Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-01-15
THE MASK.


her" She was quaint old lady. about
Exty years OF age, with silver hair ana
the corkscrew riDglets OF oygone uAy.
"My daughter Is not very ceremonlous,
and is so wraDt up IN what she calls her
experiments that l sometimes tell her
she Is wanting in consideration. While
she Is making her preparations perhaps
YOU will allow me 20 offer you cup OF
TEA"
,vhe old lady carried a canister In her
hand, which apparently contained tea
TEA service was standing on a little
side table. A kettle was singing on the
bob. The old lady began 10 measure
out the tea into the teapot.
seVe always carry our own tea with
ms Neither my daughter nor l care
for the tea which they give you in no
tells"
meekly acQuiesced. To tell the
trntb. was trihs 0ewildered. bad
had no idea that Mas. Jaynes was &C
comDanied by her mother. Had not
the old lady come out OF the room i'm
mediately after the young one bad
gone into IT, | should have suspected
a trick-that / was being made the
spbiect OF experiment with the mysterI-
Gus mask" AS it was, was more
than half inclined TO ask her II she was
really what she seemed 70 be. But l
dacided-as IL turned out most IN
fortunately-to keep my own counsel
and 10 watch the sequence OF events.
Pouring me out cup OF tea, the old
lady seated herself on q low chair In
front Of the fire. .
NV daughter thinks great deal Of
her experiments. I hope you will not
encourage her She quite frighteus
me at times. She says such dreadful
things.
slipped my tea and smiled.
al don't think there is much cause
for fear"
"No cause for fear when she tells one
that she might commit murders that a
hundred thousand people might see her
do IL. and that not by any possibility
could the crime be brought home to
her" No.,
"Perhaps she exaggerates little"
'Do you thlOk that she can hearp"
The old lady glanced round In the d.
rection OF the bedroom door.
"You should know better than l.
Perhaps it would be as we'll 10 say moth
ing which you would not. Ike her 10
hear"
"But must tell some one. 1t fright
ems me. She says it is dream she
had"
81 don't think, II I were you, l would
nav much attention TO dream.
The old lady rose from her seat. 1
aid not altogether ike her manner. She
came and stood in front Of me, rubbing
her hands nervously, one over the other.
She certainly seemed considerably dis
turbed.
"She came down yesterday from Lon
don, and she says dreamed that she
tried one Of her e1periments-in the
train"
'In the trainw
"And in order that her experiment
might be thorough, she robbed a man"
"She robbed a mani"
"And in her pocket found this"
The old lady held out my watch and
chainl IL was unmiStakable. The
watch was a hunter. could see that
nv crest and monogram we're engraved
upon the case. / stood up. The
strangest part Of the affair was that
when / gained my feet il seemed as
though something had happened TO my
leQs-I could not move th9m. Probs-
bly something ia my demeanOr struck
the old lady as strange. She smiled at
me.
what is the matter with youP Why
do YOU look so fuuny?" she exclaimed.
'sThat is my watch and chain"
'sYour watch and chain -yOurSl
Then why don't you take them?"
She held them out u me In her extend
ed palm. She was not sir feet from where
/ stood, yet I could not reach them.
NV feet seemed glued 70 the floor.
"I-I cannot move. Something has
happened TO nv legs"
"Perhaps it Is the tea. 1 will go and
tell my daughter"
Before | could say word TO stop her
she was gone. / was fastened like a
post to the ground. What happened TO
me was more than could say. lthad all
come In an instant / felt as / had felt
In the railway carriage the day before
AS though l were in dream. l look
ed around me, saw the teacup on the
little table ST my side, saw the flicker
ing fire, saw the shaded lamps; | was
conscious Of the presence Of all these
things, but saw them as II saw them
insa dream. A sense OF nausea was
stealing over me-a sense OF horror. l
was afraid Of l knew not what. was
unable to ward of or to control my fear.
cannot say how long | stood there
certainly some minuteS-he pleSS,
struggling against the pressure which
eoar,o6 ~ ,gaigh unOn NIX hrain Sud-
denly, WithOut any sort OF warning, the
bedroom door opened, and there walked
into the room the young man who be-
fore dinner visited me In mY own apart
ment, and who yesterday had travelled
with me ia the train. He came straight
across the room and, with the most
perfect GOODNESS, STOOD right Ia front Of
me. could see that in his shirt-front
were my studs. When he raised his
hands could see that in his wristbands
we're my links l could sea that be
was wearing my watch and
chain. He was actually holding my
watch Ia his hand when be addressed
me.
Al have only half a minute to spare,
bat l wanted to speak TO you about.
Mary Brookner. saw her portrait in
YOUR room-yOu remember? She's what
is called a criminal lunatic. and she's
escaped from BrOsdmoor. Let me see,
think Il was a week to-day-and just
about this time-no, it's now quarter
TO nine; 1t was just after nine" he
slipped ny watch into his waistcOat
pocket. 'She's still at large, you know
They're on the lookout for her all over