The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1886-03-27

moment my discomfort in the prospect
of seeing myself in real plate glass,
hurried across the room, stool in front
of the awful mouth and peered into the
mirror.
looked and was amazed. / looked
again, but it was the same. Puzzled
and alarmed, sat down on the nearest
chair to get my breath. put my hands
to my face, TO make sure / had one.
Yes, it was there, and being assured of
this, 1t gave me courage to look again,
and did so, but the mirror obstinately
refused to cast back any reflection. 1t
reflected the room, but not me.
"Am 1 them" said, "of so slight
importance that city mirrors refuse to
let Inc see myself on their surfaces?"
Again l looked, and felt very much
| like the man who sold his shadow to the
demon. l felt more lonely and chilled
than before.
Then determined to 60 over every
article in the reflection of the room and
see il they were perfect. Yes, there was
the tomb-like bed in the corner, there
the chiffonier, there the "sleepy hol-
low," the hassocks, the long, ghostly
curtains, the table in the center of the
room. Slowly l turned my head over
my shoulder and started on seeing nc
table. Again looked in the glass.
Yes, there stood queer little table.
This decided my next move. Ipullet
the bedclothes down from the tombs,
slipped out of my clothes as only coun.
try girl can, and slid in under the
blankets and hid my head, thinking-a:
women and ostrlches ever think-that
a head hidden is head safe.
- In spite of my fears, must have gone
directly to sleep, for the next remem
brance have is of looking about me ir
that surprised, dazed way that nearly
every one has upon waking up in {
strange room.
sat up in bed and thought mo
ment Some clock in the house strucl
l, but this gave no comfort, since
knew that most clocks have mean lit
tie habit of striking the half hours; 81
that hearing single stroke in the mid
die of the night leaves me in doub
whether it is O. clock or half after somt
other o'clock. But l had slept, and fel
ready to laugh at anything, especial!
my fears of the first part of the even
ing.
had just decided to get up and turr
off the gas had left burning, when
was startled by slight noise, whicl
seemed to be in the very room where
was.
thought of the dark room adjoining
mine, ! thought of burglars, fire, ant
then / thought Of my dead aunt, whose
room was next to mine. And then
thought of the mysterious table in thu
mirror.
Pulled one way by curiosity and th,
other way by fear, crept out of bed
and, keeping very clear Of the centre o
the room, where the table ought to havt
been, found my way TO the ghoStly glass
can now fully understand how on,
must feel before lie can truly say, IN,
hair stood on end"
certainly felt the roots swimming
about under my scalp when looking il
that awful mirror, saw, standing b,
the table, woman.
dare not stir; my heart gave heavy
thud-like strokes against my sides, m
knees trembled, and / saw that long
lank, black-robed woman unlock tn
drawer and take from it a gltterini
mass of jewels and thrust them into
green baise bag that hung on her arm
Then she closed the drawer and glidet
away behind the curtains into the darl
room which had no. dared to enter.
l had just strength enough to tumbl
once more into bed, which place l dit
not again leave until morning, when
hurriedly dressed and hastened dow
stairs.
One by one as the family entered III
breakfast-room they exclaimed:
"Oh, Kate, how pale you arer' AM
did you sleep at all last night?" "Why
cousin Kate, have you seen a ghost?"
/ only smiled, determined to tell non
Of my fright but Aunt Lou, who, wa
sure, would not laugh at me.
After breakfast Aunt Lou said:
"Girls, have litter of gifts you
mother gave me before she died, ant
we will all go up to her room, and ther
| will divide among you her little valu
ables."
Generally girls cannot be kept lon;
In sadness, and these cousins of min,
were six strong so il was anything bu
a quiet group that followed Aunt Lol
up The broad stairs to mothers room. ;
Mai pushed in her head and cried out
"Why, the gas is burning"
And "Oh, Kater' cried another, "dic
you see the funny glass in the room yoI
slept IMP"
But / did not answer, for Aunt Lol
was reading lstter. which ! did 70
take much interest in untii she rsat
something about diamonds" 9Th