The Russellville Democrat., 1886-04-29

) fresco such 81 / had heard described a.
oxiSfIn9 on the walls Of houses In Italy,
where I had never been-a fresco rcp-
resenting an old woman sitting with >
basket Of oranges 81 her feet. There
were four windows. two upstairs, two
down, exactly over each other; they
were all half shaded with green blinds,
and could see that the top one, on the
right hand side was slightly open. Up
the garden there ran . broad gravel
walk. with soft fresh turf, gemmed with
dower-beds on either side Of II. The
Enclosure was fenced round with >
rather high wooden paling, and in one
corner Of It there stood . summer house.
with quantity shaped roof, that had
something Of pagoda about It. Over
the whole there was spread 3 soft. sill
very light, as though bright, full
moon was shining down upon it. A
yellow CLEAN, as Of lamp burning
s:.s..ssilin, stole through the open window.
and mingled with the white rays with
out.
laid my fingers on my pulse. Was
/ going fast into a raging fever! My
pulses were as steady as they were
when rose that morning after nights
sound sleep. tested my brain by GO
! 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 c0olly
and calmly and regularly as it had ever
done. / repeated to myself several pas
sares Of poetry from differenfs authors
in different languages; they came as
| quickly and easily to my tongue as If !
had been reading them from . printed
book. / gazed around, and hxed my
eyes on various objects In the room to
see whether / should be subjected to
other optical illusions, but in all other
| points my eyes were as reasonable az
they usually were. They showed me
| nothing but the familiar chairs and Ia
BILE, aud the well-known pattern Of the
paper on the wall. Then looked back
at the mirror. The house was still
there.
| Had been reading lately descrip-
ton Of such house, or had ] lately seen
anywhere q picture like itp Either OF
these things might possibly have left q
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 painting had brought
such house and garden before my
thoughts. / was naturally neither OK
citable nor imaginative; indeed, | was
generally regarded by everyone who
knew me, and by myself INTO the bar
gain, as one of the most prosaic, rational
beings in the world. My fancy had
never before played me the smallest
| trick even as rode home, worn out
with watching by . sick bed, on the
darkest night; even In the many pain
full scenes fisal of death and gloom
through which my professional life 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 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 mirrorp / wondered. With
| 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. II 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 unwarrantable
whims on the worthy DANES part; she
was IS honest and simple-minded
woman IS ever handled . bunch OF
keys;
to ask You to do very simple thing, =
/ said, hesitatingly, now that she was
present. scarcely knowing how to be-
gin; for felt, II spoke out plainly, my
housekeeper must infallibly think
that had suddenly taken leave Of my
senses.
what will ZEE please to have, sirp"
replied Mrs. Trickey, in true Devon
shire fashion.
s.Mrs. Trickey will you please look
| in the glass over the chimney-p ieceP'
blurted out rather abruptly, not know
| ing how else to find out what wanted
to discover.
s.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.
It mus. be mentioned here that Mrs.
Trickey had lived with my mother when
was boy. and that, with her, | still
continued Master Fred. though ali the
world besides knew me as Frederick
Heathcote, Esq, surgeon.
II earn assure you, Mrs. Trickey, j
mean no insult, nor even joke, re-
piled. humbly. II fancied something
was wrong in the reflection of the glass;
perhaps Susan has not busted it as she
should. win you please look into il
with your experienced eyes, Mrs.
Trickeyp"
was in hopes that this last implied
compliment would have propitiated the
housekeeper; but apparently it had no
such effect, for after short inspection
of the mirror she said, tartly:
'sThe glass BIO right enough so far as
/ do see; this be just one of your items,
Master Fred"
"But, Mrs. Trickey. do please tell me
what you see when you look into it,"
exclaimed, seeing that / must be more
explicit If wanted to gain full certainty
on the matter.
why. what should l SEQ but my own
face, Master FredP' she retorted, snap
pishly; ''and it be ms good-looking a
face as the faces Of many women who