Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-05-27

hIo you Als Is anyIn1nS WrOnS!' ne
asked an1iously.
"That mirror!" she continued. II saw
Il thought = Oh! what was it?'
A tremor passed through her and her
teeth chatered.
1.-The mirror" he repeated, looking
perplexed.
She turned as if with an effort and
gave a glance toward it. The room was
full of light. The ire burned cheer
fully. The antique mirror reflected their
two figures standing together in the
doorway. After pause she gave faint
laugh and put her hand to her head. 81
was asleep, l suppose; it must have been
dream-a nightmare Dead men arc
dead" and she laughed again.
"You are not WE'LL" he said. "You
had better lie down on the bed for an
hour or two and rest. will see that
you are not disturbed will receive tho
guests myself"
"Rest in that room!" she exclaimed.
She gave him very searching glance.
"You were speaking about ghosts a
while ago." she observed. "Any ono
would think you had presentiment.
All, WE'LL You'll think I'm out
of my head. Come, am ready. Don't
be afraid, dear count. | shall be equal
to the emergency
In fact she recovered her self-posses-
sion very rapidly, and was even moro
alert than usual. The incident of tho
mirror had aroused every latent quality,
good or evil, in her nature. And her
mind, which was strongly materialistic
and logical in its bias, applieditsel with
sort of angry heat to the consideration
of the mystery. She did not believe in
ghosts, and she had not been asleep. Yet
she had seen in the mirror the reflection
OR, as it seemed, the actual figure Of
keppel Darke. AS she had sprung to-
ward it 1t had vanished, and she had
found herself gazing at her own fright
ened eyes in the mirror. What was it?
She had heard of hallucinations, visions,
cerebral impressions-there were names
enough; but the more she thought of this
experience of hers the moro convinced
she was that it was real She had seen
real substantial figure, and its face was
that of Keppel Darke. But how was that
possible? Was not Keppel Darkes dead
body found in the railroad wreck, hand
cuffed to the dead body of the police
officer? No matter; this was either Keep
pei Darke or it was some one who ex-
actly resembled him Whichever it was,
the bearing Of his appearance to her
would be substantially the same. Itcould
have been no accident; there was a plan
and purpose behind. Some power hos
tile to her was at work. Was the count
aware of it? How could he but be aware
of it? Then he was her encmy-her deadly
enemy! And he had invited her here,
and had placed her in that room, with
the premeditated design of eFell, Of
what? OF giving her u scare? No, not
that. Of giving her warning Of battle
throwing down the gauntlet? Hardly
that, either.
1T IS no use my trying to fathom his
yet, said S,tllie to herself II
must wait and watch. Perhaps he meant
only to try an experiment on Inc; he has
some problem to solve, and would test
it by my behavior But what concern
has he with keprel Darkc? What is the
object of keppel Darke himself-if what
saw was really he? Count de Lisle
would be powerful friend-and a ter
:ible enemy There is almost nothing
hat man of his resources could not ac-
,omplish. Yes and cannot |, too, ac-
,omplish something? Have not women
10 more beautiful or clever than work
I'd miracles before now? And after all,
have nothing to fear. keppel Darke
nay come back from the grave if he
Will, but Harry Trent will not. And
wen if he did $50 glad to see
'ou, Mrs. Vanderdonde!" Great pleas
ire, Miss itz-Murray!" Your wife
lnwell? What pity, Mr.. Roylancew
Yes, like fairy palace"
For, all the while that Sallie was de-
ating a matter of vital interest to her
elf, she had been standing near the en-
rance to the drawing room, with Count
9 Lisle on her left hand, receiving and
xchanging amenities with one group or
ldividual after another of arriving
uesta Every body knows how readily
lis duality of nature develops itself
'hen any powerful impression is work
lg on the mind. The soul so seldom
as any part in the farraSo of conven-
onal and automatic things that we
lily say and do, that when by chance
is aroused it can attend TO its affair
ithout being in the least disturbed by
lie din Of external things. Stllie. ac-
smiled and rlmtted fully as
ell rs usual, while her real thoughts