Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-01-14

ments, and at last found the whole
concourse Of employees on the roof,
and Fred greets me with '"fhe Lilv
Cross Is gone, and 1 haven't left the
building since ninG o'clock last night!
We are looking for tracks,"
Cracks of what?" One answers.
''The cat who stole the canary? Come
down! Do you think any one, feline
or human, could remove that picture
and ycu not hear it?" This 70 Fred.
"And another reason, they could not
do anything with it without being
instantly detected. This is very mys
teriou. Anything else gomez"
"Ntt the. can fnd," replied Fred,
in nervous though honest anxiety, ran
sacEiAs corners and cupboards and
boxes and cases; "no trace Of othe-
theft"
An officer was sent for, who
appeared at once, and in true con-
stabulary manner went TO work, over
hauling poor Fred, and finding he had
ga dollar and quarter" in his pockets,
he (the officer) laid So much stress on
the discovery that the operator sug-
gested he evidently intended to prove
that Fred had bartered the picture "for
ave silver quarters !"
The mystery remained unsolveG,
and busy day was more than half
spent, and had been considering the
e1pedient Of enforcing my mornings
note 10 Miss Cotton by q personal ex-
planation, when in walked that lady
herself, calm, majestic and serene as
her own paintings.
"Now what have you done with my
lilly Cross?'" were her greeting
words, but not tone or an expression
IF reproach.
"Oh, Miss Cottonw was all one
veatured to say.
"Now don't you worry, nv de-c--,
ats all right" aud she drew her lips
together in Enthusiastically myste.
rious manner, and then in a whisper
impaired TO very willing ear, ''J
dreamed something"
Dreamed? Why, I dreamed
something too-let me Think was
so apprehensive on awakening this
morning'-I replied in a Illuminating
accent.
"Did you? Well, now, try to think
of it, dear. You know 1 have some
faith in the power of the uninfuenced
sleeping mind TO acquaint itself with
the object of its waking solicitude."
a moments thought, and as if tT
magic it all occurred to me.
"1t seems l had started in new bus
mess, and by an invention of my own,
which was striving to keep secret, l
could by means of a strangely seLsi-
tized plate and internally acting lens
photograph the conceptions Of nv mind
as fast as they were formed! aud by
this means the most beautiful ideal
subjects were produced, which was
to sell to artists to save them es 7
thought, the trouble of looking up. life
sitters; and all these negatives, some
i've hundred, was storing in our
scene closet in the upper hall! thought
in going to this closet with number
Of negatives, l opened the door and
found the whole closet occupied with
canvas stretchers, upon each Of which
was outlined woman's hand holding
= cross.
at made me shiver, It seemed so
suggestive Of my own trying position,
and fed back 70 the operating room,
which seemed flooded with sunlight so
binding that in rubbing my eyes to re-
move the effect, l awakened TO find the
sun SHINING in and the clock striking
1Fen.
al did not not retain my dream, but
the feeling Of apprehension which l
mentioned wa. explained on arriving
at the studio.
Mis-. Cotton listened with q very
constructive look in her eyes, and
when ] had finished, observing a sug-
gestive moisture in eyes ever ready to
pour forth their foods of despair,
said only this: "Mysteries in that
closet, dear; I'd look in it,"
Twas off to obey the bidding Of a
divine impulse, but she stopped me
with, "Wait and hear my dream
which was, that your printer Fred,
who sleeps here, is a somnambulist."
At which was again ready to start
FOG the unknown mysteries of that
scene closet, but she held me fast while
she continued, "And l saw him in my
dream floating my Lilly Cross on the
Charles River near the bridge, the
audacity of him." 1 did not stop to
hear more, but calling Fred, requested
him to unlock said closet without de-
tsy.
"Why, It's not locked!" he cried,
and dazed and wondering he revealed
to an equally puzzled audience sight
from which neither scripture nor sci
ence can remove the marvellous.
There stood the Lilly Cross in per-
feet safety, deposited upon rugs SO as
to prevent the gold Of the frame from
marring.
Evidently the work Of some motive
Of carelessne.s, whether conscious or
Fred wa. questioned. He admitted
having awakened and fuond himself
in the midst of silvering process one
night, in the dark, undressed, yet
handling albumen paper most dexter
ously.
Our dreams were related, and upon |
reflection Frsd remembered finding the .
kew to the scene closet under MS pillow,
bS, never of q questioning mind in /
matters of more moment, he was not
At all disturbed at finding the key had ,
wandered from the rack.
Well, the Lilly Cross was despatch
I'd to the exhibition forthwith, without !
.aking any impressions; and Fred was /
obliged to seek other lodgings, as 1t .
was evident that his sleeping acts were
more solicitously effective than his
iaily and habitual routine Of employ
nent.
One wonders by what hypnotic pow
n were the unconcious minds Of three
people blended SO as to make a unit OF
discovery. The somnambulist who hid
he picture; the artist who saw her
picture in the hands of the somnambu-
list; and l, who saw the cross symbol
where the Christ symbol was hidden.
A. SoUTHILI