Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-05-15
.nIs. MY pEAR. IS 4 MAG1cN. GLASS. !"

''THIs, sIY DEAR, is MAGICAL. GLASS"
you see, it's a mirror. The glass Is be-
lieved to be specimen of medieval
Venetian work, and the frame is un-
questionably a magnificent bit OF
cinquecento."
The whole affair was no bigger than a
lady's hand The glass unusually thick,
and fluted round the edge, was veined
and spotted and bleared over with
fine blush mist, like the eye of an
aged man. The frame was indeed mag
nifcent. Oval in shape, and apparent
ly of pure gold,-so soft, at any rate,
that you could have indented Ii with
your finger-nail-it was sculptured with
no fewer than five exquisite nude fe-
male figures, disporting themselves in
fantastic but graceful attitudes amid
profusion of dclicately chiselled fruits
and leaves. Three of these figures re-
clined upon tiny golden couches, in each
of which was set a lustrous ruby; the
other two rode upon conventionalised
lions. and each lion held a pearl be-
tween his teeth. At the base pair OF
dolphins twisted their tails together,
and formed the handle Upon scroll
at the handle end were incised the date,
1861, and the initials, Z. d.
'Tt is a beautiful piece of work." said
I, LAYING it aside, "and envy you the
possession of it. But what has it
got to do with your visit here?"
"Everything," he returned. Its
this way" He paused for a moment;
then he went on: Last night, after din
ner, picked that little mirror up, and
said jol1ingly to my wife: This, my dear
is a magical glass. If hold it over my
waistcoat, thus, and you look in, you
will see straight through into my heart,
and behold the face Of the woman
love" So Mrs. Carathwaite laughed
and looked, and of course she saw her
own face. Then to carry on the farce,
I said: Now let me see whether 1t will
show me the face of the man you love-
And, always laughing, held it over her
breast, and looked in"
"Yes?'' I prompted, as he paused
again.
"Well, doctor, instead of my own
face, what saw reflected in that glass
was grinning deaths head-a skull.
saw it just as plainly as | see you now.
I looked at it steadily without moving,
for, l should think, three minutes. 1t
never varied A human skull in abso-
lutte detail--eyes, nose, teeth, even the
very seams between the bones perfect
ly distinct. I'm not n superstitsous
man, bat confess the sight gave me
the roosehesh. If tcere superstitious,
I don't know what might think. I'm
not a drinking man, either, or else
should believe it was a touch of de-
lirium tremens. AS it is, I'm at an utter
,oss to account for it in any way except
on the thsory that it's the beginning of
some mental disease" He spoke ner-
vously and looked at me anxiousl y
when he had done. He was plainly in
white funk"
"Humphl You say you saw it stead
ily for two or three minutes?" l in
quired.
"Yes."
"Then did it disappear"
'It did not disappear till | moved
As soon as / moved the deaths head
disappeared and I saw the reflection OF
my own face"
'Have you ever had any similar ex-
perience before? Ever fancied you saw
an object just before you that had in
reality no eXistence?"
Never in my life"
"Is your digestive apparatus in good
shape?"
"In such perfect shape that I'm never
conscious of possessing such thing"
"And your general health?"
superb"
"Let me feel your pulse" His pulse
was firm, regular and proper in time
s'Show me your tongue" His tongue
was pink and clean. open your eyes
wide and look towards the light" His
eyes were steady in their gaze, the pu-
pills contracted readily and the lid
dropped spontaneously upon my ap-
preaching my finger.
Ibid you tell your wife what you had
seen?" asked
mo; didn't want to alarm her. She
noticed that | stared at the thing In
rather a startled manner; but laughed
1t Off"
was silent for awhile, toying with
the mirror and wondering what the
case might mean.
"Well, what do you make it out to
be?" he inquired.
"Oh!'' l replied, II can't say as yet
! haven't sufficient data. The trouble
may be in your optic nerve; it may be
in your liver, and it may be elsewhere
still. should have to put you through
q lengthy examination. And just at
this moment / am too tired and too
hungry to begin one. If you will give
me time to eat some luncheon I'll be in
better trim"
"Oh! certainly, certainly. Only can't
you tell me at once whether you think
/ am going TO lose my reason?"
II hardly think You are going to lose
your reason" | replied. And now il
you will excuse me for q little. III 20