Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-02-18
THE MIRROR
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By AMY CAMPBELL
OVOU are too proudly lovely
1 Tawny Lily That thl:
Mcclure syndicate-wNu Features.

Words winged about him when In
haste but at this moment he longed
to choose and SAVIOR them.
It was not plausible even to him.
self that, suddenly, he must be other
wise engaged, and most Importantly
so for a couple of hours, when ne
was to have met her in fifteen min
utes. They were to have had a re-
union luncheon. Their first break
ing of bread together in over a year.
He thought swiftly. Failing her
as he must now, how was he to meet
her again? Some gracious word,
please, about where to find you," he
begged, penning rapidly. half-rising
as he did so. with only time to seal,
direct and deliver the missive to a
messenger.
Last night she had said:
Don't follow me home. Wen
have tomorrow"
And he had said: Tomorrow
wen decide about hcme togeth-
er, for us both. That's amazing
ly preciOus!"
He had had so many months OF
hunger and loneliness for long analy-
sis of everything. And now. on the
crest of such renewed wonder be-
tween them, business pounced upon
the valued moments.
When she stepped like a victor
from the elevator and regally re-
Taxed in deep chair, with curbed
expectancy, every man was alert
with interest
When she was decorously PACED
and received a letter with excited,
eager eyes, the occupants of the
lounge as a unit awaited develop
ments They saw her smile. SAVIOR
an instant and tuck the letter into
her bag. Thoughts ran swiftly
across her eyes before she used the
stationery which had been brought
to her by request. She wrote few
words and departed There was an
inaudible sigh, as if everyone watch
ing her go had looked upon a rose
dropping it's petals without sound.
He was at his desk in long. hur-
ried strides and found her note.
Perhaps you'll want to find mel"
He read the words in baff1ement.
cha grin and faint hope He decided
slowly that there was nothing to do
but go back to his apartment and
await telephone call.
He stole softly in through the door.
He did not want even Togo to know
he had returned Not break in his
thoughts until her voice might steal
in
Stealthily he moved along the
corridors of the dear place they
had known together. Not for
many months had he thought of
entering her rooms, although the
doors had been ajar, everything
brOOding, waiting-just as she
had left them. Now, in his i'm
patience for her voice, her eyes,
her utter perfection so proudly
al0Of, he moved aimlessly and
silently through a sleeping room
to her boudOir.
An insistent, subtle fragrance
startled him to pain. 1t had been
internationally invasive ever since
she had gone and many times it had
been too beautiful for him. Often
he had thought he must 60 else
where, find bachelor diggings and
stop struggling. ''You and I are
bound together So" she had quoted
last night. Had she meant it? Would
he find her? And finding. how did
one capture a woman so evasive?
And if, having captured, how did
one keep?
He turned with little sigh to her
tall triple mirrors and thought it
must be mere fancy that he saw
her there, her back to him. He put
up his hand and brushed his eyes
against a sweetness yet delayed. So
often they had stood there together.
1t had been gesture of his, to draw
her resistant pride into his arms and
then to the mirrors, looking, looking
at the two so really there So meant,
he had told her. And to him, so
very dear.
You came" she said, with an air
of immediate retreat, ito find me?"
1t was she! He had uncon-
sciously pursued and trapped
her. 1t was in her eyes again
that old look of wild fight. She
was bird, sprite with wings.
He went to her in rush of belief
that bent his head above hers in a
confirmation he could not stife.
THAT you came here is so in.
credibly beautiful"
He saw some blend of pride and
surrender meet and merge in her
eyes before she turned them towards
the mirrors Her gesture was light.
ly reminiscent as she said: do you
remember how you used to have us
look here, saying, 'Faith-that's
ours!' and then here, saying, Hope
that's ours, tool and then straight
ahead saying again, Love, that in
deed is ours! These three. and the
greatest of these is Lowell Do you
remember"
He looked at her in the mirror be-
fore them a deep, believing moment.