The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1898-11-03
Sforyeffes.


The other night-Or rather it was
very early this morning-the telephone
in the Milwaukee Sentinel office rang
loud and long Almost all of the work
ers had gone home, but there was one
man on the ''late watch"-that is, de-
tailed to stay around the office and be
ready for anything, from murder to
a fire. At three A. NJ, when the tele-
phone in newspaper Office rings, it
generally means police story that is
worth looking up, so the "late watch"
fastened to answer the summons.
"Hello," said the voice; sis it too late
to get something into tomorrow morn
ing's paper:" "Not if it is important
was the reply. "Oh, it u.s." assuringly.
The reporter rushed for pad of paper
and a pencil, screwed his ear up to the
telephone again and said: GAIL right.
Fire away there" Then the voice was
heard again, tremulous with emotion:
"The engagement of Miss to Mr. is
announced" There was an explosion
of wrath at the press end of the line:
"Why in blankety- blank, didn't
you send in such stuff earlier in the
day?" "But couldn't" said the voice
apologetically. "You see it just hap
pened."
"
There was no light in the house.
Outside, the rays of the electric light
struck the wall and cast long weird
shadows of the trees. Upstairs in the
front room a woman lay asleep. An
alarm clock stood on the mantle at the
foot of the bed.
A clock somewhere down the street
had just struck 2.
A man turned the corner and tot
tered toward the steps leading to the
front door of the house. He mounted
them. He made three or four frantic
stabs with his latchkey at the lock.
Finally he succeeded in opening the
door.
Upstairs the woman slept on.
The man sat down on the lower step
of the flight for a few moments. He
looked up once; then began the ascent,
clutching the banister to steady him.
self. He had taken four steps. A yell,
as of keenest pain, cut the night. The
woman started and sat up in bed. She
glanced toward the clock, scarcely dis
tinguishable in the dimly lighted room,
and saw that it was 2:15. Then smile
of satanic delight curved her mouth.
Another yell from the stairway and an
other and another. The woman sank
back on her pillow and closed her eyes.
And when the man had fallen sound
asleep the woman rose quietly and,
lighting the hall jet, crept down the
stairs on her hands and knees, picking
up as she went, the carpet tacks she
had placed there, point up before she
had gone to bed Detroit Free Press.
The following story is commonly re.
lated as true in France. Old Harpagon
was fast approaching his end. His
sufferings were very great, but he COM
fOrted himself with the thought that as
he could not eat there was so much
saved at any rate.
"Well, DOCTOR" he said, in feeble
voice, chow long have yet to liver"
"Only half an hour. Would you like
me to send for somebody-a clergyman
for instance?"
Harpagon was silent for few mo.
ments; he passed his hand over his
chin, bristling with grizzly beard of
several days growth, when sudden
thought struck him, and turning to the
doctor he gasped excitedly:
"Quick-send for the barber"
The barber soon afterward arrived
with his shaving tackle.
Harpagon, whose voice was getting
weaker, asked him: "You-charge
-two-pence- for shaving2"
"That's the price," was the answer.
"And how-much is it-for shaving-a
corpse?"
The barber paused moment and
then said: "Five shillings."
"Then-s shave me-quickly," STAN.
mered old Harpagon, casting fever
ish glance at the watch which the doc.
tor still held in his hand.
He was too feeble to utter another
word, but the doctor understood the
mute appeal, and said:
Fifteen minuets mOre"
"A smile of satisfaction stole over the
features of the patient. The barber
set to work, and in a very short time