The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-28
THE RETIREB BrRGLiR.
he Tells or some Very snpirasant Experiences
with Mirrors.

81 have had said the retired burglar, some
very unpleasant experiences with mirrors. l
think | have told You huw | once fired nj my re.
Election in n mirror. mistakiug 1t for another
MANA mistake that | thought | should never
make again. hut within two years after that |
struck ~ "a man In a mirror, and smashed the
glass and smashed my hand. and made myself
uncomfortable generally. " may seem strange
10 you thrt a man could make such mistakes;
but In u dim light. and where everything is
strange 70 him, aud he's all Fort of keyed up
himself. | don't Know ~ II l. after all. Still,
after that last experience, | did think IL would
he some time before ! had any more trouble with
mirrors: but within u year ! had an experience
that was q. great deal worse than either uf them.
when | came ont NJ q room in u house / was
in one night, on the second floor, loUking down
the hall-this was pretty near the front where |
was-l saw the figure NJ myself In II mirror at
the other end. II was plain enough, even in
that light. but it startled ~" n little at first. and
threw up my gun -, II. o. course, the figures
band went up and down, Just the same ~ mine
did, and made me Slni % laugh 70 think OF II,
and ! could imagine tho shadow laughing, too.
at a man who was afraid Of hi own shadow.
Then | went lDto the next room, and when
cGinc out OF that into the hall again my eyes
sought the mirror again. |, wnsnt, very pleas
ami to see yourself In the dark in that way. but
II wOulG have been "a mighty sight less pleasant
not to Hut jnrn ! was all right, and ! stood
and looked at il II minute and threw M my arm
NJ II same IA before, just up and down. a sort ~
unnecessary tcst, hut I madc me feel Just - little
cdsi"T, and Wy went th" arm IN the mirror with
iillllNs lll' lllt' iiiil'H ~ W. l''Aii' Ahill' 'lbNlls lNN
arm In the mirror stayed W!
"'<uw, dom raise Your hands, the man said.
covering ne with a. gun in his appraised hand.
voice Kind o drawing, but meaning business.
You know You know when "a man mean, bust
ness, ana this man did mean II, AID | Kept my
hands down,
"'Oh, BiliH he says, not moving 4 muscle and
not shouting II out, bgt Just kind o drawing IL
out like the other.
Then "a man appeared on beyond the man
that was holding me up, coming toward him and
me. "" walked right through the mirror. past
the other man, and kept coming. II was all
p!uin enough then. in fact I'd guessed at II he.
fore, u1 may hc vow have, the mirror wasn't a
mirror M M, but "A doorway, an Opcning midway
at "a long hall. and the frame was the frame oil
the doorway. There were room, beyond, Just
th" same rs those On ia" side whore | was,
and II was the doors of those that had seen in
the mirror, and not the reflection Of those
On my lido. And it was ont Of ono of those
door that 'BilI came. Tho man with the gun
lad been ready for me tho first time J looked,
but il must have been that liil wasn't, thea, but
Bin was ready now, and lac came on past the
Other IMAM, careful 10 keep ont uf his range, OF
course, p.fing for me; md he CAME around he.
hind me aud lopk two or three turns Of u rope
HrnNuu my BODY aud arms, ihyu The man with
the gun raiu" up and between tAom they tied mo
up gult a"i strong. And that was "A matter of
sOl.J .ulr N"gva.'