The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1904-10-29

lollY, anu yet, on the night OF the 0lSt o.
October, the mystic night when strange
things used to be thought possible, and
weird influences were supposed to rise in
their might to weave their puzzling mani
festations about wondering, flesh. encum-
bered mortals-on that night | slipped
from my bedroom few minutes before | ,
u clock, and with fast beating heart |
felt my way down the stairs, through the
hall to the long parlor which opened upon
it.
| reached the door, felt for the knob
gently turned it, and opened the door
noiseleSsly. rs | did 50 | could have
sworn that some one glided behind it.
was in darkness, but involuntarily |
turned my head Had not some one closed
it, could have swooned with terror
Nonsense? At all events, it was as bad
to retreat as to 90 forward now
Again | turned my head 10 listen.
My knees touched at last the marble
shelf which held the mirror; stopped, and
struck match upon its under surface, lit
the candle with which | was provided,
raised 1t well above my head, and looked
into the mirror depths
No sound Of joyous awe escaped from
my lips-hardly, while that look of fasei-
mated horror filed my eyes. My knees
gave way like props suddenly withdrawn.
| should have fallen, but that strong
man : arms were about me; my head fell
periorce, upon his breast. being unable to
sustain itself
In heaven name control yourself,
he whispered, and neither face nor voice
was Charleys,
This adventure ought To have cured me
Of all desire to keep unhallowed Halloween
trysts, but on three successive anniversa
rie> | looked in the old mirror at midnight
! might ask. As | did on the first first oc-
casion, what did | expect? aud repeat what
said then that it was piece Of childish
ness. But to ren0uuce it seemed ike re
nouncing Charley did it half playtully
half Loyalty, wIstfully too, as sort of
memorial service to his image, which still
lived in my dreams and threw It's radiance
over my reveries As the years went by
the sentiment assumed tinge Of superSti-
ton. aud the little midnight service be
came obligatory
What had become of him. knew not /;
darkness aud silence had swallowed him; but
the SEA sometimes yields up it, dead, and
was il 40, Just possible that besides the
antique mirror, where he had promised to
meet me, laughingly swearing taat be
never broke his word-was not it Just pos
sible some message, some revelation might
come 10 me-
October had come again, the fifth since
Charley had leit me He had almost five
years To cultivate an aura and collect his
auriierous deposits.
See here, Charley, | said as the
last night Of the year sweetest month was
waning Il am going to give up mysticism
for maIrimony. III have to accept Tom
Aliin in self defense. There insanity in
this madness
got up from the lounge on which |
bad thrown myself face downward, aud,
despite my bravado, there were tears Of
desperate longing in nv eyes.
The clock was striking the last quarter
before twelve looked disheyeled, and
felt foTlorn, and vet, eontradictorily
there swept over me something ike an
emotion Of hatred for him when | thought
that in al likelihood he was gay aud happy
and heart whole, while | was ON the eve
Of my yearly devotional ceremony
dark and trembling pilgrimage downstairs.
The tutilty the imbecility Of it made me
heartslck,
pressed my fingers to my eyes fercely
as if to wipe his features from my rctina.
In vain | shuddered With delight, for
be seemed to be right there beside me, and
every trail and charm that had won my
snul appealed to it resistlessly again. In
deed il was as il the eloquent page one has
learned to love had revealed fresh features.
subtler meanings, in type and text.
glanced at the clock five minutes gone.
| threw of my wrapper, assumed a Louis
Quinze gown and stuck bunch Of ruSes
an offering from my pis aller, TOM IN my
corsage.
One minute Of ~
Heavens, Suppose should be too
late; suppose he had come and gone
looked IN the mirror, and, not seeing me.
vanished. And yet, if | fell downstairs
and broke my neck Charley would be my
murderer. To save him from this ghastly
responsibility | moderated my speed. If
| had been in blOomers | would have sid
down the banisters
was in front Of the mirror now and a
town clock doomed - | was so excited
that it, reyerberatious shook me like a
rough band. | could scarcely hold the
candle it 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
if from the waters of the past, looked
Charley
Rose and the voice was Clarleys.
oh, Charley and the arms that en-
folded me were Charley :.
\ brief interval, all that life ever yields
US. was given to rapture, and then realism
rompei upon the scene. Remembering
nv first trying vigil, murmured with awe
How did you get in?
Just as | did four years ago.
-Four years ago
Fact | never break an engagement
with a lady, even my sweetheart; but |
am as polite as punetual at times, and
as another gentleman had you in his EN-
brace on that occasion very considerably
as | thought retired. | took the I
o clock train that morning and went back
to-well. Dante's Inferno, he said joy
ously. "But, strange to say, that man is
the cause of my being here
'.Oh, Charleyl' with shudder at that
frightful episode; Il don't understand
explain? What did make you come at
last?'
.Well. it seemed worth while to make
a little journey of two or three thousand
miles for the sake of few explanations.
Best reason of all, | wanted to see you, to
hold YOU in my arms. Saddest reason of
all, | wanted to get on my knees and beg
your pardon felt like shooting myself
when | knew. 1t was temperament, and
| couldn' stop myself
4 h, 10 - hn