The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-04-16

oedrcH HAS as yet 1alloQ TO unearth.
There is n constant call for railway
books from the congressional library,
showing that our lawmakers are giving
the railway business. a thorough. study.
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
He 1ells OF Some Very Unpleasant Expe-
riences With Mirrors.
II have had," said the retired bur-
glar, some very unpleasant experiences
with mirrors. I think have told you
how once fired at my reflection in a
mirror, installing it FOR another man
mistake that thought should never
make again. But within two years after
that struck ut man i'll mirror, nnd
smashed the glass and smnshed my hand
and made myself uncomfortable gener-
ally. 1t may seem strange to you that
man could make such mistakes, but i'll
dim light, and where everything is
strange to him, and he's all sort Of keyed
up himself, don't know as it is after
all. Still. after that last experience
did think it would be some time before
had any more trouble with mirrors.
But within year [ had an experience
that was great deal worse than either
of them.
When 1 came out of room in a
house was i'll one night, on the second
floor, looking down the hall-this was
pretty hear the front where was-I
saw the figure of myself in IL mirror at
the other end. 1t was plain enough,
even i'll that light, but it startled me n
little at first, and threw up my gun at
it. OF course the figures hand went up
and down, just the Same as mine did,
and 1t made mo kind of laugh to think
of it, and could imagine the shadow
laughing, too, mt nman who was afraid
CT his own shadow.
Then went into the next room, and
when camo out of that into the hall
again my eyes sought the mirror again.
1t wasn't very pleasant to see yourself
i'll the dark in that way, but it would
havo been mighty sight less pleasant
not to- But then was all right, and
stood and looked ut it minute aud
threw mp my arm at it same as before,
just up and down, n sort of unnecessary
test, but it made me feel Just little
easier, and up went the arm III the mir
ror with mine, but this time, when
mino came down, the arm i'll the mirror
staid up.
Now. don't raise your hands, the
man said, covering me with gun in
his appraised hand, voice kind of drawl-
ing but meaning business, you know.
You know when u man means business,
and this man did mean it, and kept
my hands down.
Oh, Bill! he says not moving a
muscle and not shouting it out, but Just
kind of drawing it ont like the other.
Then man appeared beyond the
man that was holding me up, coming
toward him and me. He walked right
through the mirror, past the other man.
and kept coming. 1t was all plain
enough then. In fact, I'd guessed at it
before, as may be yon have. The mirror
wasn't mirror at all, but doorway,
an opening midway of long hall, and
the frame was the frame of the door
way. There We're rooms beyond, Just
the same as those OH the side where l
was, and it was the doors of those that
had seen in the mirror and not the re-
Election Of those OIL my side. And it
was out OF one of those doors that Bill
came The man with the gun had been
ready for me the first time 1 looked,
but 1T must have been that Bill wasn't
then. But Bill was ready now, and he
came on past the other man, careful to
keep out of his range, of course. MAX
ing for me, and he came around behind
ME and took two or three turns of a rope
around my body and arms. Then the
man with the gun came up, and be-
tween them they tied me up good and
strong. And that was matter of some
four years. New York Sun.
The modern soup spoon has deep,
round bowl, being fashioned somewhat
like the bouillon spoon, but of course