The rustler., 1891-08-07

close again II was very siin Frank
was unused % bcing awake In the tight.
and Il ~eemed b. him h. had never fclt
anything more oppressive than the
silence ~ the room. and the regular
brcathing ~ the sleeping boys The
moon shoue In full through the window
just aboxc his head. aud threw long
shadows over the floor. which he fancicd
took queer forms and shapes around
him. The great hail clock struck two.
and he started. 10 loud Il sounded
through the room. At last. however.
he grew sleepy. and was just beginning
10 doze comfortably OF. when he saw a
small. white-robed figure coming
slowly toward his bed Now Prank
had been a little nervous for some
time, though he wouldn't have admitted
| Il for the world. and his heart gave
bound, and for a moment he held his
breath. then the figure stepped into the
moonlight. and he saw that Il was
Louis de Chaves Ills ewes were closed.
and Frank saw instantly that he was
walking in his sleep. lie felt little
ashamed of his fear moment before,
especially as he had often heard the
other boys say that Louis was a sleep
/ walker.
at i always he" he thought petu-
lantly. II would bc real happy here n II
wasn't for this miserable little royalist."
Louis stood for moment. as II hesita-
ting, and then turning walked slowly
along the length Of the dormitory.
Frank watched him curiously until he
saw him reach the door. when, 10 his
surprise. Louis opened IL and passed
out, closing II quietly after him.
Franks first impulse was 10 spring out
OF bed and follow him. "llc will come
10 some HARM" he thought "The
stairs are just outside" Then came
selfish thought. ut is cold. lie
wouldn't do IL for me-" Five minutes
later Frank Harrington was fast asleep.
Every morning at half past five the
bell Of Sainte Barbe rouses the stu
dents Of the college. A half an hour
later it is rung for prayers. But the
hands of the clock pointed to twenty
five minutes TO six, and one after an
other the boys awakened. wondering
what allied the punctual old bell, that
had never failed in its duty since their
grandfathers were babies. They were
not left long. however, in suspense.
Through the long corridors one of the
under professors noiselessly passed.
With his finger on his lip commanding
silence, he beclSoned To the frightened
boys who quickly gathered round him,
7 4 I'll
why the bell had not been rung. In the
dim gray light of dawn, one of the pro.
fessors. looking from his window, had
seen little Louis de Chaves sitting on
the edge of the caves which ran along
the French roof of the further build
ing, his feet swinging over the terri
BILE height, and his whole attitude
showing him to be asleep. The win
dows above him were securely grated,
so that the only way he could pos
sibly have reached this position
was TO have climbed out of the
window at which the professor was
standing, walked over the roof below,
and crossed narrow ledge which ran
: between the two buildings. The pro.
fessor stood for moment horror
stricken, then rushed with the alarm
, ing news 20 the head of the college,
, who commanded that the bell should
not be rung, and sent Immediately for
the nearest mdirie for assistance, and so
perfect is the police system of Paris
that, by the time the boys had hurried.
, ly pulled on their clothes and collected
outside the building, beds and hay were
, piled on the ground, policemen were