The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-11-14

Halloween trysts; but on three success
sive anniversaries l looked in the old
mirror at midnight. ght ask, as
1 did on the first occasion, what did I
expect? and repeat what | said then:
that it was a piece of childishness.
But to renounce it seemed like re-
nouncing Charley. l did it half play
fully, half loyalty, wistfully too. as a
sort Of memorial service to his image,
which still lived in my dreams and
threw its radiance over my reveries.
As the years went by the sentiment
assumed a tinge of superstition, and
the little midnight service became
obligatory.
What had become of him? l knew
not; darkness and silence had swal-
lowed him; but the sea sometimes
yields up its dead, and was it not just
possible that beside the antique mirror,
where be had promised to meet me,
laughingly swearing that he never
broke his word-was not it just posi-
ble some message, some revelation
might come to me!
October had come again, the fifth
since Charley had left me. He had
had almost five years to cultivate an
aura and collect his auriferous deposits
"See here, Charley" said, as the
last night Of the years sweetest month
was waning, II am going to give up
mysticism for matrimony. III have
to accept Tom Allin in selt-defense.
There's insanity in this madness"
got up from tbs, l'nnye on which
l had thrown myself face downward,
and, despite my bravado, there were
tears of desperate longing in my eyes.
The clock was striking the last quar-
ter before twelve. looked dishcvelcd,
and felt follorn, and yet, contradic-
torily, there swept over me something
like an emotion of hatred for him when
| thought that in all likelihood he was
gay and happy and heart whole. while
| was on the eve Of my yearly devo-
tional ceremony-my dark and trem-
bling pilgrimage downstairs. The
futility, the imbecility Of it made me
heartsick
] pressed my fingers to my eyes
fiercely as il to wipe his features from
with delight, for he seemed to be right
there beside me, and every trail and
charm that had won my soul appealed
to it reslstlessly again. Indeed it was
as if the eloquent page one has learned
to love had revealed fresh features,
subtler meanings, in type and text.
l glanced at the clock; five minutes
gone. l threw off my wrapper, as
sumed Louis Quinze gown and stuck
bunch of roses Gan offering from my
pis allcr, TONY in my corsage.
One minute of IL!
Heavens! Suppose l should be too
late; suppose he had come and gone
looked in the mirror, and, not seeing
me, vanished! And yet, if l fell down.
stairs and broke my neck Charley
would be my murderer. To save him
from this ghastly responsibility mod
Grated my speed. II l had been in
bloomers | would have slid down the
banisters.
was in front of the mirror now and
a town clock doomed r. | was so ex-
cited that its reverberations shook me
like rough hand. l could scarcely
hold the candle Git was blessed, by the
way), but up above my head carried
it at ease, while my eyes searched the
mirror; and, believe it or not, from its
clear depths, as it from the waters Of
the past, looked Charley.
"Rose!' and the voice was Charley s.
"Oh, Charley" and the arms that
embodied me were Charley's.
A brief interval, all that life ever
yields us, was given to rapture, and
then realism ramped upon the scene
Remembering my first trying vigil, I
murmurcd with awe:
"How did you get in?'
"Just as ! did four years ago"
-Four years ago"
"Fact! l never break an engage
ment with lady, even my sweetheart;
but | am as polite as punctual Cat
times }, and as another gentleman had
you in h s embrace on that occasion |
very considerably Gas thoughD re-
tired. l took the o'clock train that
morning and went back to-well,
Dantes Inferno" he said joyously.
"But, strange to say, that man is the
cause of my being here"
ooh, Charleyr' with a shudder at
that frightful episode; II don't under