The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-04-28
The RETIRED BURGLAR.
He Tells of Some Very Unpleasant ExPe-
rienees with Mirrors-

He Tells of Some Very Unpleasant ExPe-
rienees with MirrorS-
81 have had" 4" said the retired bur
rlar. some very unpleasant experiences
with mirrors. / think have told you
how I once fred at my reflection IN q
mirror. mistaking it for another man
a mistake that / thought / should never
make again But within two years after
that I struck at a man IL q mirror, and
smashed the glass and smashed my hand
and made myself uncomfortable gener-
ally. II may seem strange 10 you that
man could make such mistakes, but II
8 dim light, and where everything Is
strange 10 him. and he's III sort Of keyed
I'd himself, l don't know as It Is after
all still. after that last experience l
did think il would be some time before
/ had any more trouble with mirrors
But within 4 year / had an experience
that was a great deal worse than either
of them
When I came cut Of a room in
house was IN Cne night, On the second
foor. looking down the hall-this was
r,rrttv near the front where ! was-I
saw the figure Of myself IN g mirror at
the other end 1t was plain enough,
even In that light, but il startled me
Little at frst, and / threw up my gun az
It Of course the figures hand went up
and down, just the same a. mine did,
and il made me kind Of laugh 70 think
Of il. and could imagine the shadow
laughing. too, al a man who was afraid
Of his own shadow.
Then l went into the next room, and
when came cut G that into the hall
again my eyes sought the mirror again
II wash Z very pleasant 10 see yourself
IN the dark IN that way, but It would
have been a mighty sight less pleasant
not 10. But then was all right, and
stood and looked at il a minute and
threw up my arm at it same a. 5efore,
lust I'D and down, a sort Of unnecessary
test, but it made me feel just a little
easier, and up went the arm in the mir
ror with mine, but this time, when
mine came down. the arm in the mirror
staid Up
Now. don't raise your hands, the
man sand, covering me with q gun IN
his upraised hand, voice kind Of crawl
ing, hut meaning business, you know.
You know when man means business,
and this Tuan did mean II, and l kept
my HANDS Gown
oh, Bill be says, not moving a
muscle ard not shouting il cut, but Just
kind of draWling II ont ike 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. II was all plain
enough then In fact, I'd guessed at it
before, as may be you have. The minor
WASH I a mirror at all, but q doorway,
an opening midway Of long hall, and
the frame was the frame Of the door
way There were rooms beyond. just
the same a. those On the side where l
was, and il was the doors Of those that
/ had seen in the mirror and not the re
Gection of those On my side. And IL
was out Of one Of those doors that Bill
came The man with the gun had been
Ata4f III LIT Al4f A4A-l AAl14t 4tIAS1s
but IL must have been that Bill wash Z
then. But Bill was ready now, and he
came on past the other man, careful TO
keep cut Of his range, Of course, max
ing for me, and be came around behind
ne and took two or three turns Of 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 a matter Of some
four years New York Sun