The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1922-01-06
THE PHOTOGRAPH

BY MoLLIE MATHER

why" she asked impulsively, do
you never have your picture taken,
Mollie? l have not seen one in the
house, and you would" Janey's eyes
were caressing, make such lovely
picture"
Miss Mollie Deming, spinster, smiled.
mo one would value my photo
graph, unless it might be you," she
replied. my relatives would doubt
less write polite notes of appreciation
when they received them, and rele-
gate them to some aforementioned cor
ner"
"You know better than that" Janey
jeered.
She jumped to her feet.
Anyway, want a picture and / am
going to have it. You look especially
lovely today, like some sweet shepherd
ess lady, with your soft crinkly white
hair, and your true-blue eyes. Poor
Terry will be glad of a job. He really
should have been an artist in the city.
Sentiment, holding him here, alone pre-
vented"
Mollie Deming laughed, when she
and the girl Jane were at home again.
"Terry posed me so many times and
was altogether painstaking, that his
efforts should be rewarded with sue
cess" she said.
"You looked" Janey unused, $50
pretty, and, sort of wistful, sitting
there-Mollie! Do you know, that is
the way your eyes always impress me,
by their usefulness? Tell me, please,
did you have an unhappy love affair?
1 wonder so much about you at times
I suppose, because love you. would
be your confidante, Mollie."
The older woman gazed tenderly,
thoughtfully, into the eager young
face appraised to hers.
people would tell you-your own
mother may have told you, Janey-that
1 was in careless, unthinking way,
| noted years ago for my conquests. 1t
was at the time considered clever to
f1aunt ones captivating power. And
| well, well, there were many young
men who came to my uncle's home,
L,
merry game of hearts with them
all, my own heart ever untouched in
the game. Some day, hoped to find
my true love, to marry and settle
down to a life of devotion. And when
he came, my own love, l knew him;
knew him instantly, by the thrill of
joy that filed my days. And he loved
me- That, 1 did not doubt. Why
doubt the sincerity of this man, when
others had been sincere? l think
| lived in a dream" Miss Mollie's eyes
were misty, across the years; still
| her voice trembled it's sorrow. II live
| on in that dream Of the past" she
ended, sadly.
Janey's hands went out to her. "He
| died then?' she observation-disclosures
lover?'
81 almost wish that l might tell you
So" Mollie hesitated.
"No," she added, "for the first time,
I will speak the truth. 1t was thought
that John Douglas, like others, had
been Tilted. But one knew, and after
John disappeared this friend of his
came and told me the truth. 1t was
I whom John Douglas had Tilted,
heartlessly, and with purpose. The
friend said that he had been instructed
to tell me that John deliberately
planned my punishment, as he had
| deliberately, and oh, so skillfully,
acted his part.
"He was charming in manner, you
see, and we'll known for his winning
| way with women. &c. coming to our
small town, and hearing of my merry,
never-may-care flirtations, John Doug
las confidently and successfully planned
| the retaliation of winning my own
heart, to cast it as carelessly away.
But this I could not guess, as he held
me close in his arms and babe me
gOodby, until tomorrow.
Tomorrow he promised gently, i
will come back to you. Tomorrow,
my dearest, watch for me-
$50, through all the tomorrow have
watched and waited; and have lived
how YEARLY no one may know-my
punishment"
When Janey framed her friends
photograph and placed 1t upon her
dresser, she was moved distressfully
later to hide that same photograph
away. For the sadness of Mollie's
pictured eyes had provoking trick
of bringing quick tears to her own.
"That mani" exclaimed Janey con-
temptously. "Fancy being true to the
memory of such creature"
Then one day, as Janey entered un-
announced Miss Mollie's sitting room,
she faced picture. And the two
central figures facing the picture con-
tinued, happily, oblivious of her pres
ence
at was fatel'' the distinguished ap-
pearing man was saying, and even in
her establishment Janey responded
sympathetically to the sincerity Of that
voice.
| "When I thought that l had utterly
lost you, Mollie-when the never-ceas-
| ing longing brought me back to this
| old town to view again, if only in
secret, your face. 1 came upon that
photograph in Terry's window. You,
Mollie, had only forgiveness In the
sweetness of your expression-had
only grieved appeal in your eyes. So
/ am here, dearest, for that punish
ment I would have inflicted upon you
| has long been my own"
| Janey closed the door noiselessly be-
hind her, and when she was again In
her own room, she hummed gay
little song as she searched out her
friends picture and replaced it upon
| Tho droScor