Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1891-03-29

| ladies OF the house. The doors OF the
two rooms were opposite each other.
Ny wife and the two girls were sitting
in the latter'S room, and the doors OF
both rooms were open.
Such is the simple summary of the
tale. II you have got it clear in your
mind, you are ready TO hear what hap
pened.
As l sat reading, heard light step,
and the rustic of a dress, descending the
stairs. at is not my wife'S step, u
thought l, lit is one OF the girls" Half
way down the stairs, she paused an in
slant, and spoke. What she said
could not distinguish, but l recognized
the voice as Lilly'S 1--WE will say, and
sure enough, the next moment, Lily
came into the room.
She came in, humming to herself, and
evidently supposing the room to be
empty. She had got TO the middle of
the floor before she got sight of me, in
the window seat. She gave slight
startled exclamation, and stopped, star
ing at me.
1t is natural to be startled, when you
suddenly find you are not alone But
why this fxedness of gaze, and dia-
ton of the eyes? Surely, Lilly was IA
miliar enough with my outward aspect
not TO be amazed at detecting me in a
place where there was reason to sup
pose l might be- whats the natter"
said l.
"How did you get here?" returned
Lilly, short of breath, and seeming much
disturbed.
1--WE been here ever since lunch, re-
piled; fright in this window"
She paused 4 moment, and then said:
Il just met you as was coming down
the stairs You were going up. You
brushed right by me. Why, l spoke to
you. You didn't answer, though; you
just went right on"
When l saw that she was in earnest,
and was becoming momentarily more
agitated, | came to the only rational
conclusion possible, namely: That some
unauthorized person had got into the
house. This person had met her on the
stairs: she had supposed it must be my
self, and he had profited by her mis-
take. 1t was true that the staircase
was quite light, there being a window
on the landing above, as well as the
house door below: and that four o'clock
of Sunday afternoon was an odd time
for burglar to enter house viSibly
occupied by wide-awake people. Never
theleSS, Lilly had seen somebody. and it
was high time TO find out who he was
and what he was after.
Accordingly. ! laid down my book,
and went upstairs, with Lilly close be-
hind me. My wife, and the other
daughter of the home, were still sitting
In the bedroom; and when they saw me
in the hall, they, too, uttered simultan-
eouSly an exclamation of establishment.
They, TOO. demanded to know how
came there. In reply to my questions
they said that they had just heard some
one go into the bedroom oppoSite-my
wife'S and mine. Were they sure ii
was l? They had not the slightest
doubt on the subject. They had seen
my face, my dress and my gait. 1t was
l, and no one else. How, then, could l
be in two places at once?
1t was my conviction that no such
Self-duplication was possible. But since
the mysterious person, whoever he was,
had entered our room, and had not
come out again; and since there was no
means of exit from that room except
by that door, was satisfied that the
person in question was there; and fol-
lowed him in the full expectation Of