The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1874-02-19

90 lie S0lu, w Vlli luH Seh 49,
this blanket, aud lie down lpoatle
floor, or sit up in q chair ~ y6N
please. Iexpcct youwill ho hOarti.
Iy ashamed of yourself tomorrow
morning, Warren"
81 think not, ,siEI shall 6nly he
most grateful to you"
So Warren rolled himself in the
blanket, and Colonel Somerville
put out the candle and got into bed
again and tried to goDto sleep.
His efforts were in vain. He
knew himself to be provokmgly
wide awake, and though he count
ed numberless sheep going through
a gate, and resorted 10 those de.
vices which are popularly supposed
to encourage sleep, he remained q
awake as ever he had been in his
life,
Everybody knows how pretur:
naturally acute the senses are when
after midnight they positively re,
fuse to be lulled to slumbcT apd
the Colonel felt as terribly on the
olort os no had felt sometimes in the
Indian mutiny. Warren had quite
got over his bad dreams and mdis-
position, and snored in the most
comfortably manner.
Suddenly some noise within the
house wade the Colonel start up in
his bed and listen attentively. Yes
there could be no doubt about it.
there was the sound Of a stcalthy
football upon the stairs. He hast
lily lit his candle 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 a flash of thought he asked
himself what this could be. Lon
don thieves would never dream Of
running the risk ofenteripga house
in which theye was absolutely moth
ing to steal. To physical fear Col,
onel Somerville was stranger, and
so he at once snatched up tie short,
heavy pokerirom thefire-place, and
without waiting to arouse bis SER
want, whom he saw waS sleeping
heavily, he wcntquietly to the door,
unlocked and opened it suddenly,
prepared to capture the intruder, =.
lsEt u 9 sass6gs outside was ggcant
and silent
Being q man gilmore than oFdin-
ary strength, and thoroughly ac-
customed to danger he did not
kesitateabout continuing hissearch.
There were only two other rooms
upon this floor, these he entered,
and, as they were destitute Of fhrni-
ture, a glance was sufficient toshQw
him that there was 10 one there's ~
he wept up stairs, carefully exam
ined Warren's room; then he went
down stairs, walked through the
drawing-room, dining-room and
study, then into the Offices, but he
encountered nobody. Then Eepro.
ceeded to examine the doors and
windows Of the basement, and sat.
isfed himself that nobody could
be there, His examination of the
lower part Of the house occupied
him about a quarter of an hour,
and then he arrived at thc concIus-
ion te had been the victim of his
own Imagination. Then he yawn-
ed and began to think he feltreally
sleepy, so he a8cendAl from the Of
fees, thinking that he should,gct a
few honrs rest at last. Just as he
put his foot upon the first step of the
stairs leading from the hall, some
thing slittcred from the floor. lie
stopped down to see what it was,
and he picked up what appeared to
be d needle ofabcut four times the
ordinary length with a tiny steel
button at the end, He ex9DlineQit
curiously, for he did not. t.rcmember
to have seen sach an implement be-
fore. The point hpemarkcd, ap-'
peared to be slightly tarpisEcd.-
With this, the sole result of his
search he returned to his bedroom.
Fc entered and lockaq the door af.
ter him, and was about to throw off
lis dressing gown, when to his in
tense astonishment he found that
Warren, whom he had left sleeping
sounqly, was gone,
He opened the door again and
call loudly. No answer. III, ,bar-
ried up stairs to his servants room
M trore of INN thare. indeed no