Mexico weekly ledger., 1891-11-05

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She stagqored, turned partly round ana
srOuId hare fallen.
Couat de Isle knocked at the door.
For a minute or two there was no an
swer. He knocked again. Madame
Trent" he said, pardon me for disturb
ing you but the guests are beginning to
arrive" The door was opened slowly.
The beautiful Sallie stood there pale,
with disteudfd eyes. She stared at him
a. il she hardly realized his presence,
but after q moment she put out her hand
and clutchcd him by the sleeve. she
drew him into the room.
.Why did You put me here?' she said,
in a husky voice. "Nhat was itg'
"Are you i'll? Is anything wrong?:' be
asked ~anxiously.
THAT mirror" she continued. 81 saw
Il thought > = = Oh. what was it"
A tremor passed through her and her
teeth chartered.
THE mirror" be repeated, looking
perplexed.
She turned as if with al effort and
gave a glance toward it. The was
full of light. The fire burned cheer
fully. The antique mirror reflected their
two figures standing together in the
doorway. After a pause she gave a faint
laugh and put her hand to her head. 81
was asleep, l suppose; it must have been
a dream-a nightmare. Dead men are
deadr and she laughed again.
''You are not WELL" he said. "You
had better lie down on the bed for an
hour or two aud rest. | will see that
you are not disturbed. I will receive the
guests myself"
'Rest in that room." she exclaimed.
She gave hin a very searching glance.
you were speaking about ghosts a
while ago." she observed. "Any one
would think you hal a presentiment.
e y All, well. You'll think I'm out
of my head. Come, / am ready. Don't
be afraid, dear count. 1 shall be equal
to the emergency"
In fact she recovered her self-posses-
sion very rapidly, and was wen more
alert than usual. The incident of the
mirror had aroused every latent quality,
good or evil, in her nature. And her
mind, which was strongly materialistic
and logical in its bias, applieditself with
a sort of angry heat to tne consideration
of the mystery. She did not believe in
ghosts, and she had not been asleep. Yet
she had seen in the mirror the reflection
or, as it seemed, the actual figure of
Reppel Darke. As she had sprung to-
ward it it had vanished, and she had
found herself gazing at her own fright
ened eyes in the mirror. What was it!
She had heard Of Authorizations, visions,
cerebral impressions-theFe were names
enough; but the more she thought of this
experience Of hers the more convinced
she was that it was real. She had seer
areal substantial figure, and its face was
that of Keppel Darke. But how was that
possible? Was not Keppe1 Darke's dead
body found in the railroad wreck, hand.
cuffed to the dead body of the police
officer' No matter; this was either KEEP.
pei Darke or it was some one who ex
actly resembled him. Whichever it was
the bearing of his appearance to hel
wouldb be substantially the same. Itcould
have been no accident; there was a plan
and a purpose behind. Some power hos.
tile to her was at work. Was the count
aware of it? How could he but be aware
OF it! Then he was her enemy-her deadly
enemy! And he had invited her here
and had placed her in that room, with
the premeditated design Of Well, o.
what? OF giving her o scare? No, moi
that. OF giving her warning of battle
throwing down the gauntlet? Hardl,
that, either.
ut is no use my trying to fathom hi
motives yet" said Sallie tt herself. g.
must wait and watch. Perhaps he meant
only to try al experiment on me; he ha,
some problem to solve, and would ties
it by my behavior. But what concern
has he with Keppel Darke? What is tn,
OBJECT Of Keppel Darke himself-if wha
l saw was really he? Count de LisI,
would be a powerful friend-and a ter
rible enemyl There is almost nothin,
that a man of his resources could not &C
complish. Yes, and cannot I, too, &C
complish something? Have not womer
no mora beautiful or clever than I work
ed miracles before now? And after all
have nothing to fear. Keppel Dark
may come back from the grave if h
will, but Harry Trent will not. An,
even IL he did . = = $50 glad to Sc
you, Mrs. Yanderdonder' '.Great pleas
ure, Miss Fitz- Murrayr' "Your wifi
unwell? What a pity. Mr.. Roylance!
YES, like a fairy palace"
For, all the while that Sallie was dc
batting a matter of vital interest to her
self, she had been standing near the en-
rance to the drawing room, with Coun
dc Lisle on her left hand. receiving an
exchanging amenities with one group o
Individual after another of arriyin
guests. Everybody knows how readil
this duality of nature develops itsel
when any powerful impression is work
ing on the mind. The sonl so seldor
has any part in the farrago of CONVEX
donai and automatic things that W
daily say and do, that when by chane
Ills aroused it can attend to its affai
without being in the least disturbed b
the din Of external things. Sallie, az
cordingiy. smiled and ehatted fully :
well as usual. while her real thearht
were ranging to and fro through til
past, and questioning the future in
that those who saw her standin
there IN the soft light, glowing an
sparkling, would have been astouisbe
to even suspect.
Civilization seldom can show a fair.
scene than lay before Sallie's eyes IN,
evening. The guests seemed 10 have dor
their best TO render themselves harm,
niousw with their environment. The bea,
oful girls were never 50 beautiful h
tore; the wornen with taste in dress we,
never so tastefgIly dressed as this nigh
the women with jewels never before
shoiie and glittsred. As for the me,
they could not array themselves in sill
and satins, as they might have done
hundred yea-s earlier, but they made +
nor their plain black and white hy "
q good hnnaor. Everybody was fee
ing interested There had from the FIR
aeen curiosity to see how the con,
would manage his entertainment. an
this curiosity had now taken on q deer.
9 hvcstertona- The company felt I'll,
u was going 10 pass an evening that
would remember, and that whatever q
pecfations might be aroused, the con,
waa quite shle to surpass them vitho,
much exerting himself. Ererrthinr ne,
epsuazd ezs1xad without hitch. s