Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-10-21


"Open the door," whispered Rae
clifie, "and I'll capture the villain p
"No, no." persisted Edna. 9TH
robber is evidently a desperate vi
lain, and he may be armed"
Nonsense I" retorted Radcliffe
opening the door. "If 1 capture hin
it will place your father under obi
cations to me, and he may consent t
our marriage"
The door which opened out of tn
little entry into the private office wa
ajar, and pushing it open, Radcliff
peered in.
AT the same instant a bright ligh
was flashed in his eyes and he starte'
back, for confronting him was Banke
Burkley himself, clutching in on
hand a roll of notes, and in the othe
a dark lantern.
The two men stood staring at eacl
other for several seconds, and neithe
spoke.
Finally the banker turned sharply
and, walking TO an old-fashioneC
horse-hair covered lounge which stood
against the wall at one end of tn,
room, drew back the heavy cushions
and placed the roll of notes carefully
in the cavity. Then, replacing the
cushion, he pushed back the slide o.
his lantern and started toward the
door, on the threshold of which stood
Radcliffe, with Edna peering over hi.
shoulder.
The whole proceeding had been sc
strange and mysterious that Radcliffe
involuntarily drew back as the banker
approached, and an apology for his
intrusion trembled on his lips.
The hanging light in the entry
threw its reflection upon the banker:
face as he drew near, and Radcliffe
noticed that although his late EN-
ployer's eyes were wide open, they
had a fixed and meaningless stare.
"Sleep-walking, by Jovel" he ejacu'
lated, and clutched the somnambu.
lists arm.
"Ha" cried the banker with O
start, and, reeling, he would have
fallen had not Radcliffe supported
him. "What does this mean? Where
am II"
walking in your sleep, papa" in
Edna, stepping forward and
laying her hand OH her fathers
shoulder.
BY this time Mr.. Burkley was thor.
oughly awakened, and turning fierce
Iy upon Radcliffe, whom he recog-
nized in the dim light, he demanded
what right he had to enter his house
after being ordered not to do so.
"I'm sure I'm very sorry, and l ask
pardon for the intrusion" answered
the young man, "but l love Edna,
and Edna loves me, and even your
stern decree could not keep us apart,
We have met frequently since my
from the bank, and tonight
l was escorting her home, when, dis
covering strange light in your pri'
vate office, l concluded that we had
discovered the mysterious burglar in
the act of committing robbery and
1 entered to capture the villain. You
can imagine my surprise, sir, when ]
discovered that you were the robber.'
"What do you mean?" demanded
the banker, gruffly.
81 will show you, sir" answered
Radcliffe.
And entering the little Office, he
lighted the student lamp on the table
Then going to the lounge he pulled
back the cushion.
"There, sir!" he said, pointing tC
the money hidden in that snug recep
tacle. "I think you will find every
dollar of the money that has SO mys
teriously disappeared. While in @
somnambulistic state, you have from
time to time gained admittance to the
vault by means of the private door
and have distracted the sums you
hiding them carefully here"
81 used to walk in my sleep when ]
was a boy" muttered the banker
sheepishly, "but I thought 1 had out
grown the habit years ago."
He gathered up the pile of notes
that he had hidden under the sofa
cushion, and after counting then
nodded his head approvingly.
"Well, Ned" he said finally, turn
ing upon the ex-cashier with some
thing like his old manner, 81 suppos'
you're entitled to some reward fol
this discovery"
II ask none, sir, answered Radcliffe
and I'm only glad l was able to d'
you service"
"Well. I'm going 10 reward you,
continued the banker sturdily. I'm
going to make you my son-in-law
that is, if Edna don't object, and
don't think she willard after tc
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