Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-11-12

breath of air from the room behind
struck upon our necks. and the gas
Jets huttered. Our eyes met instinc-
lively, and we stood for an instant
wondering. for the air that fioated
through the window was sweet and
balmy. A fresh burst of music and
an augmentation of the procession of
lights drove everything but thoughts
of these from our minds. Our h carts
beat high from sheer prospect of finn
and we chartered nonsense until we
laughed at our own foolishness.
But comet" ! cried finally. There
is our carriage and we must finish
dressing" For at that instant the
one which L had ordered pulled un.
Clattering. before the gate. We trlrped
back to the dressing room. My wife.
who preceded me. gave a scream and
cried: Il knew il! l knew 1t would
lring bad luck!'
The jewels were gone. Even the
beautiful piece of Mexican linen upon
which they were spread had vanished.
The tears crept out of her eyes and
down her cheeks In spite Of my reas-
"CAho. AAunl dS we MOulU. not
trace of the missing gems could be
found.
a systematic search showed the
doors still locked and bolted. The
transom. however, which l remem-
oered distinctly having closed, was
open again. l remembered now the
cool gust of air about our necks as
we stood at the windows and the sud
den tanning of the gas jets. But who
could crawl through such an opening?
The idea was preposterous.
AT the vigorous ring of the bell
which l gave, the negro came shut
fling up. l demanded Matt Favreau;
the servant disappeared. Soon the old
creole himself stood bowling in the
door. When 1 told him OF our loss,
his eyebrows went up, his lips in, and
his hands out
"Impossible!" he exclaimed. "And
in my house! Mon Dieu!"
1T is possible" 1 retorted, since
it has happened"
1T is a 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. l stayed on in
the dressing room, smoking. and OBJ
stinately thinking 1t over in a 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 l 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 1
took until finally. finishing 1t, I
dropped it upon an ash tray. The
minutes passed slowly. and 1 heard
far away q city clock strike the mid
night hour. All the house was still.
My mind, wearied with intense
thought, relaxed. and gradually l be-
came conscious of a point of light.
sharp and shining, in the middle of the
black mirror. In quick reaction l once
more focused my thoughts to explain
this speck of light which stood out so
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 n soft
glow about its rim, 1t spread until
there stood a disk of light, wide as
the mirror itself. AS I watched, the
faint outline OF a hand etched itself
into the light, Elusive at first, but
growing constantly more real until at
last 1t seemed as If OF flesh. Stretch
ing out from the darkness, this hand
lay upon a table, and upon one finger
burned the rainbow opal of my wife
Its fires glowed and smouldered as
clearly as though l myself held it.
Beside the finger tips, in careless
twists, lay the necklace of pearls. And
near the thumb, shooting a hundred
flames, saw my own gift OF diamonds.
But there was something else-some-
thing upon the hand, black and ugly,
that held my eyes fixed. A little
shudder crept cold over my body and 1
awoke with a half laugh, but shivered
instinctively.
Like an inspiration 1t came to me
that this bright speck, clear and deep
in the blackness of the glass, was re-
lection. The mirror was squarely be-
fore the open door and low, dark
passage that ran into the uninhabited
part OF the old mansion A crowd of
possibilities flooded my mind. ! felt,
with all the force of my mysterious
revelation. that was on the track Of
the jewels.
Rising and feeling for matches in
the pocket of my smoking Jacket,
went stealthily out of the room down
the low, musty passage. Carefully
feeling my way I went forward until
my finger touched a door. Stare as I
would, no ray OF light, such as knew
had made the reflection, rewarded me.
l had been low down in my chair.
remembered. The keyhole, Of course,
and as l stopped to 1t the anticipated
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