The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-09-16
A MIRROR VISION.

The hostess, an elegantly dressed lady
OF 60, with abundant white hair puffed
above eyes still black and bright with a
fire that must once have kindled n flame
i'll many heart. caught the ball of con-
versation as it came her way.
I'm my youth wo never heard of this
thing you call mental telegraph, theoso-
ply and the like, but every now and
then thcro took place, as now, occur
renccs (Which puzzled tho 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 / thought of it at
all, which was not often, until ] had
tho experience l am going to tell you of,
which was so strange that it upset mo
for some weeks, which agitation came
not so much from the real shock and
fright that suffered as from the mvs-
ferrous circumstances that attended it.
My own home was Il country place
some 8 miles from largo CITY, where
L had several families of relatives
whom L visited once or twice II year or
whenever there was to be given any
ball or opera or festivity of sufficient
Importance for mo to desire to attend
1t. was Just II when IL royal person.
age from Europe came across the pond
to get peep at the Yankees, and though
democratic to the point of being rabid
every manly head was uncovered in
tho country, every manly throat aohed
with cheering this parsonage, and overy
feminine heart beat high with the hone
OF having the royal eye rest for mo-
ment upon tho new gown which was to
be had at all hazards if the family dined
on potatoes alone for q year to come.
There were to be series of enter
tainmcnts given i'll honor of his high
ness, and j, like all the rest of the world,
must attend in all the finery nv fathers
ample means allowed me. From nv
mothers sido of tho family had inner
tied some very fine diamonds, amount
ing i'll valuo to over $40, 900, and even
great deal more in those days, when
these gems were not so common, and OH
this occasion teascd my father to let
me wear them.
Il had no mother to tell me that such
rich Jewclry was not in the best of tasta
on ono so young and an unmarried wom-
an, so when started for the CITY 1 carried
the diamonds with me- But nv maid
was All elderly woman, who had also
been my nurse since my motherless
babyhood, and the jewels We're in her
care. Unfortunately, however, Marian
fell i'll the day after l left home, and
being confined to her bed was depend-
emit Oh my aunt's maid for services in
my dressing, etc. In order to tighten
tins woman's duties, which werc heavy,
as my cousins also frequently required
her aid as hairdresser and seamstress, I
looked after my clothes and waited on
myself as much as possible, performing
such acts of my toilet as I could.
1T thus happened that one night,
after returning from reception at the
house of foreign consul disrobed
myself of my trained evening dress, and
slipping OH loose sack sat down to
brush my hair before retiring. MY seat
was just i'll front of large glass above
my dresser, or what was then called a
bureau. on which had placed the
JeWelry L had worn-the diamonds I
have spoken Of.
'As 1 piled tho brush my ewes nat
urally fell on this mirror, which reflect.
ed the room behind me, and as con-
tinued to look 1 saw evolving itself 40.
parently from empty air the figure of q
man. He was we'll dressed, even stylish
ly, and was after fashion handsome,
but deathly pale, and his eyes glittered
feverishly.
"He orept 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 small Spanish dagger, the
h1lt OF which was of dead gold, or
Etruscan gold, as it is called This was
set with rubies, which I noticed with
that peculiar attention to trifles so often
displayed i'll moments cf 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 We're reflected i'll the mirror. But
as he brought down his hand with
swift, murderous motion to strike mo
from my chair with single blow the
spell that had held me snapped, and
sprang to my feet with shrek of ter
ror and rushed to the door
EVEN as l ran wondered at not en-.
counterlng the man, but though could