Snow White's Mirror

by Shonna Slayton

  “Let’s finish getting it off the wall,” Lou said, giving Billie an odd look. Then Lou handed Fremont a crowbar before pulling Billie outside.

  “I think you should be the one to take the mirror,” Lou said in all earnestness.

  Billie gaped. At the beginning of summer, this was what she had wanted. A chance to see if the mirror was real, and if it could save her mom. Back then, if Lou had said, look, here’s the magic mirror that can give you all that you’ve been wanting, she would have taken it on the spot. But now that she knew the trouble it could cause, it was the last thing she wanted.

  Lou continued. “I saw the look Fremont gave you when he realized you’d figured out how to get something out of the mirror. If he knows how to go in and out of the mirror of his own free will, and also learns how to get things from the mirror, it would be too much for him. I fear he’d be trapped and Matron would be released.”

  From what she knew about Fremont and other gamblers like him, she knew Lou was right. But what Lou was asking her was huge. To be the one in charge of protecting the mirror was a big responsibility. Could she handle it?

  “Why don’t you keep it?” Billie whispered. “You’ve done such a great job already.”

  “With all the copper in these hills, I’d have to move away or always be on edge, checking the mirror to see if it’s changed. Now, it might not look like much to you, missy, but this is my home. Once Matron gets out of my hair, I can make it right comfortable again.”

  “But my uncle would know what it was. He’s spent all summer looking for a magic mirror, and then I bring home a souvenir mirror? He’ll be suspicious, and what if he tries it out? Can you imagine if my uncle met Matron?”

  Lou put her hands on her hips while she thought. “We’ll figure it out. I just need you to determine in your heart what you’re going to do.”

  “I—I”

  “Wilhelmina. Famous protector. It’s in your name.”

  “My mother named me. She had no idea this would happen.”

  “Your mother didn’t need to know for Providence to set you on your path.”

  Lou was convincing, but the fear was still there. “I don’t know. I don’t like knowing it’s so close. That she’s so close.”

  “What if you and I take it back to Germany together? You would need to leave with it on the train tomorrow, and then later you and I will return it.”

  “Fremont won’t like it.”

  “No, but I’ll talk to him.” She glanced over Billie’s shoulder toward the shack. “You and Winn take the mirror away now and finish closing that window.”

  “Hey,” said Winn hanging out the door. “I stalled as long as I could, but we’re done in here.”

  Lou marched into the shack. “All right, kids, get out of here. Fremont, let’s talk about what you’re going to do next.”

  “I’m going to take the mirror and skedaddle,” he said. “Thanks for having me. Sorry about the trouble.” He gave them a salute and made a move to pick up the mirrors. But Winn was faster and was halfway out the door before Lou stepped in to block Fremont’s path.

  “Let them go. They know what to do next.”

  “So do I.”

  “I don’t trust you to stand firm against her wiles.”

  Matron yelled through the mirrors, “Let me out! Fremont!”

  “See?” Lou said. “The window is still open. She’s only temporarily trapped from leaving. You sit right there where I can see you while they finish what we’ve worked so hard to end.”

  They listened to Lou lecture until they had walked far enough down the mountain that her voice was lost on the wind, and it was the two of them, alone again.

  “How did you know to grab my hand and pull?” asked Billie.

  “Instinct. I saw your hand dart out of the mirror to take that vial, and I reached for it. Then I thought about how Matron pulled you in and thought maybe I could pull you out. Now that I think about it, I figure all the copper sewn into our clothes stretched the portal around us like a giant bubble.”

  She smiled, liking the idea of them being in their own private space.

  Town was quiet as they went through, giving Billie hope that they’d make it to the electric plant without being noticed.

  “Look,” said Winn, “it’s past sunset, and I’m still here. I could get used to this.”

  “So could I,” Billie said.

  A strong-looking man in miner’s gear, dirty overalls, dusty boots, carrying a metal pail crossed their path.

  “Dad.” Winn stopped, holding the mirrors up like a shield between them.

