Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1911-03-10
A MYSTERY
1t Was Explained With a
Happy DenOument
BY r. A. Mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press /
Association.

| prefer the autumn for AUTOMOBILE
ing. The country is then beautiful,
and | am comparatively free from the
dust of other autos. In these rides
love to commune with nature and usu-
ally go alone.
One October ! was riding through
the beautiful hills of Vermont when
evening came upon me in a thinly set
tied region, and encountered break
down at the same time. | couldn't
like Joshua, turn the sun back in his
course. and | saw at a glance thatsI
couldn't repair the break In my auto.
Fortunately near me was a house. 1t
was queer looking structure built of
brick and hexagonal in form. Leaving
my auto beside the road where 1t was
stalled, with light before and be-
hind, l went to the house resolved II
admitted to spend the night there.
There was not much encouragement
Of a welcome for me since it was now
HuAIC uOl lkut WIS W Uo
seen at single window.
On reaching the premises / went to
the front door and beat on 1t with the
old fashioned brass lions head knock
er. failed to rouse any one. Then
went around the house, looking for
possible entrance. found one
through window the sash of which
had been left unlocked. Entering, l
struck match and saw that was in
a house furnished in colonial style.
less than hundred years old. 1t was
evidently the home when occupied Of
refined and educated people.
Going upstairs, found a bedroom
that suited me. with four post bed
stead and a broad open fireplace. a
wood box stood beside the latter, and
l soon had half a dozen logs burning
brightly. Then, returning to my auto,
1 took my lunch basket, which 1 al
ways carried In case of necessity, con-
tanning both meat and drink, and re-
turned. There were lamps In the
house and dishes, but no eatables. l
took of the dishes what few needed,
went upstairs. pulled a small table to
the fire and ate my supper. washing 1t
down with a pint Of wine.
had been riding in the wind all day
and was very sleepy. Instead of get
ting into the bed, on which there was
what was required for comfort except
sheets and pillowcases, fell asleep in
my chair. don't know how long l
slept, but when awoke the fire gave
out only the glow of Goals. Remem-
bering that | was alone in a deserted
house, instinctively looked about me
to make sure that was perfectly safe.
On wooden partition separating the
room from another hung an unframed
print, the head and shoulders of a
young girl, life size. There was some
thing about the eyes that arrested my
attention. By the imperfect light they
seemed strange. In fact, they looked
like human eyes inserted in a paper
picture. am not superstitious or
nervous, but the uncanny effect star
tied me. Throwing some light wood
on the fire, started blaze, but when
1t came and looked again at the pic
ture the eyes were merely printed. !
got up from my seat, went to them
and, seeing that they were paper,
threw Off my outer garments, lay
down on the bed and went to sleep.
The next morning l was awakened
by hearing a sound as though some
thing had been set down outside my
door. Remembering the eyes on the
picture, was somewhat curious at
any happening. Getting up went to
the door, opened 1t, and there at my
feet was pitcher of hot water.
My mind went back at once to the
fairy tales of my boyhood. 1 was
surely in the house of magician, and
l hoped that the princess was there
too. Performing my ablutions, put
on my clothes and. opening the door,
went downstairs. The first room l
struck was the dining room, and what
was my establishment to find the table
set for breakfast, with but one plate.
Hello, fairy~ I called jocularly-
that is. l tried to call jocularly, but
failed, and when the wall gave back
no sound but that of my own voice 1
confess l felt very uncanny sensa-
ton. Had / suffered some sudden
brain trouble?
l was ratified. The eyes l had seen
the night before, the pitcher of hot
water, the breakfast table set-with
dishes only-had completely upset me.
] determined to explore the house and
bolted right into the kitchen. found
no one, but fire was lighted in the
stove, and on It coffee was spouting up
In percolator. / went into all the
other rooms on the ground floor and,
finding no one, mounted the stairs to
explore the upper stories. There was
no one In any room. In the garrett
found a locked door and couldn't eff
feet an entrance, but 1t seemed to me
that 1t was a storeroom l returned
to the room had slept in My heart
was beating like kettledrum. pooh
poohed and tried to laugh at the odd.
ity Of the situation, but 1t was no use.
sat down in the chair In which l had
slept the night before and tried to re-
assure myself that was mentally
sound. don't remember how long I
was In my room--perhaps fifteen or
twenty minutes-when ! heard a tap
at the door and a sweet voice say: