Wichita eagle., 1889-11-10

knowing how to begin, for felt, If / spoke
out plainly, my housekeeper must infallibly
think that had suddenly taken leave of my
senses
What win ZEE please to have. sirF' replied
Mrs. Trickey, in true Devonshire fashion.
Mrs. Trickey, will you please look in the
glass over the chimney piecegn bIurted out
rather abruptly, not knowing how else &c
find out what wanted to discover.
Get along with your nonsense, Master
Fred, cried Mrs. Trickey, with toss OF her
head, which was 50 energetic it almost dis
composed the stiff frills of her cap.
Unjust be mentioned here that Mrs Tricky
had lived with my mother when l was a boy,
and that, with her, still continued Master
Fred, though all the world besides knew me
as Frederick Heathcote, surgeon.
Il can assure you, Mrs. Trickey, 1 mean no
insult nor even joke replied humhiy. Il
fancied something was wrong In the redec-
ton Of the glass; perhaps Susan had not
busted it as she should Win you please look
into it with your experienced eyes, Mrs.
Trickeyi"
l was in hopes that this last implied COM
pliment would have propitiated the house
keeper, but apparently it had no such effect,
for after q short inspection of the mirror she
said, tartly:
The glass be right enough 50 far as 1 do
see: this be just one OF your whins, Master
Fred
''But, Mrs. Trickey, do please tell me what
you see when you look into it." exclaimed,
seeing that must DO more explicit if l wanted
to gain full certainty on the matter.
"Why, what should see but nay own face,
Master FredF she retorted snappishly; land
it be as good looking a face as the face of
many women who be ten years younger than
be, and can tell zee that it has been thought
o good looking face by scores of men IN It's
time
And herewith she bridled considerably, and
drew herself up.
And do you see nothing there besides your
face, then, Mrs TrickeyE'
''Bless and save Us, Master Fred. you must
be turning mazed, think, or else it be that
you be making regular fool Of me- / don t
see why you should make up such gammots
about my face when you've a-knowed 1t thess
last twenty years. l calls it very disrespect-
full, do"
And with a founce and bounce Mrs
Trickey turned and disappeared from the
room, leaving me alone with the house in the
mirror, which she certainly had not seen
| was musing uncomfortably on this fact,
with my eyes fixed on the vision, which To
me was distinct as ever, when the clock on
the chimney piece struck a quarter to O. Then
suddenly, as if wiped out by u spirits wing.
just when the little silver chime OF the clock
was ringing, house, garden, summer house,
moonlight, yellow CLEAN, vanished from the
mirror, and l saw nothing there save the re-
Election of the familiar room.
1t was certainly more wonderful phe-
nomenon than any which my medical books
and medical knowledge had taught me, and
sat up late that nigat thinking it over ard
trying vainly TO account for it. As, how
ever, l could not gein the slightest light on
the subject, turn the matter up and down as
l might in my brain, | came to resolution
on two points, and then went TO bed One of
these resolves was. that | would not reveal
the circumstance TO any one, because had
always most hearty dislike of gossip and
ridicule at my expense; and tho other was,
that would not allow the inexplicable vision
to trouble my mind SO as TO make me incapa-
bic of the daily work and duty Of life. My
natural calmness Of temperament and my
active, busy course of existence, made me
more able 10 make these determinations, with
some chance Of keeping TO them, than most
people ia my place.
/ slept well that night, and did not see the
house in the mirror once In my dreams Next
day was sent for In haste to attend d danger
Gus, difficult case. which required all my skill
and energy. By the tune the evening was
again come the impression made by the
strange circumstance Of last night, had In a
great measure faded out of my mind.
1t 50 happened that was engaged To spend
that evening with my friends, Mr. and Mrs.
Woodland. Mr.. Woodland was a banker,
and his wife was pretty, sparkling woman
the queen Of society in our town. She and
were always close allies; she would chatter to
me of all her family affairs, and Ia certain
way made me her confdant. On the occasion
in question was Mr.. and Mrs. Woodlands
only guest The banker slunbered in his arm
chair, the lady had two or three bits Of gossip
to tell me about the neighborhood, and two
or three new books to discuss with me, and a
deal to say besides about the first appearance
of tooth in Miss Baby's little rosy mouth
That young heroine was brought down in
state In her night dress, and mad 10 examine
solennity.
Baby had retired again TO the nursery, and
had ceased her somewhat loud circumstances
with regard to the Inconvenience Of being
brought downstairs to appear in the drawing
room in such costume and at such an hour
Mrs Woodland was standing On the hearth
rug looking IN the mirror when the town
clock in the market place hard by struck s.
l.
face in the mirror, and thinking it was Ger
family 4 very pretty one. when suddenly at
the side of the lively brown eyes appeared
precisely the very same house, line for line,
which / had seen in my dining room mirror
yesterday at this same hour; garden, pagoda
like summer house, dlvery moonlight, yellow
Iampiight giearn--aH were there.
] could not beip start and o n,nrmured
expression Of wonder. Mrs. Woodland turned
round quickly at the sound.
What il tho natterF she asked in sur
prise
''Oh, just twinge Of rheumatism In my
shoulder | answered carelessly. Il caught
ii riding home through the Storm yesterday.
Mr.. HesshcotA, what do you sc 20 won
derful tn the looking glass to-uizhtT' she
asked, few minutes after, potsciag with
feminine quicime-s the direction In which
my eyes, In spite Of 1ysf, were 50 fire.
euentiy turned
Il was thinking that Il / were a little
handsousr man than am, / ssoeld Try and
get wife made exActly on your pattern, 4" /
replied lightly.
With toese and . few mere te~tirg words
/ cnrrived 20 put Mrs. Woodland curl
oxt~v 70 ssepro again rhgie froxn s3zs e..
time. watched the vts:onary hous.. l. wAs
iCs. ] had e-T~cted: when TIE clock
cnimed q quarter 20 IL vanished eracfly az