The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-14

| q fresco such as had aeard described a
existing on the walls of houses in Italy
where had never been-a fresco rep
resenting an old woman sitting with {
basket of oranges at her feet. Their,
were four windows, two upstairs, two
down. exactly over each other; the,
were ali half shaded with green blinds
and could see that the top one, on the
right hand side was slightly open. w
the garden there ran broad gravel
walk, with soft fresh turf, gemmed with
| flower-beds on either side of it. The
Enclosure was fenced round with 9
rather high wooden paling, and in one
corner of it there stood a summer house
with quaintly-shaped roof, that had
something of pagoda about it. Over
the whole there was spread soft. sill
very light. as though bright, f,A
moon was shining down upon it. A
yellow CLEAN, as of lamp burning
within, stole through the open window,
and mingled with the white rays with
out.
laid my fingers on my pulse. Was
l going fast into raging fever! My
pulses were as steady as they were
when rose that morning after night S
sound sleep. tested my brain by 60
ing through, in my mind, all the symp-
toms and features in difficult and per-
picking case which had been lately un-
der my care; my mind acted as coolly
and calmly and regularly as it had ever
done. repeated to myself several pas
sages of poetry from different authors
in different languages; they came as
quickly and easily TO my tongue as if
had been reading them from a printed
book. l gazed around. and fixed my
eyes on various objects in the room to
see whether l should be subjected to
other optical illusions, but in all other
points my eyes We're as reasonable as
they usually were. They showed me
nothing but the familiar chairs and ia
bic, and the well-known pattern of the
paper on the wall. Then l looked back
at the mirror. The house was still
there.
Had been reading lately a descrip-
ton of such house, or had l lately seen
anywhere a picture like it? Either of
these things might possibly have left a
vivid impression on my mind which
might have accounted for the strange
delusion. / was not, however, able to
recollect, search my memory as | would,
that book or a painting had brought
such house and garden before my
thoughts. was naturally neither eX-
citable nor imaginative; indeed, l was
generally regarded by everyone who
knew me, and by myself into the bar
n<,ff ha nj
beings in the world. My fancy had
never before played me the smallest
trick even as / rode home. worn out
with watching by a sick bed, on the
darkest night: even in the many pain
full scenes full of death and gloom
through which my professional lite had
led me. In the dissecting-roOm, in the
severest operation. my hand had always
been as steady as if | were peeling an
orange. All this made the present in
comprehensive vision yet more utterly
ineXplicable. Besides, even while |
gazed at it, knew that l had never felt
more calm and collected and more in
an ordinary condition of body and mind
throughout my very commonplace, very
busy history.
Would another pair of eyes see the
house in the mirror:9 wondered. With
a hurried hand | rang the bell to test
this point, and summoned my house.
keeper, who generally herself waited on
me. This good lady's name was Mrs.
Trickey. 1t is common Devonshire
name, let it be at once understood by
those who are not aware of the fact, and
is in no way meant to hint at any I'M
pleasant proclivities or understandable
whims on the worthy DANES part;, she
was as honest and supplemented
woman as ever handled bunch of
keys
''Mrs. Tricky, / have rung for you
to ask you to do very simple thing"
l said. hesitatingly, now that she was
present. scarcely knowing how to be-
gin; for felt, if / spoke out plainly, my
must infallibly think
that l had suddenly taken leave of my
senses.
..What will zee please to have, sir?"
replied Mrs. Trickey, in true Devon
shire fashion.
'.Mrs. Trickey will you please look
in the glass over the cbimney-piece?" 1
blurted out rather abruptly, not know
ing how else to find out what l wanted
to discover.
''Get along with your nonsense, Mas
ter Fred cried Mrs. Trickey, with a
toss of her head, which was so energetic
it almost discomposed the stiff frills of
her cap.
1t must be mentioned here that Mrs
Trickey had lived with my mother when
| was boy. and that, with her, / still
continued Master Fred. though all the
world besides knew me as Frederick
ESQ.,, surgeon.
81 can assure you, Mrs. Trickey, l
mean no insult, nor even joke, l re-
piled, humbly. 81 fancied something
was wrong in the reflection OF the glass;
perhaps Susan has not busted it as she
should. VIII you please look into it
with your experienced eyes, Mrs.
Trickev?'' -.--
was in hopes that this last implied
would have propitiated the
housekeeper; but apparently it had no
such effect, for after short inspection
Of the mirror she said, tartly:
1.-The glass be right enoug Oh so far as
do see; this be just one of your items,
NJ aster Fred
"But, Mrs. Tricky, do please tell me
what you see when you look into it." l
exclaimed. seeing that / must be more
explicit if wanted to gain full certainty
On the matter.
"Why, what should see but my own
face, Master Fred?" she retorted, snap
pishly; land it be as good-looking a
lace as the faces of many women who
be ten years younger than | be, and |
IAN tell ee that it have been thought
good-looking face by scores of men in
is time