Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-06-25
TWO STILETT0S,
copyrighted, 1886. bys. 5. McClurc.l

ton down in the neighborhoOd of Clinton
Place. 1t had a slender prism-shaped
blade, about seven inches long, and half
an inch thick at the base, whence it tap
cred lelsurcly away to the point. Two of
the three facets were engraved with an
elaborate running scroll, and on the third
you distinguished what at first sight you
would certainly have mistaken for blood
stain, but what ON closer inspection you
recognized for struggling inscription in
dark red enamel-"PF FOdiO o FdmOr,"
being the rather ambiguous Italian
phrase. The hllt was of silver cleverly
wrought in imitation of Il human finger {:
and at the extremity an unusually large
and brilliant opal did duty for the nail.
suppose it is needless to say that | val
Iled this stletto highly. As a keepsake of
the time when the flavor of romance still
fingered about the world, it prompted a
thousand interesting dreams. In what
historic hands it might have trembled
Perhaps Paolo had worn it during his
visits to Francesca. Perhaps Joanna had
disposed of an inCOnVenient lover with it.
At any rate did not doubt that if it
only bad tongue, it could have whis
Dered many a thrilling secret. The spark
pent up in the opal was all that remained
of the fires that had burned in dead mems
breasts-pct Iodio oT0mor 1t was like
Hans Andcrson's magical .goloshes.
had but topress in my clasp, and be trans
ported oyer the -ea and the centuries to
Italy and the middle ages
So, as priced II thus, the reader will
easily imagine my dismay one morning,
when, through sheer clumsiness on my
part, it sustained an irrepaIable injury.
While handling it according to my fire.
Juent custom, somehow | carelessly al
lowed II to slip from my grasp and drop
upon the hearth OF course Ihastentd to
pick it up. bat the damage was already
done The opal, which may have been
loose in its setting, had fallen out.
An immediate and thorough search
failed to recover it. | wasted more than
an hour ransacking every nook and cram
NY of my chamber. Then | called in the
servant and babe her move out the furni
cure and sweep the flOOr-in which opera
tiOn did not disdain TO assist. but to no
avail. The opal obstinately refused to be
Iound. Apparently it had been swallowed
up in one of those cosmic gaps. of which
the trausecudental physicists tell US space
is full AT last, heated and out OF pa
thence, ! returned to the stiletto, and
throwing myself into an easy chair, set
mischief begun and ended there.
But scarcely had glanced at it when
my attention was arrested by a cOutri-
dance which promised to account in some
wise for the extraordinary lustre OF the
vanished gem. Directly beneath where
Il had lain was inserted a tiny strip of
Looking glass, so that Il thought what
ever rays of light had filtered through
che body of the stone, had there been
gathered up and reflected back. Now, my
own cOUntenanCe stared at me in NINA
tUre, and the expression on it, owing to
what cause | could not determine, was
so peculiar, 50 unfamiliar, that ! stayed
studying it somewhat longer than modes
ty justified. My face it was beyond a
peradventure and yet, if | had seen it
anywhere else than in a looking glass. |
should have passed 1T for Il strangers.
1t was modified in hue and contour. 1t
might have been my twin brothers, if |
had had one.
BY an accidental turn of the wrist,
slightly altered the angle which the mir
ror bore TO my eye, the result being that
my own image quickly shot upwards and
off. But before mad started to re-adju
il, ! perceived slowly shaping itself upon
The blank surface another face which
was not mine at all. Every one remembers
how, if one hold an Old-fashOned dHguer-
aotype at a certain inClinatiOn it appears
10 he Il perfectly plain piece of looking
2iaS9 whereas, II one tlIl 1t NUE. Jnt
likeness on II PeSlnS TO emerge. rms
was precisely NHal happened III lhe pres
SHt instance WIN lhe exception Ihat Inc
likeness Whicn now cOnlr0hted dlu MOI
resemble a daguereotype in the least
I Isl Wn", t"G VI,eU. 1 N"Si " "oul,l n'
1I,', ~ ',l,,,,,t ,,1 %,
- @ ,i CIV ~
liz i''0''''0 '''''' 'e'" "O'e" III WIN 'N'
1i"S9'
ana Nel II was anything puu weak o
,ndeclHlFe' a single glllnpse sulilceu II
TX my SaHe Inc eAqulslelN mOdele'
features, the low, white forehead, the
wealth OF raven mar, the serene, llqul'
eyes, We're lrauGht with lhdlVlduallty, an'
must nave peeh done under microscope
50 l5utlifSS lney were even TO the mlllul
est details. IT. was the lace OF Il woman
-lancy the VIRGIN OF MuilllO, tlnllnltel
splntdallHed, ana you Will form tOlera
de hotoh OF her CELESTIAL beauty,
For myself, AS looked INTO her eyes
when were fastened hall reproachfully
hall 4Ppeallngly, upon my own, | coul
leel the blood Jingle IN my veins, ana
35remor sweep over my limbs. In genera