans dark eyes grew
darker; the nuns head, with moving
lips. bent above the beads "And what
did lie sayT' asked the soft voice in
the silence.
''Bime-by he says, choky, Ts your
ma oil rtghtT,
"rhen l remembered to tell him
how her rheumatism kept her home,