Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-08-21
.You are very kind; but he might

4
wait till your letters arc finished"
"That will make no difference. 1
promise 10 sit up until my hot waters
brought: Will that satisfy youG"
''Oh. but that's too much"
"Not at all. If you. tell me in the
morning that you've had good night"
with a pleasant smile, II shall feel amply
rewarded; besides, l can do with less
sleep than most people, and Pm sure to
take it out before luncheon"
Miss NJ. expostllated, but he would
not listen, being quite excited at the
idea of rendering service to such a
pretty girl; and when the guests separa-
ted for the night ana he whispered: 'T
haven't forgotten" she gave him so
charming look of gratitude that his
heart fluttered like schoolboy's
Two O'Clock. A. NJ, with decaving
fire and without the solace Of pipe.
He had written two or three letters just
TO save his conscience, but the effort had
been SO great that he wouldn't have be-
gun another to save his life. In order to
reassure Miss NJ, who might be on the
lookout, he left the smoking room on
pretext of headache, and established
himself in his room about midnight.
Smoking and sleeping were both out of
the question, and two longer hours he
had never spent in his whole existence.
He heard doors opening and shutting
down stairs, a suppressed laugh at the
last good story told amidst tobacco
smoke, the tread of several pairs of feet
in different directions, and then silence.
Miss NJ. being no longer there with
her white face and her small figure all OF
tremble to work upon his feelings, he
began to feel his position eminently
ridiculous. His excitement had cooled
down, his compassion had waned like
the moon; but, infinitely bored and in
tensely sleepy, he was bound by his
promise to girl. And all on account of
a dream! He asked himself, with his
fingers running through his usually neat
nalr and his mouth distended in an un-
conscious yawn, if anybody had ever
neard OF a young man being victimized
by somebody else's dream. It was arrant
nonsense, and he was a fool to give in
to it. No, not quite that, with throb
of compunction, or the girl would have
worried herself into fits; but he ought to
have reasoned with her, or sug-
/ gested that she might have dog
in her room. Lady B. Fidget would
have been sure to bark if mouse
had squeaked, and would have howled
the house down at sight of burglar.
A pity he hadn't thought of it; but sup
posing he had, Miss Ms gratitude would
have been given to Fidget and not to
himself, and he rather wished to win it.
Another yawn, till he thought he had
cracked his jaws. The fire was dying
out, he was afraid to stir it, but he
thought might tickle it with poker. He
got up cautiously and was stretching out
his hand for the poker, when he heard
sound in the passage. He began to think
his nervous system was deranged, for he
had never believed there was the smallest
reason for his watching. But the sound
was repeated, and sent an unmistakable
thrill through his veins. He got to the
door noiselessly, thanks to his slippers,
and without opening it any farther peered
through the crack. He could scarcely
believe his eyes when he saw Bird, the
butler, carrying pair of tiny high -heeled
boots in his hand Was there really
something in the dream after all? He
waited till the man actually stopped at
Miss Ms door and placed his hand on the
handle.
Then with one stride he was by his
side.
''What are you doing here2" he said,
in a stern whisper, staring the butler
straight in the face.
The man started, turned perfectly
livid, and let the boots fall from his
shaking fingers, but he made a great
effort after composure, and tried TO
steady his voice as he said: II had for
gotten to send up these boots before, sir,
and was afraid the young lady might
want them the lirst thing in the morn
ing"
IF she did it wouldn't be your bust.
ness to bring them. You must be mad
or drunk, and / shall report you to
your master tomorrow.
The mans under lip shook and his
eyes shifted uneasily. ~ meant no
harm, " he said, sullenly, as he stopped to
pick up the boots"
But Mr.. r. stopped him on q sudden
impulse. "Leave them here and go off
at once"
DlTQ Secnleu lnCllueu 10 TennOHsLTdte,
and even stretched out his hand again as
If to take the boots, but Mr..
r. signed to him to go, with asignifcant
frown.
The butler skunk down the passage,
giving backward look before he turned
the corner. Mr.. B. watched him out Of
sight, then picked up the boots and carried
them to the gaslight. Nothing in the
first, a dainty, innocent covering for a
pretty foot. But something hard ratified
in one of them as they dropped on
the floor, and he was not surprised to find
in the second long, pointed knife.
As he drew it out and scratched his finger
with the sharp edge, his blood turned
cold as he thought of the girls white
throat and crimson cash.
II it had not been for dream that
girl would have been brutally murdered
in her bed.
Mr.. II. thought il right to tell the cir
rumstances Of the case to Lord and Lady
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