The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1874-01-09

( take this blanket, and lie down upon the
floor, or sit up in a chair as you please. |
expect you will be heartily ashamed OF
yourself to- morrow morning, Warren
81 think not, sir; l shall only be most
grateful TO you
SO Warren rolled himselfin the blanket.
and Col. Somesville put out the candle and
got into bed again and tried to go to sleep.
His efforts were in vain. He knew him
self to be provokingly wide awake, and
though he counted numberless sheep going
through gate, and resorted to all those
devices which are popularity supposed to
encourage sleep, he remained as wide
awake as ever he had been in his life.
Everybody knows how pleteInaturally
acute the senses are when after midnight
they positively refuse to be lulled to slum-
Der and the Colonel felt as terribly ON the
alert as he had felt sometimes in the Indi-
an mutiny. Warren had quite got over
bis bad dreams and indisposition, and
spored in the most comfortable manner.
Suddenly scme noise within the house
made the Colonel start up in his bed and
listen attentiveIy. Yes-there could be
no doubt about it ! there WAS the sound of
stealthy football upon the stairs. He lit
his candle hastily again, and his gaze was
turned toward the door, which he had
locked after it was settled Warren should
remain. He Saw the handle move
In flash of thought he asked himself
what this could be. London thieves would
never dream of running the risk of enter
ing house in which there was absolutely
nothing to steal. To physical fear Colo
mel Somerville was a stranger, and so he at
once snatcbed up the short, heavy poker
from the fireplace, and without waiting to
arouse his servanI, whom he saw was
sleeping heavily, he went qnietly to the
door, unlocked and opened it suddenly,
to capture the intruder. But The passage
outside was vacant and silent.
Being a man of more than ordinary
strength, and thoroughly accustomed TO
danger, he did not hesitate about continu-
ing his search. There were only two other
rooms upon this floor these he entered
| and, as they we've destitute of furniture. a
! glance was sufficient to show him that
! there was no one there. He Went up stairs.
carefully examined WaTen's room then
| be went down stairs, walked through the
! drawing-room, dining room and study,
! then inIo the offices, but he encountered
nobody. Then he proceeded to examine
! the doors and windows of the basement.
and satisfy himself that nobody could have
! entered there. His examination of the
! lower pat of the house occupied him about
| a quarter OF an hour and then lie arrived
/ at the conclusion that he had been the vic
tim Of his own Imagination. Then he
! yawned and began to think he felt really
/ sleepy, as be assembled from the offices,
thinking that be should get a few hours
rest at last. just as he put his foot upon
| the first step of the stairs leading from tie
hall, something glittered from the floor.
! He stopped down to see what it was, and
he picked up what appeared to be nee
die of about four times the ordinary length
with tiny steel button at the end. He
examined it curiously, for he did not re-
member to have seen such an implement
| before. The point he remarked, appeared
| to be slightly talnished. With this, the
sole result of his search, he returned to his
| bedroom. He entered and locked the
door after him, and was about to throw off
his dressing gown, when to his intense as
tonishment he found that Warren, whom
he had left sleeping soundly, was gone.
He opened the door again and called
| loudly. No answer. He hurried up stairs
| to his servants room-no trace of him
there indeed no trace of him anywhere,
and Col. Somerville never saw or heard of
James Warren again. He had no reason
| to suppose that there was any motive
for his mysterious disappearance, for he
! had not robbed or defrauded his master in
any way whatever. The next day the pc
! lice examined the house thoroughly but
nothing of Importance transpired. Need
l add that Col. Somerville's new house
was up again for sale immediately.
| Three fac,s remain to be recorded: First,
the strengthening needle which the Col
onel found was subjected to chemical in
| spection, and the furnishes upon the point
were found to be human blood. Secondly,
when the house had been for sale about
six weeks, Col. Somerville received let
ter from the agents, announcing that the
| house was sold for the same amount that
he gave for it. The Colonel being man
of strict honor thought himself in duty
bound to make the purchaser aware of all
that had occurred and hurried up TO town
to the agents for the purpose of procuring
the name and address of this person. All
that The agents could inform him was that
the. purchaser was a gentleman named
Williams and appeared to be an American.
He gave cheque upon well known bank
for the amount and it was duly honored.
The only pecularity about Mr.. Williams
was that he had a remarkable pale face.
Thirdly, the house has never since been
put up for sale, but it remains to all ap-
pearanoes, untenanted, though l under
stand the deaf old woman is still the care
taker