The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-04

az she should. Viii You please look into it
with your experienced Eyes. Mrs. Trickey?"
had some hopes that this last implied COM
puMeat would h4ve propitiated the nous keep
et; but apparently it had no such effect, for
after a short inspection of tho mirror she said
tartly:
The glass be right enough so far us / do
see; this be Just ono of your items. Master
Fred"
But, Mrs. TricNey, do please tell me what
you see when you look into it," l exclaimed,
seeing that l must be more ~explici, if l wanted
10 gain full certainty on the matter.
why, what should / see but my own face,
Master Fred? ' she retorted snappishly; ..and
II be az good looking a face as the faces of
many women who be ten years younger than |
bt, and l can tell 90 that it have been thought
a good-looking face by scores of men iu its
time."
And herewith she bridled considerably, and
Grew herself up.
Aud, do you sec nothing there besides your
face. then, Mrs. TricLey?"
Bless and save ns. Master Fred, You must
be turning mazed, / think, or else it be that
you be making a regular fool of me. Idon't
see why You should make rp such cannot.
about my face, when you've ssnowcd it these
last twenty wears. l calls it very disrespect-
full. that | do"
And with n fiounce and a bounce Mrs.
lflckey turned aud disappeared from the room,
leaving INC alone with the hou. e in the mirror,
"ilci most certainly abe ha rot seen.
L was musing uncomfortable on this fact,
with my eyes fixed on the vision, which to me
was as distinct as ever, wheu the clock on the
chimney piece struck s:41 Then suddenly,
AS II wiped out by ii spirits wing. Just when
the little silver chime of the clock wa. ringing,
house, garden, -ummer-house moonlight, vel
low g.eam, vanished from the mirror, AMI l
saw nothing there save the reelection of the
familiar room.
1t was certainly a more wonderful phenomc-
l nan than nv tplyyI rr-~ ,,,It., lALl. 1911
medical knowledge had taught me, and / sat
up late thai night thinking it over and trviuE
vainly to account for it. As. however,, could
moi gain the slightest light on the subject, turn
me matter up and down as might in my brain.
l came to a resolution on two points, and then
went to bed. One of these resolves
was. that | would not reveal the strange
circumstance TO any one, because l had always
q most hearty dislike of gossip and ridiclie at
my EXPENSE. and the other was that l would
not allow the inexplicable vision to trouble my
mind, SO az 10 make me incapable of the daily
WORK and duty of life, My natural calmness
OF temperament and my active. busy course of
existence made, me more able To make these
determinations with som chance of keeDing to
them than most people III my Place.
l slept well that night, aud did not see the
house IL The mirror once in my dreams. Next
day was sent for in haste 10 attend a danecc-
ous, difficult case, which required all my skill
and energy. BY the tinc tho evening" was
again come, the impression made by the strange
circumstance of last night had in u great meas
ure faded out of my mind,
1t so happened that | was engaged to sreud
that evening with my friends Mir. and Mrs.
Woodland. Mr.. Woodland was a banker. and
his wife was n pretty, SEPARATING woman-the
queen of society in cur town. She aud / y were
always close allies: she would chatter TO me
of all her family affairs, and in a certain way
made me her confidant. On Tho occasion in
question | was Mr.. and Mrs. Woodlands only
guest, The banker siumbered III his arm
chair. the lady had two or three bits of gossip
to tell about the neiShbornood. aud two or
three books to discuss with me-, AMI a deal to
say besides about the first appearance of a
tooth in Miss Baby's little rosy mouth. That
yonng heroine was brought down in state in
her nightdress, and l had to examine the
prodigy with much circumstance and sol,
emnity.
Baby had retired again to tie nursery, and
had ceased her somewhat loud rcmonstiauce
with regard 10 tho Inconvenience of being
brought down stairs TO appear in the drawing
room in such Il costn1ne and at such an hour.
Mrs, Woodland was standing on the hearth
fng looking III the mirror when the town clock
in the market place hard by struck S. | was
/ looking at the retisc ion of my hostess face in
| the mirror. and thinking that it was certainly q
very pretty one. when sndd" MY at the side of
tho lively brown eyes appeared precisely the
same house, line for lire. which | had seen in
my dining room mirror yesterday at this same
hour: garden. pag0la like sltmmer house, sill
Wy nv u Ism, Npi4pH 4ttbp1i5ht Slcaui-i4l
were there.