  “Son.” He nodded once and glanced in Billie’s direction.

  “This is Wilhelmina Bergmann. She’s visiting from Boston.”

  Mr. Harris tipped his hat, obvious curiosity about what they were doing splayed across his features.

  “Nice to meet you, sir.”

  Father and son looked at each other. Billie held her breath wondering if Matron would cry out to cause trouble. When neither Harris made a move, she broke the silence. “Maybe we could meet later, at the Copper Queen Hotel. They make a lovely apple pie, if you’re up for it,” Billie said. They obviously needed help communicating.

  “Winn?” Mr. Harris asked.

  “Yeah. Sounds good.”

  “Great,” Billie said.

  “Great,” Mr. Harris said. He took one last look at Winn, and then at the mirror, before continuing down the street.

  “That’s the longest we’ve talked in months.” Winn stared after his father.

  Billie tried not to raise her eyebrows. And she thought the people in her society had trouble communicating. Maybe she’d misjudged Winn’s straightforwardness. Maybe it depended on the situation.

  “Progress, then,” she said.

  A puff of mist shot out from between the mirrors.

  “We better go.” Winn shifted his grip, and they hustled to the energy plant without further interruption. It was a large building close to the mines, with a tall brick smokestack.

  “How close do we need to get to the generator?” Billie asked as they climbed the hill. “Because I don’t know what we’re looking for.”

  “What are you doing?” Matron said, her voice rising in pitch. There was a flurry of mist shooting out from between the mirrors.

  “Since Matron is panicking, we must be getting close enough to disrupt the window’s energy.”

  “Wait, there’s my uncle.”

  They ducked behind a pile of lumber until Uncle Dale and the engineer rounded the corner out of their sight. Then Billie and Winn dashed for the nearest door. Inside, great iron giants filled the room creating a loud and constant whirring sound. Huge spinning wheels, which Billie could only assume were part of the generators her uncle was so interested in.

  Winn set the mirror down against the closest one. By this time, the mist had ceased pouring from the mirror, and they couldn’t hear Matron over the noise.

  “Do you think it’s done?” Winn yelled in Billie’s ear.

  “We have to be sure,” she yelled back. Billie couldn’t take the mirror to Boston until she knew there was no way Matron could get out until the next window opened.

  Winn cut one of the ropes to loosen the mirrors. They both got on their knees to look between the two.

  “You’ll pay for this!” Matron screamed, causing both of them to jump. “This isn’t over.” She pounded on the mirror as the remainder of the window grew opaque and the silver coating covered her face like ice freezing over a pond.

  “We did it,” Billie said. “We’re free.”

  Chapter 50

  Winn adjusted his tie, reminding Billie of their dinner at the Waldorf. Back then they didn’t know if they’d ever have a chance at a normal future.

  Lou was watching over the mirror in Billie’s hotel room while Uncle and Mr. Harris joined Billie and Winn for pie and conversation.

  They may be free of the mirror, but the rest of their future was still at stake. Winn nee
ded to repair his relationship with his dad, and Billie had to convince her uncle that her extra baggage was not a magic mirror.

  When they met up at the Copper Queen to assure Lou and Fremont that the window had closed, Fremont expressed his regret. “I am sorry I ever brought the mirror here.”

  Billie and Winn had looked at each other and smiled. “We’re not.”

  Without the mirror, they would have never met. Their story might have been one of walking past each other on the sidewalk by chance one summer, and not knowing what could have been. Had Providence brought them together at a later date, maybe even in Boston, they could have discovered their mutual time spent in Bisbee and wondered if they’d happened to pass each other on those dusty streets. But they didn’t have to imagine. They had met.

  “Here he comes.” Winn straightened. He smiled and stood, wiping his hands on his trousers. “Hi, Dad. Thanks for coming.”

  Billie smiled. He’d managed to put more words together this time.

