Show THE RETIRED BURGLAR ho tells of some very unpleasant experiences with mirrors ohavo had said tho retired burglar some very unpleasant experiences with mirrors 1 I chink I 1 have told you how I 1 baco fired at my reflection in a mirror mistaking it for another man a mistake that I 1 thought I 1 should never make again but within two years after a mirror and smashed iho glass and smashed my gamt and made myself uncomfortable generally it may seem strange to you that a man could make such mistakes but in a dim light and where everything is strange to him and hes all sort of keyed up himself I 1 dont know as it is after all still after that last experience I 1 did think it would bo somo time before I 1 had any moro trouble with mirrors but within a year I 1 had an experience that was a great deal worse than either of them when I 1 came out of a room in a house I 1 was in ono night on the second floor looking down tho hall this was pretty near the front where I 1 was I 1 saw the figure of myself in a mirror at the other end it was plain enough even in that light but it startled me little at first and I 1 threw up my gun at it of course the figures hand went up and down just tho same as mine did and it made me kind of laugh to think of it and I 1 could imagine the shadow laughing too at a man who was afraid of his own shadow then I 1 went into the nest room and when I 1 camo out of that into the hall again my eyes sought the mirror again it very pleasant to see yourself in the dark in that way but it would have been a mighty sight less pleasant not to but then I 1 was all right and I 1 stood and looked at it a and threw up my arm at it same as before just up and down a sort of unnecessary test but it made me feel just a little easier and up went the arm in the mirror with mine but this time when min down tho arm in tho mirror staid up now dont raise your hands tha man said covering mo with a gun in his upraised hand voice kind of drawling but meaning business you know you know when a man means business and this man did mean it and my hands down oh belll ho says not moving a muscle and not shouting it out but just kind of drawling it out like tho other then a man appeared beyond the man that was holding mo up coming toward him and me he walked right through the mirror past the other man and kept coming it was all plain enough then in fact id guessed at it before as may bo you have tho mirror a mirror at all but a doorway an opening midway of a long hall and the frame was the frame of the door way thero were rooms beyond just tho samo as those on the side where 3 was and it was the doors of those that I 1 had seen in the mirror and not the reflection of those on my side and it waa out of buo ouo of those doors that bill came the roan with the gun had teen ready for me the first time I 1 looked but it must have been that bill then but bill was ready now and ho camo on past the other man careful to keep out of his range of course making for me and ho came around behind mo and took two or three turns of a rope body and arms then the man with the gun came up and between them they tied me up good and strong and that was a matter of BOX e four years new york sun |