Icould not help u stsrt aud n mnrmured ex-
preston Of wonder. Mrs. Woodland turned
round quickly a. the sound.
WHAT IL the lnatter:" she asked IN surprise
"Oh. just a twinSc uf rheumatism In my
shoulder | answered carelcssly. Il caught
1t u ,iHg home 'hrorsh tho storm yesterday. :
u Heathcote, What 10 you see so Wen
derfui in the lacking glass 10 n,ght::" she
asked a few minutes after, noticing with femi-
hin" qlickness the directi,n in which my eyes.
III spite of myself. were 80 ~frequeatly turnei.
II was Thinking thatif ] waa a little hand
sumer man than | am, l Slnull try to Q t N
wife ma !e exactly on your pottsrn,' 1 replied
{ lithtly.
With tiles> and a few more jesting words |
con'rlved to put Mrs. Woodlands curiosity 10
-ieap again, white, from time 10 ti,i". /
watched tn, visionary house. 1t was jus; a. |
mad expected; when the tawn clock clinsd u
quarter TO 9. it vanished exactly as 4. had Gone
on the prcvipus right.
From that TINS forward, wherever / might
he. II | was in the room with = looking glass. L
s1s every evening, from = 10 $40, for the next
inonth 10 come, the house IN the mirror. some
'i1nrs II met my view ia the tiLS looking glass
IVA cottage wall, where J was tending . poor
=. atirn', sometimes in the pier glass of a sick
itle la,ly'- apartment, sometimes IN the mirror
OF q TREND dlulnG rpptn as | sat ut linnur.
HI ~ was never the ia utast change in The
vision It vas always markell by exactly The
same features lcannot sly but thatih3s per,
petual haunting of my lie 10y 80 MYSTERIOUS IN
mp ~,ara'ion dill maks vaguely uncomfortable
aud painful impre sion or nv mind Bnl hv
stfengt of viii, ard by clinging resoluttlv and
ceaseies3ly to nj my active daily duties, ! rra-
vontea its having 4 morbid. unhealthy OBJECT
upon mo. lteyemled the circumstance to no
unH, but appeared 10 the outer world as II
there was no strange page i'll my commonplace
s:orv.
When, however, a month or so had pa.seI
nv. there cnilta great, sudden. real sorrow,
which NEST etfectuaily thrust asid, all inciin,-
lnn to brood over gloomy, shadow. fauciful
troubles. One morning thor. arrived n tele-
gram from Ltcco. on the 1ago Como in North
Italy, saying that nv sister, on her way home
from India. had fallen dangerously iii there.
and calling me atonce to her side. KNEW tha,
Lattie's health had been delicate ever since her
baby was born. and that she was about to re-
turn to England for the sake of a coo;er climate
and the best medical advice. Jknew, too. that
she meant to return through italy, but / was
hardly aware that she had. as yet, started from
bombay, and | had not the faiutest notion that
her disease might possibly take such a Danger
GUS turn, No wonder, then, that the tidinSs
were a severe blow.
Lottie was far more to me than sisters gen
orally are to their brothers. She was several
wears younger than ! was, and abe had been
first my playtlling. then my pupil; and l had
experienced q pang of rea! jealousy on that
day when. sitting on 8 STOOL at my feet, with
her sweet face hidden ON my knees, che con-
fessed TO me that there was Que who was moro
to her than l was, one who was more to her
tiian all tho world beside. This foolish feel
ing, of course, quickly passed away, and | re-
joiced to see her a happy bride: yet Lot,ic was
etill my pet, my pride and my darling.
/ will not dwell upon the hurried journey,
with Fear sitting at nv side, nor The long
nights aud days of dresry. anxions watching.
Il sufices TO say here thatsmy sweet girl was,
at length. given back to my arms, after, through
long weeks. my medical care and skill had bat.
tied with death for her. During the whole of
this period the house in the mirror never ncain
! anna rod u mo md ind nd il M ah.aaLiax