  Uncle Dale followed behind and introductions were made. He’d cleaned himself up, shaved his scraggly beard and donned his more characteristic suit and tie. As for herself, Billie had purchased a dark gray skirt and white shirtwaist to show she was leaving deep mourning. Life was moving on in a new direction.

  After the pie arrived and the small talk dried up, Winn cleared his throat. “I’ve thought a lot about my future, and I’d like to pursue an internship with Warren Manning. In Boston.” He glanced in Uncle Dale’s direction.

  “You’ve straightened your life out?” Mr. Harris said.

  Winn nodded. He’d already decided there was no point trying to explain what really happened during all those months but to focus on the future and hope that his dad agreed.

  Billie hoped he agreed, too, because if everything continued the way it was going, that future would be her future, too.

  “If that’s what you want.”

  Winn nodded. “It is.”

  “And you could help him, couldn’t you, Uncle Dale? Help him find a place to stay and help him get settled…unless you want me to do that?” She batted her eyelashes innocently and took a sip of her tea.

  “No, no. I can help him. No need to put you or your mother out.”

  “Thank you.” Mr. Harris rose and shook hands with Uncle Dale. “Winston has always been independent. I’m sure you can point him in the right direction, and he’ll be fine.”

  “Will do.”

  “I can’t see you off tomorrow, Winn. I’ll be working.” He held out his hand to his son and they shook.

  “Yeah, I understand.”

  “Keep in touch now.”

  “You can count on it, Pops.”

  They watched his dad leave, and then Winn said, “That might not seem like much, but for us, it was a big deal.”

  He looked lighter than Billie had ever seen him. His burden had been lifted, and with his dad’s blessing he could start anew.

  Lou saw them off at the station. “You’ve got a fine niece here,” she said to Uncle Dale. “I plan to take her back to Germany with me and show her her roots. Introduce her to the rest of the family.”

  Uncle Dale looked surprised. “Glad to see our time here was productive. Sorry if my mining adventure was bothersome for you.” He handed her an envelope. I’ve signed my claim over to you. You can let it lapse or work it, however you want. There’s a bit of silver in there, but not enough for my interests.”

  “Bless my stars,” Lou said. “You’re not completely heartless after all.”

  “My intentions have always been honorable.” He doffed his hat and boarded the train to join Winn, who, after being tied to one place for so long, was eager to leave.

  Lou stared after him for a moment before focusing back on Billie. “I’ve seen to the mirrors myself,” she said. “You’ll have to figure out an explanation by the time you reach Boston if your uncle happens to notice you’ve added some luggage. Maybe Winn can take ownership and help you get them into your house unnoticed, or at the very least unheeded.” Lou stopped her instructions to study Billie’s face. “What’s wrong?”

  Billie dabbed her handkerchief at the corner of her eye. “Nothing. I’ve just grown attached is all.”

  Lou shuffled her feet. “Girlie, I’ve got no time for sentimentality. Off with you now before the train leaves you behind.”

  Billie gave her a quick, tight hug before spinning around and boarding the train. She quickly spotted Winn, hat off and golden hair shining, sitting across from Uncle Dale.

  She joined them, settling into the cushioned seat at Winn’s side. She couldn’t help but think of the last train ride they’d taken together. What a story she had to tell, one that she could never speak of. Even if she could tell Holly, Jane, or Suzanne, they wouldn’t believe her.

  She glanced at Uncle Dale. His head was down as he poured over business reports. He’d never know how he’d helped with the magic mirror by pointing them to the generator. But that didn’t matter. He’d exhausted his search, to his satisfaction, and taken up a new fascination with electric power, and as long as he stayed away from Faro, he’d be okay.

  He glanced up. “Thanks for indulging my mining pursuits,” he said. “I think I can put that all behind me and go back to a desk job.” He cleared his throat. “You’re not going to tell your mother, are you?”

  Billie laughed. “I think she knows you, Uncle.” She tightened her grip on her reticule and the precious bottle of medicine inside. What a new life it would be for Mom.

