Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1891-06-26

Count de Lisle 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 distcnded eyes. She stared at him
IS if she hardly realized his presence,
but after a moment she pnt out her hand
and clutched him by the sleeve. She
drew him into the room.
why did you put me here" she said,
in husky voice. What was it,
care you Ill: Is anything wrong?" he
asked anXiously.
That mirror!" she continued. 81 saw
i thought OH what was it,
A tremor passed through her and her
teeth chartered.
THE mirror" he repeated, looking
perrlexed
She turned as if with an effort and
gave glance toward it. The room was
full Of light. The fire burned cheer
fully. The antique mirror reflected their
two figures standing together in the
doorway, After pause she gave faint
laugh and put her hand to her head. 81
was asleep, | suppose; it must have been
dream-a nightmare. Dead men are
dead!" and she laughed again.
"You are not we'll" he said. "You
had better lie down on the bed for an
hour or two and rest. will see that
YOU are not disturbed | will receive the
guests myself
REST in that room" she exclaimed
She gave him very searching glance.
"You We're speaking about ghosts a
while ago" she observed. ANY one
would think YOU had preseutiment.
All, we'll! You'll think I'm out
of my head. Come, am ready. Don't
be afraid, dear count. | shall be equal
to the emergency"
In fact she recovered her self-posses-
sion very rapidly, and was even more
alert than usual. The incident of the
mirror had aroused every latent quality,
/ good or evil, III her nature. And her
| mind, which wus strongly materialistiG
| and logical in its bias, applied itself with
sort of angry heat to the 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
Keppel Darke. AS she had sprung to.
ward it it had vanished, and she had
| found herself gazing at her own fright
ened eyes i'll the mirror. What was 1T
/ She had heard Of authorizations, visions
cerebral mpressons-there were names
enough but the more she thought of thit
experience of hers the more convinced
she was that it was real. She had seer
"a real substantial figure, and its face wa;
that of Keppel Darke. But how was that
possible? Was not Keppel Darke's dead
body found In the railroad wreck, hand
cutPed 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
would be substantially rhe same. Itcould
have been no accident; there was plar
and purpose behind. Some power hos
tile to her was at work. Was the count
aware of it? How could he but be aware
Of H Then he was her enemy-her deadl,
enemyl And he had invited her hero
and had placed her in that room, with
the premeditated design Of Wen, Of
WHAT Of giving her scareG No, not
that. OF giving her warning Of battle
throwing down the gauntlet? Hardly
that. either.