Wichita eagle., 1889-11-15


| ton to brood over gloomy, shadowy, fanciful
| troubles. One morning there arrived tele-
| gram from Lecco, on the Lake Como, IN north
| Italy. saying that NY sister. on her way home
| from India, had faIIc.l dangerously Ill there
| and calling me at once to her side. knew
| that Lottie's health had been delicate ever
since her baby was born, and that she vaf
| about to return to England for the sake OF q
,ooler climate and the best medical advice.
| knew, too, that she meant to return through
Italy, but was hardly aware that she had
| as vet, started from Bombay, and had moi
| the faintest notion that her disease might
| possibly take such q dangerous turn Nc
| wonder, then, that the tidings wore . severe
| blow
Lottie was far more to me than sisters gen
erally are to their brothers. She was sew
| eral years younger than was and she had
been drst my plaything, then my pupil; and
had experienced pang Of real jealousy on
| that day when, sitting on a stool at my feet,
| with her sweet face hidden on my knees, she
| confessed to me there was one who was more
| to her than was, one who was more to her
| than all the world besides. This foolish feel
ing, of course, quickly passed away, and
reioiced to see her a happy bride; yet Lottie
| will not dwell upon the hurried journey,
with Fear sitting at my side, nor the long
! nights and days of dreary, anxious watch
ing 1t suffices to say here that my sweet
girl was at length given back to my arms,
after through long weeks, my medical care
and skill had battled with death for her.
During the whole Of this period the house in
the mirror never again appeared to me, and,
Ia
the remembrance of it even hardly entered
my mind
One lovely evening in early spring, whe:c.
Lottie was much better, but not strong
enough yet 20 be moved, I had been taking a
long ramble into the lovely country that sur
rounds Lake Como, and on my return had
lost my way. The sun had set, the moon had
risen, and was bathing the world in silver
sea. l had reached path by the lake and
was pausing to consider in which direction
Lecco lay. The scene around was all one
glory Of stiffness and of brightness. A breeze
just stirred the waters softly with kiss; the
outlines of the distant hills were soft and
tender, as if drawn by an artist angels pen
eli; here and there among them there was a
white glimmer which told of a hamlet or a
homestead; hard by nightingale just struck
a single golden note, and then was silent
again, as if he feared to break the calm spell
OF the moon.
Ali at once I started, and a low exclama-
ton broke from my lips. Ny eyes were rest
ing on the surface Of the lake, and there, mir
rored in its clear waters, beheld exactly the
same house and garden which had so often
before left England met my view In such a
strange mysterious way. Disturbed, aston
ished, unable to believe my own senses, I
glanced round behind me, and there on lit
tie rising ground above the lake, saw a
house which correspondent to the reflection
below, and which was In every respect the
realization of my vision. Just then the clock
of some distant church up among the hills
struck eight
The whole circumstances and coincidence
we're so singular that could not help being
impressed and startled by it. antagonists
though my whole nature was to all imaginary
fears and beliefs, I approached the gate Of
the garden, and noted how, In every smallest
particular, even to the star like flowers of
the creeper on the wall, even the fresco of
the old woman with the basket OF oranges at
her feet, even to the slightly opened window
with the ray of light gliding through it, it
was the complete likeness of the house which
had SO often met my view in the mirror The
very name of the villa filed me with a
strange eerie feeling: LA Casa dello Spec
CHA" 1t had evidently been so named from
the peculiarly clear and beautiful reflection
which it had produced in the waters Of the
lake.
The complex thoughts and feeling which
the sight of the villa and its name called I'D
caused me to linger near it for some little
time until began to fear that my mind was
going to take morbid, sickly turn, and re-
solved to leave the spot at once. just as
had turned to go, however, gold seal which
had belonged to my father, and which, there
FORE was much valued by me, happened to
fall from my watch chain, and spent some
time in looking for it, for 1t had rolled down
the hill into the grass
had at length found the seal, and was NOV
ing away when the same distant clock struck
a quarter to nine. Scarcely had the sound
died on the house when long, shrill cry
came ringing out of the house into tho night,
apparently through the partially open Win
dow. After that l cannot describe the mo-
tives which impelled me- l only know that,
led by what was more like instinct than
anything else, l rushed across the garden
and entered the door of the lonely house.
There the first thing l beheld In the en-
trance hall was a girl, with fair English
face In . state Of evident great terror and
agitation.
"What is the matterT asked. II heard
your cry. am an Eng lishman, and I am
here to give you any help and service can"
MY father, who is lying i'll, has just swal
lowed poison by mistake" she answered at
once, for grief is never surprised. 81 could
not help crying out when discovered it. All
our servants happen to be out, and have no
one to send 10 Como for a DOCTOR
II am one,n said, land with Gods help, l
will save your father"
1t so happened that that day had been
moving Lottie into more airy lodgings, and
had put my little travelling case Of medicines
and instruments, for better security, into the
pocket Of my great coat, which hung on my
arm.
prompt measures took, the poisoned mans
life, and that fair girl has become my home
queen. The villa is her fathers property, and
our brightest holidays are spent in ia Casa
dAllo Specckian-The house Of the mirror
Base Running.
To Fogarty, Of the Philadelphia club, BE-
longs the title es the peerless base runner Of
the League. His average is .43s per cent.
That means that nearly every other time be
reached first base this season he has stolen
another. Sunday follows with . percentage
of .4o5. Then comes Tom Brown, .401; Kelly,
.S22; Hanlon, SOC, and Ward, .29S. Presi-
dent Young has used the correct method in
making up the base running avsrages-that
Is divided the number of bases stolen with