  “Right. And here’s something for you. Can’t be walking into Boston in those mining work boots of yours.” He indicated the box next to him.

  “For me?” She dove into the box to find her black and white leather boots with the flower design. She scooped them up. “Oh, how I’ve missed you.”

  “I had them cleaned up and resoled for you. To make up for dragging you through the desert.”

  “I forgive you,” Billie said. “Now that it’s all over, I’d not change a thing.”

  “Well, I for one would have liked for my claim to pay off more than it did.” He winked conspiratorially at Billie.

  Dear Uncle Dale. He’d never know it, but his detour saved his sister.

  Finally, Billie’s gaze landed on her right hand. It was placed on the seat precariously close to the hand of a certain young man who was leaving Bisbee with his father’s blessing to pursue his education in Boston.

  While she watched, Winn inched his hand closer to hers until their pinkie fingers touched. With another glance at Uncle Dale, she entwined their fingers. Her uncle may not have struck it rich in Bisbee, but she found everything she hadn’t been looking for.

  Dear Reader,

  Thank you for reading Snow White’s Mirror. If you are content with this happy ending, then off you go to read another of my fairy tales.

  But, if you’re the kind of reader who still wonders, “What happens next?” then click over to my website for a download of the Epilogue.

  When I told my teen daughter my idea, she cried out, “No! Don’t do that.” But I couldn’t help myself. I thought it would make a delicious continuation. From an author’s point of view, anyway. Read it if you dare: Snow White’s Mirror Epilogue.

  Historical Note

  Set in 1902, this story takes place near the beginning of the electric age and toward the end of the great mining boomtowns. Bisbee, Arizona is indeed a real place, home of the Copper Queen Mine, one of the richest copper producing mines in the world.

  Queen Victoria had died the year before, and as the Victorian age passes into the Edwardian, our main character, Wilhelmina Bergmann, is feeling the change in societal norms and expectations. She begins the story steeped in the traditions of the age, characterized by her adherence to mourning clothes, yet still wearing her favorite pair of boots.

  I tried to use as much real-world history as a fairy-tale novel could pack in: the town’s incorporation, its Fourth of July celebrations, talk of statehood, and Governo
r Brodie’s visit. I had some fun with a few passing mentions of a little boy named Billy who lives on in Bisbee today as one of the “ghosts” who haunts the Copper Queen Hotel. His drowning as a child was tragic, but I imagined him as a curious, somewhat mischievous boy.

  I like to include immigrants in my stories, and this particular tale highlighted German and Finnish characters. The German characters arose out of the Snow White tale itself having originated in Germany, and thus, Billie’s family being descendants of the dwarfs. I also wanted to show the multinational nature of early mining in North America, and Finnish miners were one of the European nationalities discriminated against by only being hired for the lesser jobs at the mine. Often, immigrants changed their names to better fit in with English speakers, and so for this novel, I found the Finnish name Haarus was changed to Harris and thought that would work well for Winn. (Speaking of names, Bergmann means “miner” in German.)

  Odd fact: camels were brought to America to assist with westward expansion and then later released into the wild. There are several tales of camel sightings in Arizona and one rumor of a train hitting a camel at some unknown time and location.

  Bisbee continued to expand in its haphazard way, and with the influence of the City Beautiful Movement of the time, the nearby planned city of Warren was built to relieve overcrowding and improve living conditions for the miners. I can picture young Winn working alongside Warren Manning to create this town named in the landscape architect’s honor.

  These are just a few of the real-world topics included, and I hope it whets your appetite to dig a little further into this time period.

  Resources that were especially helpful in my research include Bisbee: Queen of the Copper Camps by Lynn R. Bailey; Bisbee Daily Review newspapers from the summer of 1902 (in which you can read the poem, “Fate”); and the Bisbee Museum website and Pinterest page.

  Acknowledgments

  Many thanks to the Arizona State Library for their writers-in-residence program which came at the perfect time for researching and drafting this novel. Amy Ledin and Maren Hunt were especially helpful and enthusiastic.