The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-02-11
VOLUME -XXI----NO. ,44.y
most grateful to You."

most grateful to you.' '"'t'
So Warren rolled himself in .his
blanket, and / Colonel Someryille
,ut out the candle and got into BED
gain and tried to 60 to sleep.
Us efforts were in vain. He
new himself to be provokingly
ii wake, and though he counted
ira, erless sheep going through a
e2te, and resorted to all those de-
ICES which are popularity supposed
to encourage sleep, he remained az
wide 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 slumber !; and
the Colonel felt as terribly OH the
alert as he had felt sometimes in
the Indian mutiny. Warren had
quite got over his bad dreams and
indisposition, and snored in the
most comfortable manner.
Suddenly some noise within the
house made the Colonel start up in
his bed and listen attentively. Yes
there could be no doubt about it
there was :he sound of a stealthy
football upon the stairs. He hastily
litAis candle again, and his gaze
was turned toward the door, which
he had locked after it was settled
that Warren should remain: He
saw the candle move. ? 80 : -''
In a flash Of thought he asked
himself what this could be. Lon.
don there's would never dream o.
running the risk of entering 9
house in which there was absolute.
| ly nothing to steal. To physical
fear Colonel Somerville was a
strang ger; and SO he at once snatch.
ed up the short, heavy poker from
the fireplace, and without waiting
to arouse hisservant, who he saw
was sleeping heavily, he went qpi.
etly to the door, unlscked and open;
ed it suddenly. prepared to capture
the intruder. But the passage out.
side was vacant and silent. 81 "a =
Being a man of more than ordi.
nary strength, and thoroughly tac.
castomed to danger, he did not hes.
itate about continuing his search.
There were only two other rooms
upon this floor, these he entered.
and as they were destitute of ,furni,
ture, a glance was sufficient to, show
him that there was no one there
He vent up stairs, carefully exam.
ined Warren's room then he went
down stairs, walked through the
drawing-room, dining-roona n and
study, then into the offices, but, he
encountered nobody. Then he pro
ceeded to examine the, doors, and
windows Of the basement and sat
isfed himself that nobody. could
have entered there. His examina
tion of tie lower part Of the house
occupied him about quarter Of ar
hour, and then he arrived at the
conclusion7he had been the victim
Of his own imagination. Then he
yawned and began,to think he fell
really sleepy, SO he ascended from:
the offices, thinking that he should
get few hours rest at last. Just
as he put his foot upon the first steI
of the stairs leading from the hall
something glittered from the floor
He STOPPED down to see what il
was, and he picked up what .ap.
peared to be a.needle Of about foul
times the ordinary length with &
tiny steel button at the end: He
examined it curiously, for he die
not remember to have seen such an
implement before. The point, he
remarked, appeared to be slightly
tarnished. With this, the sole re-
sult Of his search, he returned te
his bedroom. He entered and
locked the door after him, and was
about to throw off his dressing
gown, when to his intense aston
|ishment he. found that Warren.
whom he had left sleeping soundly,
was gone. . ..... a,.......-
He opened the door again and
called loudly. No answer. He hur,
ried up stairs to his servants room
no trace of him there; indeed no
trace of him anywhere, and Colonel
Somerville never saw or heard Of
James Warren again. He had no
reason to suppose that there was
any motive for his mysterious dis:
appearance, for he had not robbed
or defrauded his master in any way
whatever. The. next day the police
Fexamined the house thoroughly,
but nothing of Importance trans;
Epiret. Need I add that Colonel
Somerville's new house was up
again for sale e'immediately. .s.ai's
e. Three facts remain to be record
ed: First, the strange-looking nee
die which the Colonel found was
subjected to chemical inspection
and the furnishes upon the point
were found to be human blood
Secondly, when the house had beer
for sale about six weeks, Colone
Somerville received a letter from
the agents, announcing that the
horea uroe aold fcr +ba eon,a amoun1