The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1908-10-24
The Mysterious Mirror
Copyright. by shortstory Pub. Coz
By Harrison Graves

which / gave, the negro came shuf-
fling up. / demanded Matt Fayreau;
the servant disappeared. Soon the old
creole himself stood bowling in the
door. When / told him of our loss,
his eyebrows went up, his lips IN. ana
his hands out.
Impossible" he exclaimed. And
in my house! Mon Dieu."
1T is possible" 1 retorted, since
it has happened"
'It is . mistake. They have been
mislaid."
Neither the next day nor all the
DAYS of the succeeding week, fur
nished a solution.
The evening before We departed
from the city my wife retired, ex-
hausted by the strain. stayed on in
the dressing room, smoking, and OBJ
stinately thinking 1t over in vain
attempt to catch some thread, some
clew. that would lead to an explana-
ton and to a recovery OF the gems.
The room was unlighted, and the
door stood wide open into the dark
| hall to let the smoke from my cigar
drift out. / lay back in a reclining
chair, staring into the long pier-glass
mirror which hung upon the wall OPP
posite the door. The glow OF my
cigar was reflected with each pun
took until finally, finishing 1t, l
dropped it upon an ash tray. The
minutes passed slowly, and / heard
far away a city clock strike the mid
night hour. All the house was still.
NV mind, wearied with intense
thought, relaxed, and gradually | be-
came conscious of point of light.
sharp and shining, in the middle OF the
black mirror In quick reaction once
more focused my thoughts to explain
this speck of light which stood out 30
clearly in the darkness ! stared and
stared until my eyes ached-then, sud
denly, this strange thing happened:
The point of light grew less sharp
and began to expand. Diffusing soft
glow about its rim, It spread until
there stood disk of light, wide as
the mirror itself. As l watched, the
faint outline of hand etched itself
> into the light, Elusive at first, but
growing constantly more real until at
last it seemed as If of flesh. Stretch
. ing out from the darkness, this hand
lay upon table, and upon one finger
I. burned the rainbow opal OF my vile.
Its fires glowed and smouldered as
clearly as though l myself held IT..
: Beside the finger tips. in careless
7 twists, lay the necklace Of pearls. And
near the thumb, shooting hundred
2 flames, saw my own gift Of diamonds.
y But there was something else-some-
II thing upon the hand, black and ugly,
that held my eyes fixed. A little
shudder crept cold over my body and
/ awoke with half laugh, but shivered
y instinctively.
= Like an inspiration 1t came to me
+ that this bright speck, clear and deep
= In the blackness Of the glass. was re-
!. Election. The mirror was sQuarely be-
II fore the open door and low, dark
q passage that ran into the uninhabited
q part OF the old mansion. A crowd OF
N possibilities flooded my mind. / felt,
II with all the force of my mysterious
I revelation, that was on the track Of
= the jewels.
&c Rising and feeling for matches tn
O. the pocket Of my smoking jacket
d went stealthily out of the room down
p the low, musty passage. Carefully
~ feeling my way went forward until
n my finger touched door. Stare a.
y would, no ray of light, such as knew
had made the reflection, rewarded me
'e had been low down in my chair.
:! remembered The keyhole, OF course
"a and as 1 stopped to It the anticipated
ar CLEAN flashed In my eye.
ne Mastering as well as I was able
no the terror of nervousness which seizet
er me, tried the door lightly. It gave
10 way. and In an instant stood within
the lighted room. The sight which
d. greeted my eyes brought me up Will
IN jerk. My humping heart, fel
all sure, would wake the man who "a
I'M sleeping at the table. his head upol
no his outstretched arms
I'D A sparkle of red and purple playe'
lis before me on the table, and there
Mt beheld the hand of my dream-witl
I'D the opal and pearls and the damon
brooch. And there, too, upon his han
he squatted the ugly thing which ha
ed made me shiver. 1t was then ths
Ter the sweeping horror of the trut
Frs struck me. The man was dead. HI
9TH murderer, the swollen spider, crouche
iil- against his hand, large as coin, wit
he eyes peering sharply at me from
BET purple body that bore upon its bac
nd q furry. yellow cross-
OF While gloating over his booty. ii
thief, who proved to be a nephew I
ere Matt Favreau. had evidently falle
ism asleep and. bitten by this poisono,
the insect, had passed into the deep
up, sleep Of death. Now the spider waite
led hv hfs nrev Tho necklace still Il