The Russellville Democrat., 1886-04-29

taught me. and sat up late that night
thinking it over ald trying vainly to 40
count for Il. As. however, Ic0uld not
gain the slightest light on the subject,
turn the matter vi and down as Knight
in my brain, ] calao to q resolution on
two points, and then went to bed. Ono
Of these resolves was that would not
reveal the strange circumstance to any
one, because ] hail always most hearty
dislike Of gossip ,snd ridicu!e at my OK
pense, and the other was that 1 would
not allow the inexplicable vision to
| trouble my mind 80 a. TO make me in
capable Of the daily work and duty Of
| life. Ny natural calmness Of tempera-
ment and my active, busy course Of ex-
| istence made me more able to mako
these determinations with some chance
| of keeping to thefn than most people In
my place.
! slept well that night, and did not
see the house in tile mirror once IN my
dreams. Next day l was sent for In
haste to attend dangerous, difficult
case. which required all my skill and
energy. By the time the evening was
again come the impression made BY the
strange circumstance OF last night had
| in q great measure faded out OF my
mind.
1t SO happened that I was engaged to
spend that evening with my friends,
Mr.. and Mrs. Woodland. Mr.. Wood
land was banker, and his wife was .
pretty, sparkling woman-the queen Of
society in our town. She and were al ;
ways close allies; she would chatter 10 /
me OF all her family affairs. and In
certain way made me her confidant. On
the occasion in question was Mr.. and /
Mrs. Woodlands only guest. The bank /
err slumbered in his arm chair, the lady
had two or three bits of gossip to tell
about the neighborhood, and two orr
three new books to discuss with me,
and q deal to say beside about the first
appearance of q tooth in Miss Baby's
| little rosy mouth. That young heroine;
was brought down In state in her night
dress, and / had to examine the prodigy,
with much circumstance and solemnity. !.
Baby had retired again to the MUIR
sery, and had ceased her somewhat loud I!
circumstances with regard to tho incon-
venience of being brought downstairs
to appear in the drawing-room In such
costume and at such an hour. Mrs.
Woodland was standing on the hcarth-
rug looking in the mirror when tho
town-clock in the market-place hard by
struck eight. was looking at the re-
! Election Of my hostess face In the mir
ror, and thinking that it was certainly
very pretty one. when suddenly, at
the side Of the lively brown eyes, APP
peared precisely tho same house, limo
| for line, which I had seen in my dining
room mirror yesterday at this same
hour; garden, pagoda-like summer
house, silvery moonlight, yellow lamp
light gleam-all were there.
/ could not help start and MUIR
INJURED expression Of wonder. Mrs.
Woodland turned round quickly at the
sound.
what is the n,atterp' she asked in
surprise.
.sOh. Just a twinge Of rheumatism in
my shoulder" / answered. carelessly.
II caught it riding home through the
storm yesterday"
! "Mr. Heathcote, what do You see 70
wonderful in the looking-glass to-
nightp" she asked few minutes after.
noticing with feminine quickness the
direction in which my eyes, in spite OF
myself, were SO frequently turned.
II was thinking that il l was y little
handsomer man IMAM am snouIu IIy
70 get wiIe maa , sAac'ly On your pat
tern, lrePheu, ngnt.y. ..,
WIN tnese anu lew noro {s1sIlnR
words cont!lvea 70 put MIs. w o0
ianu curiosity 70 sleep agMn' wnilo'
rom Time 70 tme' ! wa.cngu .Ae v'slon-
aIy mousse. was JUST - ! nuu y, f'sc'-
60; wnen the town.c,ock cn'Msu \. e
quarter 70 nine, !. .lsnca sAuceiy - ~
nad Done on the previous nignt.
From that time forward, wherever
might be, It was in the room with =
looking-glass, saw every evening. rom
eight to quarter to nine. for the next
month to come, the house in the mirror.
Sometimes It met my view in the tiny
looking-giass on cottage wall, where
was tending poor patient, sometimes
in the pier-glass OF sick fine iadys
apartment, sometimes IN the mirror o.
q friend dining-room as sat ct din
ner. There was never the falntests
change IN the vision; IT was always
marked by exactly the same features.
can not say but that this perpetual
haunting OF my life by 80 mysterious an.
apparition did make vaguely uncom-
Portable and painful impression on my
mind But by strengtn OF VIII, ana Dy
cmnglhg resoiuteiy anu c1aseisssly y
~ my acIive ua'iy Iu'lcs, ! hlovca.ou