The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-04-18

TO regard it a. a hostile inyasionl Will
you not divest yourself of ihat-er-
princely coat and sit down! am at
work, you see. but still"
Il have been the victim Of a most
diabolical experienced" Mordaunt in
terrupted. impctuously. Nothing
will induce me to 20 back to my rooms
tonight. You must give me a shake
down here: the sofa will do very well.
But listen. Curtis And with
breathless and ncrvou volubility. he
proceeded to narratc to the other in
a graphic outline the incident that
had bcfallen him.
Curtis listened patiently.
49, he said. quietly, as Mordaunt
paused all instant, "what then: You
opened the door of your room. and
YOU saw"
"rhc man in the fur coai-thc man
| had left in the street outside the col.
lege walls-eitting calmly there in my
armchair continued Mordaunt.
And. great heavens, Curtis, the man
vas
"Well." asked Curtis. "who was
the mani"
Mordaunt leaned back ard regard.
ed hi. friend with wide ewes of hor
ror.
Myself" hccjaculatcd. ina frozen
tone.
Curti. looked upquickly.
"Yourself."
"No other. | saw before me. with
the lamplight full upon it. my own
face gazing at me acros the table;
my own figure reclining in the arm
chair--aye. and clad. too. in the very
coat that ! was wearing myself.
There | sat before my own eyes in
flesh and blood. a living counterpart
Of what YOU see me now
"a singular optical illu.ion.'
smiled Curtis; hut in spite Of the
smile, histone sounded uneasy. And
YOU don't care to rcturn!'
Mordaunt shuddcrcd. nv your
leave. my dear Curtis. | will .lccp on
the .ofa here" he replied.
81 am not sure" said Curtis. that
| altogether blame you. l.hould also
feel indisposed to encounter a second
time my own double in my own room.
Tomorrow morning. perhaps
Mordaunt nodded.
When the following morning Nor.
daunts scout went at the usual hour
to wake him. he was surprised to dis
cover the bedroom empty; he was .ur-
prisrd also at another discovery.
which cent him h%urrying downstairs.
Al the foot Of the staircase he met
Mordaunt himself.
why. Mr.. Mordauni. .ir. ! was
wondering what had become Of you!'
began the servant. II seed YOU hadn't
slept in your bed last night. sir: and
just a. well. Mr.. Mordauni. for you
as YOU didn't" added the scout sig.
niiicantly.
"Why 80, M%arton;" inquired Nor.
dauni, preparing TO ascend the
stair.
"Why 50. sir? Bccausc half the
ceiling ha. fallen down in the night
on the top Of your pillow, sir; and.
.urc enough if you'd been lyingthere
Mr.. Mordaunt. yourself, you'd hay,
been crushed to death. sir-smoth,
cred. for certain-that', Why
Mordaunt made no answer. but
pushed past him. The sightthat met
him A. he entered his bedroom a mo.
ment later bore out the servant,
statement. A solid fragment Of ma.
sorry, becoming detached in som,
way from the wood supports Of tn,
ceiling, had fallen. dragging with it
mas of mortar and woodwork. d.
rectly upon the spot where. under or
binary circumstances. Mordaunt',
head would have lain. lie gazed q
the debris on the pillow before hin
with a strange tremor at his heart
iii. pulse beat quicker. He realize,
something Of the sensation of n sud
den and miraculous escape from irev
liable destruciion-as a man who's,
foot la. been arrested on the edg,
Of a precipicc.
And it may be that in that momen
he brcathed a prayer of gratitude 4
the Sender Of Apparitions.-Lonlor
Answers.
flses Are "wild Animals"
A customhouse decision on flea