The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1903-09-24
!, BEFORE THE MIRROR

z
n,tsaafd cannot explain the sad story OF
~ ~ niyrfrlcnd and lodgcr, AlcXia PES
TRANCE. 10 be sure, it is in my hand.
writing, and l sometimes walk III MY
sleep.
.g After nll, who knows how 1t happen
cd? / had decided TO publish 1T, think
ing that it may remind carclcss people
s<of tlcir duties to others and how soon
5stlic etimc for doing those duties must
{end She is better of, no doubt, but
NJ miss her us never Thought to miss q
stranger:
One evening sat brooding over
memories of happier days in my fnroif
home before poverty overlook mo. I
CT. I'd out passlonatcly that l could no
..,.loT4rr endure this starving existence,
stripped Of all the pleasures that were
so kccnly appreciated W me In the
pnst. l determined that Twould escape
somehow.
Suddenly recalled Il Halloween tra-
dltion that If one stood, candle In hand,
before Il mirror ut midnight and called
ones name aloud three times something
wonderful would happen. Was this the
way to escape from my troubles? de-
tcrmincd to try the experiment.
When 1t was nearly IL l crcpt softly
down the stairs and entered the parlor.
Holding Il lighted candle, stood before
the old mirror, whose tarnishcd gilded
frame cleaned family In the '1lickcrlng
light.
AS the last stroke died away called
my name aloud. The stately Syllablcs
echoed In my cnrS with unfamiliar ca
dences. AlcXia rIistrangc. Again I
called. this time with greater effort,
and the mirror reflected only sketch
Of Il face in tints as faint as those OF Il
disSolvlng rainbow. For the third time
l strovc to call my name. A hoarsc
murmur, scarcely intelligible, passed
my lips, while the face in tho mirror
faded to misty shadow.
For Il moment l was unconscious, and
then Il silvcry radiance seemed slowly
to I'LL the room and fall Oh something
lying prone before the mirror. Gradu-
ally I realized that l was still In the
same place and that the mysterious ra
dance was the light OF the autumn
moon. But what was that proStrate
form whose clear cut, pnllid features
woke 1lecting tnntaliZinS memories?
My mind seemed to wander amid q
host Of vivid life pictures, and through
them all fitted one figure, the double
or that lying still and cold before me.
suddenly with a sickening shock cunlc
the conviction that it was my body
rs 1t l?' was the cry wrung from
my anguishcd heart.
NO sound disturbed the sudden still
ness, but In some incXplicable way l
felt that had asked that question und
knew that 1t would be answered,
though could not tell whence the re-
ply would come.
Still the silence was unbrollcn. The
chill or the unwelcoming breast made
my spirit faint, and the childish face
etllfe4(cd into stcrnness that drove ME
shudderlhe to the farthcst limit Of the
room. At last realized that l was
dead, and strange Indifference sue
cccdcd the tumult Of hope and fear.
What did IT matter?
Presently the door opened, and my
landlady entered the room. / saw the
shock that l had felt reflected In her
face and heard her expression OF SYM
pathetic sorrow. at least knew these
things somehow, though my eyes and
cars were forever closed.
Still the time passed. People came
from the church, the undertaken came
with his assistant, brief service was
held, and they carried my body away.
Again 1 murmured In fear and sor-
row, "What will become Of mc2"
Restlcssly I wandered through the
house. 1t was night, and my good
landlady had retired.
Suddenly I remembered that she was
subject to attacks Of slecpwalking,
and the thought occurred to me that l
might control her body while In that
condition.
Here, then, was the tool ready to my
hand. In M Instant I was beside her.
She stirred uncasily IN her sleep and
murmured, "Poor grl!
l willed that she should write nv
strange, sad story as warning, for
my heart cried out to all my fellow
beings. from whose presence / was
fading, 'Bc kind to each other while
you live"
1 concentrated all my thought on the
woman. and my will moved her un
conscious body.
parlor and sat at the secretary. Me-
and slowly this strange story grew be-
meath her touch.
once more stand before the mirror,
n slender, shadowy shape, and wlstful-
~ take my last look at the familiar
face therein. Brown and wnvy locks
scarcely more substantial than Dutrs OF
smoke. frame pnllid, oval face. The
lips arc faded TO faint rose tint, and
the melancholy, dark blue eyes serm
to hold all the life OF the fading face.
While / gaze the tints grow fainter,
anu white mist gathers over all that
Is left Of poor AleXia rIIstrnnge Fare
we'll, rcproachful face! | mean You no
harm. How could know that my dcs-
pcrate experiment would end thus?
And yet would I undo it If | could?
think not. try to pierce that shroud-
ing mist that hides the once familiar
race. but my will grows weak, and I
can struggle no longer. The face be-
fore me fades. fades.
just the Thing.