Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1894-06-28
THAT MIRROR.

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 a 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 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 if that
wasn't sign of -fove 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 20 By
contraries, 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 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 coward of him in-ths p-es-
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 SO far along in his proposal
as, "Marian-er-will 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 soonT and other amaz-
ing substitutes for the words he so ar
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 balked in
his determination to learn his fate. He
had come to propose, and propose he
would, ruat cplum. His confidence in
successful termination to his suit had
been REINFORCED 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 the
opera. Surely that meant a great deal,
and Jingleberry conceived that the time
was ripe for blushing "yes" to his
long deferred question. SO he was here
in the Chapman parlor 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.
"I'll ask her the first thing" said
Jingleberry, buttoning up his Prince
Albert, as though to impart possibly
needed stiffening to his backbone. "She
will say yes, and then | shall enjoy the
dinner and the opera so much the more.
Ahem! 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. no
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 of
his face. $50 reassuring. I'm not at all
pale. Quite the contrary. I'm red as
sunset. Good omen that! The sun is
setting on my bachelor days-and my
scarf is crooked. Ali"
The ejaculation was one of pleasure,
for pictured in the mirror Jingleberry
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. "I-er"-
Here he stopped, as we'll he might, for
he addressed no one. Miss Chapman
was nowhere to be seen.
"Dear mer' said Jingleberry, rubbing
his eyes in astonishment. "How extraor-
dinary! ! thought sure saw her-why.
did see her-that is, saw her reflection
in the gla- Ha! ha! She caught me
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 parlor, but it was still empty.
And then occurred the most strangely
unaccountable event in his life.
AS he looked around the parlor he for
I the second time found himself before the
mirror, but the reflection therein. though
it was Of himself, was Of himself. with
his back turned to his real self. as he
stood gazing amazedly into the glass;
and besides this, although Jingleberry
YVES alone in the real parlor, the refiec.
ton Of the dainty room showed that
! .nere he was not so. for seated in her
accustomed graceful attitude in the re-
aected armchair was nothing less than
the counterfeit presentment Of Marian
Chapman herself
1t was a wonder Jingleberry's eyes did
not fall out Of his head, he stared 3d.
What a situation it was, to be sure, to
,tand thera and see In the plass a scana