Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-08-02
THE RETIRED BURGLAR.
He Tells of Some Very Unpleasant Expe-
 riehces With Mirrors

riehces With Mirrors.
 I have had, said the retired bur glar, some very unpleasant experiences with mirrors. 1 think l have told you how l once fired at my reflection in a mirror, mistaking it for another man mistake that l thought 1 should never make again But within two years after that l struck at a man iu a mirror, aud smashed the glass and smashed my hand and made myself uncomfortable gener- ally. It may seem strange to you that man could make such mistakes, but in q dim light, and where everything is strange to him. and he all sort of keyed mp himself, l don kn0w as it Is after all. Still, after that last experience I did think it would be some time before 1 had any more trouble with mirrors But within d year had an experience that was great deal worse than either of them
 ''When I came out of 8 room in a house | was ill one night, on the second foor looking down the Eall-this was pretty Hcar the front where l was-I SAW the f9ue of myself in q mirror at the other end. It was plain enough, even in that light, but il startled me little at inst. and 1 threw up my gun at 1t. Of course the 4igure's hand went Up and down, just the same IS mine did, and it made me kind of laugh to think of if, and I could imagine the shadow laughing, too, at man who was afraid of his own shadow.
 Then l went into the next room, ana when l came out of that into the han again my eyes sought the mirror again. It Wasn' very pleasant 10 see yourself in the dark i'll that way. but it would have been q mighty sight less pleasant not to. But then I WAS all right, and stood and looked at 1t minute and threw up my arm at 1t same as before, just up and down, I sort of unnecessary test, but it made me feel just little easier, and mp went the arm i'll the mir TOT with mine, but this time. when mine came down, the arm in the mirror staid up.
 Now, don't raise your hands, the man said, covering me with a gun in his upraised hand, voice kind of drawl- ing, but meaning business, you know You know when man means business, and this man did mean it, and l kept my hands down.
 Oh, BiuF he says, not moving a muscle and not shouting it out, but just kind of drawling it out like the other.
 Then man appeared beyond tho man that was holding me up coming toward him and me. He walked right through the mirror, past the other man, and kept coming. It was all plain enonSh then. In fact, I'd guessed at it before, as may be you have. The mirror waSn mirror at all, but doorway, all opening midway of long hail. and the frame was the frame of the door Way. There were rooms beyond, just the same as those on the side where l was, and it was the doors of those that l had seen in the mirror and not the re- fection of those on my side And it was out of one of those doors that Bill came. The man with the gun had been ready for ne the first time | looked, but it 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, mak- ing for mo, and he came around behind me and took two CT three tHlns of I 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 q matter of some four years. ''-New York Sun.