Evening journal., 1892-11-22
THAT MIRROR.

It was altogether queer. and Jingle
berry to this day does not entirely I'M
derstand it. He had examined las heart
as carefully as he knew how. and had
arrived at the entirely reasonable con
,clusion that Ire was in love- He had
every symptom of that malady. When
Miss Marian Chapman was within range
Of his vision there was room for no one
else there. He suffered from that pc
culfr optical condition which enabled
him to see but one thing at time when
she was present, and she was that one
thing, which was probably the reason
why in his minds eye she was the only
woman in tho world, for Marian was
ever present before Jingleberry's mental
optic.
He had also examined as thoroughly
as he could in hypothesis the heart of
this "only woman" and he had--or
thought he had, which amounts TO. the
same thing-reason to believe that she
reciprocated his. affection. She certainly
sesmed glad always when he was about.
She called him by his first name. and
sometimes quarTeled with him as she
quarreled with no one else, and if that
wasn't sign of love in woman, then
Jingleberry had studied the sex all his
years-and they were thirty-two-for
nothing. In short Marian behaved so
like sister to him that Jingleberry.
knowing how dreams and women go by
contrarfes, was absolutely sure that
sister was just the reverse from that re-
lationship which in her heart Of hearts
she was willing to assume toward him,
and'he was happy in consequence.
Believing this, it was not atall strange
that he should make up his mind to pro-
pose marriage 10 her. though, like many
other men. he was somewhat chicken
hearted in coming TO the point Four
times had he called upon Marian for the
sole purpose Of asking her to become his
wife, and four times had he led up to
the point and theR talked about some
Sling else. What quality it is in man
that makes a coward Of him in the pres
ence of one he considers his dearest
friend is not within the province Of this
narrative to determine. bat Jinglebery
had it in its most virulent form. He
had often got SO FAR along in his proposal
as. "Marian-er-will you-will ySun-
and there he had as often stepped. con-
tsnting himself with such commonplace
conclusions as ''go TO the matinee with
me tomorrow" o. TASK your father for
me If he thinks the stock market is like
ly 10 strengthen soons" and other amaz-
ing substitutes for the words he so ~
IDENTIFY desired yet feared TO utter.
But this afternoon - the one upon
which the extraordinary events about
to be narrated took place-Jingleberry
had called, resolved not to be baked in
bis. discrimination to learn his fate. He
had come to propose, and propose he
would. ruat cnluin. His confidence in
a successful termination TO his suit had
been re-enforced that very morning by
the receipt of note from Miss Chap
man asking him to dine with her par
ents and herself that evening. and TO
accompany them after dinner to she
opera. Surely shat msant a great deal.
and Jingleberry conceived that the time
was ripe for blushing ''yesN to his
long deferred question. SO be was here
. in the Chapman parlOr waiting for the
youRg lady to come down and become
the EeeiPiese of the interesting inter-
rogatory," as it is called in some sec
tions Of Massachusetts.
'l'll ask her the first thing" said
Jngleberry, buttoning up his Prinse
Albert. as though to impart possibly
needed stifiening to his backbone. She
will say yes, and then shall enjoy the
dinner and the opera SO much the more.
Aheml / wonder if am pale--l feel
sort ofz-um-- There's mirror That
will tell" Jingleberry walked To the
mirror-an oval. gilt framed mirror.
such as was very much the vogue fifty
years ago. for which reason alone. no
doubt, it was now adrntted to the gold
and white parlor Of the house Of Chap
man.
blessed thinSs. these mirrors" said
Jingleberry, gazing at the refeetion OF
his face. 80 reassuring. lLlnot at all
pale. Quite the contrary. I'm red As q
sunset. Good omen that The sun r
setting on my bachelor days-and my
scarf is crooked. Ahr
The ejaculation was one Of pleasure
for pictured in fhe mirror JiHgleberY
saw the fern of Marian entering tn,
room through the portieres.
How do YOU do, Marian? Been ad
miring myself in the glass. he said
turning 10 greet her ''l-er"-
Here hs-stopped. as well he might. foi
he addressed no one. Miss Chapman
was nowhere to be seen.
"Dear mel' said Jingleberry. rubbing
his eyes in establishment. "How extraor
binary! thought sure / SAW her-why
Ibid see her-that is. saw her reflection
in the gla- Ha! ha! She caught IN,
gazing at myself there aud has hidden
He wallsed to the door and pulled tht
portiere aside and looked into the hail
There was no one there. He searched
every corner of the hall and Of the din
ing room at its end. and then returned
to the parlor. but it was still empty
And then occurred the most straEgel,
unaccountable event in his life
As he looked around the parlor he fo
the second time found himself before th'
mirror but the reflection therein. thougl
II xr-oc of himself was Of hiutcplf Will