The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1898-08-06
i u,S scarcely q o'clock when | sought

! il was scarcely 9 o'clock when | sought
nv room.
| However. placing my wallet under my
pillow first taking one last look at the
! pictured face of the girl loved "a pos
| session more priceless than the thousands
| il coutainedD. | soon was fast asleep. How
many hours passed l know not, but sud
denly | became conscious OF sense OF
sutfocation, which | yainly stroye to
| throw off. of myriadS of brilliant colors
| floating before me and FAINT SOUNDS OF
delicious music in the distance. Then out
from the bright-hued clouds surrounding
me appeared a mans face. His dark
! ewes peered steadily and magnetlcally into
mine, until | seemed chained ana las
| ciuated by his gaze, while his every feat-
urr was indelibly impressed upon my
| brain. II was a singulariy handsome
I, face. A long, dropping mustache partial
, lv concealed the well-shapcd mouth
! whose full red lips, half-parted, just
showed to view The faultless teeth which
vet cleaned with something of the cruel
! ty of the tiger. The nose was straight,
| we'll suited to the face the complexion
! pale. but the eyes concentrated the charm.
| With their sleepy. slumbrous Ids they
! shone and sparkled as with hidden IRE.
while the scar upon the left temple seemed
to enhance rather than dctract from the
beauty of the white, high brow.
| stroye to speak. II dissipate the spell,
:
broke the stiffness. sounding close TO my
ear. while the silver barrel of pistol
pointed the words:
Not word, not a sound, or you are q
dead man..
, Then low, sardonic laugh echoed
| through the room, and my dream was az
an end.
| As the morning sun scattered the visions
Of the night, while yet | vibrated between
dreamland and reality, this one separated
itself from the many strange fancles
which had haunted the midnight hours,
and again arose wildly before me, raising
me to wakcfulness. Turning droWslly up
on nv pillow | became conscious OF Il
| faint Sickcning odOr pervadlng the apart
| mrnt and Il dull sense of oppression about
my temples. Thinking I cold bath would
work wonders, and attrlbutlnS my rest
| less night TO my WeaTied body and late
supper combined. | spran@ from my bed
and throwing up my window let the cool.
| hracing air sweep through the room: then
| after a plunge INTO my bath l began once
! more to feel like myself and recall the
| pleaSurable anticipations of the day be
! fore me- so that when my toilet was COM
| p!oted nv mirror reflected the face of a
man content with himself and the world.
! Crossing to the bed | threw back tn" mat
| trcss to recover the precious wallet from
| the spot in which | had placed it. 1t was
not there,
| | rubbed my eyes and looked again. still
| with the same result. II must have
/ slipped below or perhaps | had put ii up
on the other side, but thorough search
| revealed only nothngness. \ sensation
! IF horror slowly crept over me. as after
! half an hours futile searching the dread
! truth burst upon me that II III reality had
vanished. But how; but where: hcs'
! were the questions which pressed Ike
! haunting tiendS upon my brain. Then
| once more the vision of the night arose
/ before me the remembrance of the subtle
! nd0r greeting my waking senses, ano
forced upon me the appalling fact that
my dream had been reality; that ! had
! been both drugg"d and robbed.
/ ] examined the door. he faStcnlnGH
were as | had left them. The window
/ 1t was full fifty feet to the ground. How
then could man have entered or cS
capped from my apartment: As | agali
crossed the room | caught sight ct nj!
face in the glass. but SO whit" and haG
| gard ! hardly recognized 1t as my own
The fortune had lost it was utterly be
| yoEd my power to replace My hopes, {
few hours before So bright, So bUoyant
now blasted. For a brief time my mis-
| fortune almost overcam" my manhood
| but in the end ii conquered. lending III"
| certain calmueSS aud courage. | needed
both as | approached the door of Mr.
Iamhcrt's thc senior partners, Office
| As his CHEEKY vote" answered come III
to my knock another dread fear asSailcc
me. Suppose he should doubt my story
How straug" and improhah bic after AL i
appeared. hut the situation must he met
and in another moment "" stood face L
lace.
Springng to his feet. he cordially out
str,tchcd his hand. with words Of wei
come and greeting on his lips. but III
words with which | strovc 10 answer dice
away My manhood at last forso"ll me
and, hurying my face i'll my arm, rs
san. into Il seat, my frame tremhl"d Will
emotion Laying his hand kindly on III.
+ shoulder he waited until my camnes
returned: then without pausin% 70
thought | told him the whole story. II"
excuSing my gross carclcSSncss in failin;