The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-11-27


with hungry eyoa
did not feel sleepy enough 10 go
TO bed. neither did find Il partiou-
larly cheerful to cit In tho ono little
wooden chair which the room afforded
aud gaze at the cheap wall paper cove
ering tho pine partition, or the
"skied" picture Of flaming red, long
tailed bird Of paradise with his head
set backward on his neck. Ny books
we're Ia my trunk aud there was moth
ing at hand to read except an old
newspaper which was doing duty as
cover to the washstand
CHANGING Of this paper saw that
the page exposed to view was made
up Of "syndicate" matter aud that the
prominent article was a startling coin
cidence, the story Of an adventure
with a burglar. ] began reading it.
The narrator told how be found
himself in a strange room seeking for
a safe place to bestow his money for
the night; how he determined 70
place it between the leaves Of die
tionary, and wishing to remember the
exact place he thought he would open
| the book at the word money, but, be-
hold, when he opened it, the 6rst word
he saw was murder.
Here the narrative was broken by a
soap dish, which adhered firmly TO the
paper in spite Of my careful efforts to
remove it, and read no further.
arose and shook myself. "Pshaw :"
I said, ''what fool am. He's prob
ably just an ordinary hostler come mp
here to work, or perhaps to see bis
old mother. No doubt he's rs honest
rs am. / wonder what word he
would have found il he had opened
the dictionary at Cash, " soliloquized.
and out Of mere idle curiosity took
from my handbag theuearest approach
l had to n dictionary little paper
covered book of synonyms, and opened
it at c.
Observation-Disclosures catch
seize.
This was the line that met my gaze.
/ laughed, threw the book on the ia.
BILE and began to undress.
"If anyone enters my room to-
night" I thought, as folded up my
vest and placed it under the pillow
"Tll clutch him, grasp him, lay hole
on him, catch him, seize him, and vel
for help"
When 1 went to sleep dreamt tina
/ was wading up trout stream fishing
for black bass with a wad OF none,
for bait and that as fast as 1 caugh
fish I was robbed of them by a red
headed horse.
From the number of fish I ha,
caught / judge that / must have slep
Il, two or three hours; then I found my
self suddenly Owoke, listening intent,
aud anxiously snnffing the air. wa
certain of two things. Some one wa
moving in the room, and 1 smelle
horse.
+ 1t is easy to write of this thing no,
G in spirit of levity, but had no sue
u feeling as lay there straining m
e eyes to no purpose in the inky dark
q ness but hearing that fellow NOV
, about the room boldly, without eau
ton, as though it mattered nothing I
u him, whether / slept or listened.
d "If move," I thought "he is read
/ with his knife or club to silence II
n forever.
II did not know whether or not /
had already taken the vest from II
h der my pillow and I did not care ju
'r then to investigate. l moved not
As muscle, but when the first tumult
/ sudden fright had subsidized tried t
le think-to reason.
re lam here for my health, Though
as "Now, won't it be healthier to lie st
: and let him take my money than
Il move finger and let him take n
TX life--what little 1 have? How did
ne get in? All, OF course the windo
m 1 couldn't budge it, but he is mi
Ok cular. 1 should have thought
that"
of What was the man doing? T
eh sounds he made were exactly such