Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-09-17

other things, as If by accident. or as if
it had been forgotten. Yet it was al
ways forthcoming whenever 1 looked
1 put a solitary sovereign on corner of
the manteipiece; the housemaid twice
drew my atten ii on to the fact that the
coin was still ly ing there. No, moth
ing that l ever pl aced as a bait disap-
peared The depredat ons were con-
fined to such objects as hadn't been
thinking about until I wanted them.
The month was August, the nights
hot and sultry and less than ever con-
ducive to sleep. I had nothing to do
that evening, and, although turned in
early it was with the usual result. The
clock had just struck one, and 1 had
been in bed since eleven without clos
ing my eyes. It was the old story; I
was accustomed to it. Suddenly, amid
the host of perplexing and even awe
inspiring thoughts whirling through
ones brain under these conditions, I
remem bered that pocket letter case
containing the two one pound sterling
Scotch bank notes. Where was it? I
had not seen it for weeks. After rest
lessly striving to drive away the desire
to get up and get it. it mastered me,
and out of bed 1 sprang. For fully an
hour l carried on the quest, but all in
vain. Every conceivable corner, draw
err and pocket was ransacked. The key
of the escritoire had been mislaid, so I
could not examine that; but knew it
contained little else but papers.
At length, entirely exhausted, irri-
tated and fevered. and with the cham
Der candle expiring with a sputter, L
flung myself on a couch in the drawing
room. Dawn had not yet broken, but
in a few minutes. as 1 lay there coiled
up in my dressing gown. 1 unexpected
ly fell asleep-a restless, dreaming
sleep, full of fantastic, wierdlike, indie
scribable shapes.
When 1 awoke it was daylight,
though the room was still shadowy and
obscure, save in one spot close to the
long window, where the Venetian
blind was partially raised-the win
dow nearest that dark corner oc cupied
by the old escritoire. The head of the
couch was toward the mantelpiece, but
almost facing the door from the land
ing on the further side of the wall.
At the moment I opened my eyes
with feeling of relief at having just
escaped some visionary peril, to my
amazement I saw that door slowly open
and the figure of a man stealthily en-
tering it. 1t did not make the faintest
sound on its hinges, nor did he with his
footstep-not so much as the creak-
ing of plank. The light in
that part of the room was far
too dim to allow of my seeing what
he was like. His face was slightly
averted, also, and except that the gen
eraI looks of the man seemed to be
not altogether unfamiliar, could not
in the least tell who he was The first
impulse, of course, was to sit up and
call out, but for some inexplicable rea-
son / restrained it-perhaps because
the thought instantly crossed my mind
that here was the thief, and upon that
1 suppose rapidly concluded to watch,
and pretended to be still sleeping.
However this may be, did not move
as I observed him creep noiselessly
across the room to the end of the man
telpiece farthest from that where was
lying. He appeared not to notice me,
and after feeling with his hand for
moment between the edge of the look
ing glass and the wall by the mantel
shelf, he took something away, and in
stantly crossed back to the window by
the escritoire. He passed the little
gap of light so quickly into the dark
corner that I still failed to recognize
him. Then 1 could dimly make out that
he was apparently unlocking the lum-
bering piece of old furniture, though
still without making the slightest
sound
''Ho! ho!" thought l, my fine fellow,
now I've caught you, have I? You
have found the key, and are going to
exercise your calling in that direction,
eh? Well, there's not much that is
worth your attention there; you won't
find that a profitable hunting ground"'
was not long, you may depend, IN
coming to a determination. While he
was still FUN bling at the escritoire
rose, and, stealing softly up behind
him, suddenly seized him by the back
of his collar. He endeavored to writhe
out of my grasp, but l turned him
round so quickly that we both stag
gered and fell ON the floor in a huddled
heap together-heu ndermost. In the fall
l struck my forehead severely against
something, probably a projecting chair.
For the moment the blow seemed to
blind me; but rs we had rolled over
into the gap of light from the window
1 caught sight of his face, turned up as
il was toward mine. and 1 saw-whose
fsce think you? Why; no other than
my own-yes, my very own, as well
knew it in the looking-glass.
That one instant of amazement and
CONSERVATION in which, as by a flash. 1
made this recognition, was followed by
a total oblivion of all surroundings.
The face and figure seemed to fade
away beneath me and to vanish with
my consciousness.
How long lay PROSTATE, face down
ward on the floor. 1 know not: but in
that position 1 found myself when my
bewildered senses slowly returned.
For awhile, of course, l could remem
Der nothing-how 1 came there or what
had brought me to such a pass. Only
very slowly did the circumstances re-
call themselves. What ON earth did
they mean? My forehead was unmis-
takably cut and still bleeding; indeed
there was a patch of CONCEALED blood
on the carpet plainly visible in the
broad flood of early sunlight now
streaming in beneath the half-raised
blind. Had 1 been dreaming? More
likely 1 had had fit; anyhow, 1 was
so utterly bewildered that it was some
time before my thoughts became CO.
herent. Then, alarmed and fully con-