Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-07-09
In THE MIRAGE.

been married that morning, A servant
waiting ON the platform collected their
luggage, and they passed through the
dingy booking office. Outside, the sleek
carriage horses fretted impatiently. A
short drive took them to the lonely gray
house up on the hill among the pines
Some hours later they sat together in
a paneled room overlooking the avenue.
On the walls of the room were the
things that a great traveller and great
sportsman brings back with him. 1t
had grown chilly and fire had been lit
there Wax candles burned in brass
sconces ON each side of the fireplace
The girl was in white Gas she had been
that morning in the church). She lean
ed back in her chair, still smiling and
showing pretty white teeth. One hand
played with the pearls at her throat,
gesture showing the beautiful curves of
her bare arm. The man stood watching
her. He was middle aged, tall, lean,
wiry and clean shaven. His face was
tanned. His eyes were exceptionally
dark and striking. AS she looked down
ut the tiger skin rug in front of the fire
she said:
Ibid you kill that?'
The man nodded.
eyes, killed it"
"You never tell mo enough, she
went ON, half jestingly, "about things
that you have done What is the use Of
being a traveller if one does not come
back laden with stories of wonderful
things?"
cone tiger story, the man replied,
sis generally very much like another. "
"But there are other things she
said. "Have you never been captured by
brigands, have you never been nearly
killed, or experimental with wonderful
drugs in Chinese dens or been dying Of
thirst or seen the mirage"
He sat down in the chair facing her
His expression was one Of habitual mel
ancholy, just as hers was one of con-
tinual light heartedness.
eyes, " he said, 81 think can lay
claim TO all those things. l have been
captured by brigands, have experiment
ed with hasheesh, have been practically
dead, have seen the mirage, and"-
He paused.
"Well?" she said eagerly.
Il have also, " no said, ''been in the
mirage. -
How can that be?' she said. 81 was
taught about the mirage in my govern
ess days, all about the density of the
air and the temperature and so ON.
/ Sometimes it is lakes of water some
times it is city with houses and tenn
pies and people, sometimes it is feath-
cry palm trees, sometimes ships that
sail across the sky, keel upward, but it
/ is never real How could you be in a
thing which practically does not eXist?'
1--WE had been marching four days,
he said dreamily. THE sun was awful
by day, but the nights were cold. 1t
was on the morning of the fifth day that
they turned ON me. They took what
there was and went off. l was left on
the sand for dead-indeed, for some
hours l must have been dead.
"Go ON, said the girl, leaning for
ward now, watching him intently, no
longer smiling. "How long ago was it?''
Ten, dozen years ago-when you
were bowling your hoop in Kensington
gardens. And most Of the story is very
wearisome. but the fact is interesting
that | was actually in the mirage"
"What was it like?''
at was a city of ghosts. They moved
silently about the gray, ghostly streets
They wore the costumes Of all ages and
all countries 1t had weird and bizarre
effect. When first came to conscious
ness in the mirage, the first thing that
l saw was city man, silk hat frock
coat, expanded waistcoat, all the same
gray tint all shadowy. He was talking
with the ghost of beautiful Egyptian
woman. They spoke in whispers Ev-
cry one spoke in whispers
Ibid any Of them speak to your"
YES; hesitatingly at first, just as
strangers do among the living. They
told me that / was dead, that all these
cities Of the mirage were cities of the
dead They foated and drifted through
the air, settling down now and then OF
the sand, us bee l9i8ht alight on 9
flower, passing onward again through
space when any living being approach
ed them, Every ship that is sunk sail'
again through the sky, manned by it,
: drowned crew "
you are saying this seriously?' sh'
isked.
"Quite, know the scientific ex