The Advocate and news., 1899-02-22

OLD FAMILIAR chorus, melancholy strain
that seemed to make us all very blue.
When the song was ended, Gala.
whom had long suspected OF being a
hypOchondriao, began to tell us how
much he suffered from insomnia and to
describe the Intellectual attempts that
he had made in the last four or Eve
years to bring sleep TO his pillow. II
appeared also that Graves, who was q
healthy looking young Englishman, had
had only q wink or two Of sleep since
the first Of the year. He admitted that
he was in love, but doubted that that
accounted for the phenomenon. AS for
Mrs. Gale, she simply could not sleep at
all She believed that the locality was
unhealthful and intimated that Fifth
avenue and its vicinity, especially if
one owned a residence there, would
probably solve the problem Of slumber
Now, as a matter of fact, | sleep bet
ter than the average of my species. but
have natural disinclination to ap-
pear inexperienced in matters that are
under discussion in general company
20 / told few fanCiful yarns that put
me within the pale Of sympathy, and |
was very much gratifed to observe that
they impressed Miss Caverly.
This young woman, whose beauty as
she sat there in the moonlight / then
appreciated for the first time, was the
only one Of us to exhibit any reticence
This circumstance led me to the conClu-
sion that she was the one who really
knew what insomnia was, and / felt q
strong curiosity regarding her case.
She seemed to be in good health, and ]
could not believe that the childlike in
nocence of her face was q mask for any
weighty secret, much less for any deep
regret 1t was an interesting problem.
We sat on that roof till o'clock in
the morning. do not know how the
others Jared during the remainder Of
the night; but, as for me, | slept like a
dead man, and when the servant walked
me as usual at 8 o'clock I threatened to
shoot him.
However, when the Insomnia club,
as Graves had named it, drifted into q
meeting on the following midnight |
was quite ready to take my place, They
elected me president Of the club, and
then had to keep awake if it killed me
Yet am free to confess that if the
tender sentiments with which was be. =
ginning to regard Frances Caverly had
been lacking l could never have kept
awake during that session.
A whisper Of our doing got abroad in
the house, and for the third meeting
we had guests young man and two
young women from the second floor
They expressed great enthusiasm for
the club. but they were not on hand for
the fourth session Instead they re-
tired about half past 8, presumably to
make up for lost sleep, as was inform
ed by Mrs. Gale. who had a woman's
faculty for knowing all about every
body else in the house.
For the fourth meeting fortified my
soul with black coffee at dinner and
strong cigars in the course of the even
ing / had begun to realize that the
club would be the ruin of my health if
it continued to flourish, and yet l was
willing to make even that sacrifice for
the sake Of those delightful hours with
Frances Caverly
l couldn't get any other chance to
see her. She taught in summer school
and spent her evenings in study that
the work required, a most laborious
life. How she could bear it without
sleep by night was a problem that be-
gan to engage my serious attention. On
the occasion Of the clubs fifth meeting
l suggested to her about 3 o'clock In
the morning that she ought to retire,
speaking of her health in most solicitous
terms
81 couldn't sleep anyway" said she.
81 might better be here. where / can
enjoy myself "