The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-06-26

W AOCb- GtcIY
vas quiet. l looked around. The room
was vacant of human presence save my
own. opened the door and looked out
into the long hall. No person was visi-
Die there except young man letting
himself into the room directly adjoin-
ing my own. He looked up at the sud-
den opening of my door, and for mo-
ment his eyes encountered mine. A gas
Jet blazed directly over his head and il
Illuminated his features as he paused for
an instant regarding me. / started sud-
denly, with an exclamation of amaze
ment Oh my lips, for his face was the
face OF the young girl who had just
passed from my room. The next mo-
ment he had entered the department,
and the door closed behind him.
| remained for brief space irreso-
lutte, lost in utter bewilderment, then
went back into my own room, more
deeply perplexed than ever before in
my life. What strange mystery was
this, for which there was no account
ing? The vision of the young girl
seemed like dream, but the face was a
reality.
l sat down to ponder over this singu-
lar circumstance, and, sitting there, my
eyes perceived, lying upon the floor, a
card. picked it up, and upon it read,
in delicate feminine characters, No.
49," Once more 1 started with aston
ishment. My own room was No. 80.
The room adjoining, into which 1 be-
held the young man enter, was No. 80.
Then the vision of the young girl had
indeed been no fancy. What I had be-
held must have been an actual reality :;
and my strange visitor must have drop
ped this card, whether accidentally or
by design l knew not.
And suddenly I took bold resolve.
| should never fathom the mystery by
wasting the time in idle conjectures. l
determined to explore it Immediately,
to penetrate the secret which seemed to
deepen momentarily about the beautiful
face had beheld.
Once more | left my room, and this
time approaching the door of No. S3, 1
knocked. 1t opened, and again that
sweet, pale face beamed before me
again those calm, clear eyes looked into
mine. But it was the form of the young
man who appeared. The graceful fe-
male figure was gone, and the tall,
slender but masculine outline was alone
visible. And yet that face, so gentle and
loving and sweet, remained unchanged
1t was stamped upon my memory in
delibly, and 1 could have sworn to it's
every feature.
l held out the card had picked from
the floor.
"You dropped this in my room, be-
lieve, a few moments since; l have taken
the liberty of disturbing you in order to
return it,
He received it from my hand, glanc-
ing at me furtively the while from under
the long lashes which half yelled those
deep blue eyes. l watched him mar
rowly as he turned his gaze to the card
and read the characters thereon written.
He Looked up ct me again presently,
and spoke:
"You were mistaken, sir. I have
never seen this card before. 1t appears
to bear a number corresponding with
that of my room; otherwise l know
nothing of it,
That voice again-like the distant
strain of music, so soft and low, and so
unutterably sweet. He had spoken
very quietly, and had looked at me very
steadily with his calm blue eyes. /
stood thus completely baf1led in my de-
sign TO obtain an explanation of the
mystery, and utterly perplexed as to
what course 1 should pursue. 1 APP
peared involved in a deeper and more
bewildering maze than ever. A slight
smile seemed to play across the young
mans face as he observed my hesita.
ton, and to linger there and light it up
as a rare sunbeam from heaven. He
stood looking at me in silence for a mo-
ment, and then said
"We are strangers to each other, and
yet we appear to be neighbors; why
should we not be friends? Would you
object to coming into my room and sit
and shall be glad of your company if
you will do me the favor"
1 accepted his invitation, and entered
the room. 1t was an apartment similar
to my own, but it contained one object
which startled and amazed me. 1t was
the portrait of a woman, and upon il
my eyes became riveted as if fascinated.
The same face of the girl who had APP
peared to me in my room-the face of
the man beside me. The same, and yet
not the same. Its expression appeared
older and more careworn. Its eyes
lacked the luster and the depth of the
living and breathing objects l had be-
held, and upon the canvas appeared to
shed only cold and vacant stare. And
yet the resemblance was too wildly
strong to admit of doubt. The same
sweet and gentle features bearned down
upon me from the wall, portrayed with
a fidelity so accurate and lifelike that
seemed to be again in my own room
gazing upon the lovely face of the young
girl as she stood before me.
The young man observed my eye;
fixed upon the picture, and remarked
cit is portrait of my mother. Nc
doubt you perceive the strong resem.
blance of my face to hers; it is some.
thing remarkable-theprecise similarity
of our features and expression. And
yet have never beheld her since the
hour was born"
looked from the picture to him, in
quiringly.
"She died at my BIRTH" he added
"A 4 \ r = n A