Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1900-12-26
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THE FACE On THE MIRROR.

:
at as q peculiar thing said Halle
Monroe to her brother, ''that of all
Lne men l have met socially and in
travelling and at college, L have never
seen one who appealed TO me in any
save friendly way. 1 hike men very
well Their point of view does not
seem to me quite so entertaining as
that of the best woman l know. They
have too much policy and too Little
sentiment. But still, l enjoy them.
l like to know them. / should feel
aggrieved if l did not have gentlemen
callers and if 1 were not taken TO CO.
tilhons. But, as for meeting man
that seemed to be my master, or one
who infatuates me, or even dIsturos
my thought, l have yet to know the
experience. Sometimes l think love In
the old-fashioned sense of the word
does not belong to this age at all. Or,
perhaps, never belonged to any age.
Perhaps it is merely a tradition, like
the miracle of the saints. Probably it
Is a medieval idea invented by the
troubadours. Anyway, it doesn't
seem in accord with the practical, sci
entific present; for, of course, it cam
never be anything but an illusions
sort of madness. 1t is Like witchcraft,
1 imagine, or hypnotism. A sort OF
obsession of the mind, convincing
woman than one particular man is
better than all other men, and that
she cannot live without him, which Is,
of course, a form of insanity, or, at
any rate, a fixed delusion. A woman
like myself, who has gone to the uni
versity with several hundred men and
who is used to applying scientific
standards to things naturally would
be as exempt from such a thing as
she would from the evil eye"
Her brother, who had been sitting
up half the night writing a poem to
. girl to convince her that she was
like wild June rose, blushed, but
refused to participate in an argument.
1t was that night that Halle Mon
roe. combipg out her long brown locks
before her mirror, was startled and
made indignant by the reflection of
mans face in her mirror. She turned
with flaming cheeks to rebuke the in
truder for coming upon her privacy.
but, though she scrutiniZed the room
as we'll as her fright would permit, she
saw no one. She went out into the
corridor, looked into the closets,
searched behind every article of fur
MIXTURE in her bedroom and boudoir,
but found no one. Everyone else in
the house had gone to bed, and, 10th
to awaken them withous sufficient
cause, she persuaded herself that she
had imagined the vision in her glass,
and, with what calmness she could
command, resumed the brushing of
her hair. But no sooner had she con-
fronted her glass than the face ap-
peared once more beore her, looking
at her with curious and kindly eyes.
Again she searched. Again she found
nothing. And then, with fear and q
fascination upon her, returned with
pale courage to the glass to decide foG
herself what this apparition might
mean. The face was there awaiting
her. 1t was the face of man barely
on the pleasant side of middle Life
The brow was broad and high, the
cheek bones rather prominent, the
nose large and shapely, the mouth and
chin firm and of much character. The
tint Of the abundant, ill-kept lock-
was q reddish brown; there was ne
beard; the eyes were reddish brown
too, and were set deep in the head
beneath the brows of unusual thick
ness and length. Oddly enough, thes,
Ibrows were many shades darker thai
the curling hair, and meeting abov,
the nose as they did, gave strang'
denomination to the face.
The longer the girl looked the les.
fearful she became. The longer hel
contemplation of the lace lasted, tn,
better she was pleased. The appari
tion had no audible voice, but the eye
appeared to make q tender of friend
ship. In deed, as Halle looked /
seemed to her that for the first time il
her life she beheld face that actually
attracted her. Behind this calm anC
pleasing mask 81 49, she fancieC
she beheld a soul that would respond
to her own and ease the aching soil
tude which she had always felt.
"Who are your"
Her lips shaped the words uncon
,sciously.
The apparition appeared to smile
with an expression of infinite content
and the eyes appeared to sany:
II am your souls chosen friend"
After this even while Halle fingered
the face faded away and was gone.
All the next day she hoped that sh,
might see it again, but when nigh
came and she went to the mirror sh,
found it blank, save for the reflection
OF her own expectant face. 1t was D
for many nights, and as she waite<
her longing grew to look once NOR,
I'm those compromising eyes. At last
after she had almost despaired, it cam
again. This time it wore lNoll of In
temsity, as if it had attained to tn.
union through much difficulty, ani
st did not stay long. But the glance
that it poured into Hallie's bewitche'
gaze brought world of assurance
When the face again vanished, Halli
was quite sure that II 1t did not com
nightly it was because it could moi
She was convinced that this creatur
of shadows. which insinuated though
st did not appear to embody a soul
would stay away from her no longe
than 1T was compelled to do 50.
"You are changed, Halle" her bro
ther ventured to remark enc day n
ter the intimacy between herself AM
The well-loved shadow had continue
for several months. ST no longer hea
you railing against love and all thai
Yet you go out seldom and see peopl
less frequently than ever before 4
your life. notice that you contrfv
no escape most of your callers. \NhA
does it mean? Have yau a secret Low
affair? 1t isn't fair of yau, you know
n Won have Since / have endured Al