The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1894-09-19
A MIRROR VISION.

n MlIOllOh 1O1ONs
The hostess, an elegantly dressed lady
of 60, with abundant white hair pulled
above eyes still black and bright with
fire that must once have kindled a flame
in many heart. caught the ball of con-
versation as it came her way.
I'm my youth we never heard of this
thing you call mental telegraph, theoso-
ply and the like, but every now and
then there took place, as now, occur
rences which puzzled the thoughtful,
though they had no name to give the
phenomena. But, like most young girls,
/ was skeptical of all that was not di-
rectly natural when l thought of it al
all, which was not often, until l had
the experience l am going to tell you of,
which was so strange that it upset me
for some weeks. which agitation came
not so much from the real shock and
fright that suffered as from the mys-
terious circumstances that attended it.
my own home was a country place
some 10 miles from large city, where
l had several families of relatives
whom l visited once or twice year or
whenever there was to be given any
ball or opera or festivity of sufficient
Importance for me to desire to attend
it. was just II when a royal person
ago from Europe came across the pond
to get peep at the Yankees and though
b.,
every manly head was uncovered in
the country. every manly throat ached
with cheering this parsonage, and every
feminine heart beat high with the hope
of having the royal eye rest for mo-
ment upon the new gown which was to
be had at all hazards if the family dined
on potatoes alone for year to come
''There were to be series of enter
tainments given in honor of his high
ness, and !, like all tho rest of the world,
must attend in all the finery my father s
ample means allowed me. From my
mothers side of the family had inner
tied some very fine diamonds, amount
ing in value to over $40, 900, and even
a great deal more i'll those days, when
these gems were not SO common, and on
this occasion teased my father to let
me wear them.
81 had no mother to tell me that such
rich jewelry was not in the best of taste
ON one so young and an unmarried wom-
an, so when started for the city / carried
the diamonds with me. But my maid
was an elderly woman, who had also
been my nurse since my motherless
babyhood, and the jewels were in her
care. Unfortunately, however, Marian
fell i'll the day after l left home, and
being confined to her bed was depend
ent on my aunt's maid for services in
my dressing, etc. In order to tighten
this woman's duties, which were heavy,
as my cousins also frequently required
her aid as hairdresser and seamstress,
looked after my clothes and waited on
myself as much as possible, performing
such acts of my toilet as / could.
ut thus happened that one night,
after returning from reception at the
house of foreign consul, | disrobed
myself of my trained evening dress, and
slipping on a loose sack sat down to
brush my hair before retiring. My seat
was just in front of a large glass above
my dresser, or what was then called q
bureau. ON which l had placed the
jewelry / had worn-the diamonds I
have spoken of.
AS L piled the brush my eyes nat
urally fell on this mirror, which reflect
ed the room behind me, and as con-
tinued to look l saw evolving itself ap-
parently from empty air the figure Of a
man. He was we'll dressed, even stylish
ly, and was after fashion handsome,
but deathly pale, and his eyes glittered
feverishly.
HE crept nearer and nearer to me,
seeming to look only at the diamonds
loosely strewn upon the marble before
me, but his right hand was thrust into
his breast, and as he stood over me he
suddenly jerked it out and raised high
above me a small Spanish dagger, the
hilt of which was of dead gold, or
Etruscan gold, as it is called. This was
set with rubies, which / noticed with
that peculiar attention to trifies SO often
displayed i'll moments Of danger. Up to
this point / had been too terrified to call
out or even to move, not even turning
my head to look around me, but watch
ing the movements of the assassin as
they were reflected in the mirror. But
as he brought down his hand with
swift, murderous motion to stfike me
from my chair with single blow the
spell that had held me snapped, and I
sprang to my feet with shrek Of ter
ror and rushed to the door.
"Even as ran wondered at not en-
countering the man, but though l could
not remember afterward seeing him at
all / did not stay, but unlocking the
door flung it open, still screaming as
fast as the sounds could issue from my
lips. 1t happened that two Of my young
men cousins had fingered later than
the rest of the family at the entertain
ment referred to, and having just como
in were coming up the main staircase
close to my ROOM Rushing to these, /
threw myself into the arms of the near
est, Christopher, shrieking, The man.
the mani
1.-THE two young men hurried to my
room and looked about, but could see no
one. The windows were all fastened,
and as had myself Just come out Of