Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-03-08

| "Iracks' or What!" One answers
| "The cat who stole the canary? Com,
| downl Do you think any one, felin,
or human, could remove that pictur,
and you not hear itr' This to Fred
"And another reason, they could no
! do anything with it rithout being
instantly detected. This Is very mys
/ terious. Anything else gomez"
"Not that car find ;" replied Fred,
in nervous though honest anxiety, ran
| sacking corners and cupboards and
boxes and cases; "no trace of other
| 'heft."
An officer was sent for, who
! appeared at once, and in true con-
stabulary manner went to work, over
hauling poor Fred, and finding he had
ga dollar and quarter" in his pockets,
he (the officer) laid so much stress on
the discovery that the operator sug-
gested he evidently intended TO prove
that Fred had bartered the picture $50,
I've silver quarters!"
The mystery remained unsolved,
! and busy day was more than half
| spent, and had been considering the
expedient of enforcing my mornings
note 10 Miss Cotton by a personal eX-
J PLANTATION, when in walked that lady
herself, calm, majestic and serene J
her own paintings.
"Now what have you done with my
| lilly Crossp" were her greeting
| words, but not tone or an expression
Of reproach.
"Oh, Miss Cotton!" was all one
ventured to say.
''Now don't you worry, my dear
it's all right" and she drew her lip:
together in Enthusiastically myste-
rious manner, and then in a whisper
impaired to very willing ear, 'I
: dreamed something!"
8" dreamed? Why, l dreamed
something too-iet me think-I was
so apprehensive on awakening this
morning. replied in Illuminating
accent.
'.Did you? Well, now, try to think
of it, dear. You know | have some
faith in the power of the uninfluenced
sleeping mind to acquaint itself with
the object of its waking solicitude."
A moments thought, and as if by
, magic it all occurred to me.
"It seems | had started in a new bus.
lness, and by an invention of my own,
which | was striving to keep secret, 1
could by means of a strangely sensi-
! tied plate and internally acting lens
! photograph the conceptions of my mind
as fast as they were formed! and by
this means the most beautiful ideal
subjects were produced, which | was
to sell to artists to save them, as
thought, the trouble of looking up life
sitters; and all these negatives, some
| five hundred, | was storing in our
scene closet in the upper hall! L thought
in going to this closet with a number
of negatives, | opened the door and
found the whole closet occupied with
canvas stretchers, upon each of which
was outlined woman's hand holding
| | cross.
"It made me shiver, it seemed SC
Suggestive of my own trying position,
land | fed back 10 the operating room,
(which seemed flooded with sunlight so
Iblinding that in rubbing my eyes to re-
move the effect, awakened to find the
sun shining i'll and the clock striking
even.
81 did not not retain my dream, but
the feeling of, apprehension which l
mentioned was explained on arriving
It the studio.
Miss Cotton listened with a very
constructive look in her eyes, and
when | had finished, observing a sIg-
gestive moisture in eyes ever ready to
pour forth their floods of despair,
said only this: mysteries in that
raloset, dear; Ia look in it!"
was off to obey the bidding of
divine impulse, but she stopped me
with, :.Wait and hear my dream
which was, that your printer Fred,
who sleeps here, is somnambulist." ."
At which l was again ready to start
for the unknown mysteries of that
scene closet, but she held me fast while
she continued, "And | saw him in my
dream floating my Lilly Cross on the
Charles River near the bridge, the
ludscity of him!" | did not stop to
hear more, but calling Fred, requested
| him to unlock said closet without de
ay.
"Why, it's not locked!" he cried,
and dazed and wondering he revealed
to an equally puzzled audience sight
| from which neither scripture nor sci
ance can remove the marvellous.
There stood the Lily Cross in per.
feet safety, deposited upon rugs so az
to prevent the gold of the frame from
narring.
Evidently the work of some motive
of carelessness, whether conscious OF
unconscious.
Fred was questioned. He admitted
having awakened and fuond himself
in the midst of a silvering process one
night, in the dark, undressed, yet
handling albumen paper most dexter
Ously.
Our dreams were related, and upon
reflection Fred remembered finding the
key to the scene closet under his pillow,
but, never of a questioning mind in
matters of more moment, he was not
at all disturbed at finding the key had
wandered from the rack.
Well, the Lilly Cross was despatch
ed to the exhibition forthwith, without
taking any impressions; and Fred was
obliged to seek other lodgings, as it
was evident that his sleeping acts were
more solicitously effective than his
daily and habitual routine of employ
ment.
One ~onders by what hypnotic pow
er were the unconcious minds of three
people blended so as to make unit of
discovery. The somnambulist who hid
the picture; the artist who saw her
picture in the hands of the somnambu-
list; and l, who saw the cross symbol
where the Christ symbol was hidden.
a. SoUTHILL
True contentment depends not upon
wnat we have; a tub was large enough
Tor Diogenes, but world was toe
small for Alexander.