The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-11-15

TONED 10 regard mystu N u coWtru,
i yet could have wished that the
house had not seemed SO lonely. 1t
was a vague, vain and ridiculous
idea. knew-still, the nearer got
TO myroom the more il possessed me.
When / laid my hand on the clock, for
a moment it quite overwhelmed me
and / need hardly say that when i
found the door resist my effort to
open it, my discomforture was COM
plete. Then, after q moment, pulled
myself together, feeling heartily
ashamed of the rapidity with which
my heart was beating. Another
push at the door and ii opened par
tially-enough to admit me. Some
thing had fallen inside and blocked
il. stopped TO discover what it
was and presently my fingers lighted
on n wedgeshaped block of wood with
q screw sticking partially through it.
This had caused the jam. But
what could il be? However, left ii
on the floor, closed the door and
walked slowly towards the window,
knowing every step of the way nearly
as well as you would with your eyes.
The window-a French one, opening
on TO small balcony-to my sur
prise was not closed, rs | am certain
left il an hour or two earlier, when
| brought up the wine to my room.
You may think these little discover
les would have increased my nervous
ness; they had contrary effect; at
Iaoot axarx, oapoo 4 Lon uroo awollnWa1
up in surprise and curiosity as TO
what could have happened.
However, began slowly to un-
dress--a blind man has to do most
mechanical things slowly, ifhe would
not be perpetually bruising or
manning himself, and SO | went on
for few minutes fumbling about
with my garments as usual, deposit
ing each in its accustomed place. for
only by that means are we incapa-
bles able to find any object with GER
tainty again.
Suddenly thought OF the purpose
which had brought me to bed SO
early, and began to donbt IL | was
going through a good preparation
for giving the sleeping draught n
fair chance. had grown wider and
wider awake every moment from
that when, ascending the stairs,
had first felt sense ofloneliness.
Nevertheless, would take glass of
my light claret forthwith, consider
ing that by the time should be get
ting into bed it would be beginning
60 take effect. stepped out in the
direction of the table where it stood.
felt about for an instant and the
next had the bottle within my grasp.
Then found the glass and was pro-
ceeding, as | expected, to take the
cork out, when lol there was no cork,
Raising the bottle, / instantly knew
from its lightness that it was empty.
This discovery was conclusive.
Somebody had been in the room
perhaps was in the room at this
moment-a most unpleasant notion,
but | was no longer nervous.
"Who is there? Speak," | cried.
"Who are you and where are your"
No reply. / listened intently; not
n sound broke the stiffness of the
sweet Autumn night. Taking my
stick, | thrust il under the bed and
round about in various corners of
the room. The furniture appeared
a little disarranged, but otherwise
there was no evidence of the presence
OF any human being. Very strange,
i thought. Anyway, | must ring for
the footman--for | may say here
that dislike being varleted and be-
yond indispensable assistance prefer
doing everything as much as l can
for myself, especially in my bedroom.
AS my hand passed across the cor
ner of the table il knocked something
of on the ground which ratified like
tin and glass. Not stopping to in
vestigate, the next discovery my SEN
sitive fingers made on the table was
some short iron tool. l took it up
and felt it; but could not make out
what it was, SO proceeded to grope
for the bell-rope close TO the bed head.
Now, with all that had gone before,
imagine my sensations when, as my
fingers passed over the edge OF the
pillow on their way to the top of the
bedstead, they fell upon n warm hui
man cheek Yes! the cheek Off man, as
i knew instantaneously. from his
sparse beard, whisker and huirl
Imagine my sensation, say, at that
moment.
That / was startled beyond express
sion, admit; but checked my inn
pulse TO shout aloud. stepped back
into the middle of the room, bump
ing against n chair or something in
my haste. In two seconds, however,
1 COLLECTED IN Y Wits Onick "a fhnnnht