The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1892-12-10
THAT MIRROR.

IL n uL.LlblbOlls
Il was altogether queer, and Jingle
berry to this day does not entirely un-
derstand it. He had examined his heart
as carefully as he knew how, and had
arrived at the entirely reasonable con-
clusion that he 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
culiar optical condition which enabled
him to see but one thing at time when
she was present, and she was that enc
thing, which was probably the reason
why in his minds eye she was the only
woman in the 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
seemed glad always when he was about.
She called him by his first name, and
sometimes quarreled with him as she
quarreled with no one else, and IL that
wasn't a 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 a sister to him that Jingleberry,
knowing how dreams and women go by
contrsries, was absolutely sure that q
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 to 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 then talked about some
thing 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, but Jingleberry
had it in its most virulent form. He
had often got 80 far along in his proposal
as, "Marian-er-win you-will you
and there he had as often stopped, con-
/ tenting himself with such commonplace
conclusions as "go to the matinee with
me tomorrow or task your father for
me if he thinks the stock market is like
| ly to strengthen SOON" and other amaz-
| ing substitutes for the words he 50 ar
IDENTIFY desired yet feared to utter.
But this afternoon - the one upon
which the extraordinary events about
to be narrated took place--Jingleberr
had called, resolved not TO be baked in
his determination to learn his fate. He
had come to propose, and propose he
would, ruat cRlum. His confidence in
| 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, aud to
accompany them after dinner to the
opera. Surely that meant great deal,
and Jingleberry conceived TINT the time
was ripe for IA blnshing yes" to his
long deferred question. So he was here
in the Chapman parior waiting for the
young lady to come down and become
the recipient of the interesting inter-
rogatory," as it is called in some sec
tions of Massachusetts,.
"Tll ask her the first thing" said
Jingleberry buttoning up his Prince
Albert, as though to impart "a possibly
needed stiffening 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 of-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, nc
doubt, it was now admitted to the gold
and white parlor of the house of Chap
man.
BLESSED things, these mirrors" said
Jingleberry, gazing at the reflection oi
his face. 80 reassuring. I'm not at al
pale. Quite the contrary. I'm red as 6
sunset. Good omen that! The sun il
setting on my bachelor days-and my
scarf is crooked. Ali"
The ejaculation was one of pleasure
for pictured in the mirror JingleberrJ
saw the form of Marian entering the
room through the portieres.
"How do you do, Marian? Been ad
miring myself in the glass" he said
turning to greet her, ''l--er"-----
Here he stopped, as well he might, foi
he addressed no one. Miss Chapman
was nowhere to be seen.
Dear me- said Jingleberry, rubbing
his eyes in astonishment. How extraor
dinaryl thought sure saw her-why
did see her--that is, saw her reflection
in the gla- Ha! hal She caught mi
gazing at myself there and has hidden.
He walked TO the door and pulled the
portiere aside and looked into the hall
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 paTlor but 1t was still empty
And then occurred the most strangely
unaccountahle event in his life.
As he looked around the parlor he fol
the second time found himself before thu
mirror, but the reflection therein, thougl
it was of himself, was of himself, will
his back turned to his real self. as b,
stood gazing amazedly into the glass
and besides this, although Jingleberry
was Blone in the real parlor, the Tehec
tion Of the dainty room showed tha
there he was not so. for seated in hel
accustomed graceful attitude in the re
fiected armchair was nothing less thar
the counterfeit presennnent of Marian
Chapman herself.
1t was a wonder JingleberIy's eyes die
not fall out Of his head. he stared so
What 3 situation II was, TO be sure, L
stand there and see in the glass a scent
which, as far as he could observe, haC
no basis in reality; and interesting 4
was for Jingleberry 10 watch himself
going through the form OF chatting
pleasantly there in the mirrors depth
J with the woman he loved! 1t almos
made him Jealous. though, the reelected
Jingleberry was so entirely independen
} of the real Jinglebeny. The Jealousy
soon gave way To CONSERVATION, for, Il
= the wondering suitor. the independen
reflection was beginning to do that fo
which he himself had come. In othej
words, there was proposal going on il
the glass. and ,liugleberry enjoyed thu
novel sensation of seeing how he him
self would lool, when passing through /
similar ordeal.
Altogether, however. it was not Al
|. pleasing as most novelties are for ther'
were distinct signs in the face Of the mir
!. rored Marian that the mirrored Jingle
berry's words were distastefui TO her
!. and that the proposition he was making
Mns not ONE She conld entertain nndel