The daily Alaskan., 1905-10-24
A SOmnambulist
[Original.l

Edward Collins. He had married widow with q daughter, Anna Way land. The wife and mother had died, leaving a small portion of her estate to her husband and the balance to her daughter. Anna was lovely girl and extremely fond of her stepfather, whom she had been brought up to con sider a father and who was all she had to cling to. But circumstances oc- cured to cause me to think that my uncle was not worthy of her conh- dence-that he was trying to possess himself of her estate, which had be- come eutauglcd. it any rate be was very much worried over something connected with the matter, and l in- ferred that he was afraid of the law, which Is very stringent with guard ians.
 The house was under the care of Mrsr Lawson, who had been its man. ager for many yearS--a grumbllng old woman whom my uncle and his ward were perpctually trying to keep In good humor, but always failing.
 Put two young people of opposite sex under the same roof and In time there Is bound to be a love affair Such was the case with Anna Wayland and myself. But 1t was nIpped in the bud. As a boy l had been troubled with somnambullSm, but l had not walked in my sleep since was fourteen. Now while In my uncles house had re- lapse, and with very mortifying re suits. One night in summer when we all slept with our doors and windows open I suddenly awakened standing over Anna Waylands bed. She awoke at the same moment and as the full moon was shining In nt the window she recognized me at once. l was in no condition to explain the matter; in deed. I bolted from the room without a word. The next day endeavored to set myself right, but Anna was not In a mood to listen to my excuses. The consequence was that by the time she showed a conclliatory disposition I was too much dlsgruntled to make an explanation. From that time l stood In the position of sinner.
 One day my uncle called me into his study and told me that a "shyster at torney" was trying to bleed him in the mutter of his administration of his wards estate. Certain papers neces- sary to his clearing himself of viola ton of the law which he supposed were In hls safe were not there. The safe stood in a hall room next to his own. and he alone knew the comblna- ton. I asked him If he had ever writ ten the combination on paper and left 1t where any one could see 1t, and he replied that be had not. He consulted with me as to what 1t was best to do whether 1t would be advisable for him to pay hush money or throw himself on the mercy of the courts. advised doing nothing till he was obliged to do something. This was all he could do.
 A few days later I surprised Mrs. Lawson and Anna Wayland in an anl. mated conversation. From a few words I heard l was sure that they were talking about what my uncle had revealed to me and that Mrs. Lawson who had been Anna's nurse, was using her influence to convince the girl that her stepfather was robbing her.
 Trouble thlckened around my uncle. Papers necessary to enable him to show a clean management of the estate were continually missing, no matter where he kept them. He had no office; consequently he must keep them at home, and be always locked them ID the safe. Meanwhile the lawyer, whC had In some mysterious way got wine of hls position, was threatening htU with exposure If he dkd not give hin money. The household was not pleasant one. I was not on good terms with Anna, who was induced by Mrs Lawson to believe that her stepfathe was swlndllng her out of her fortune. I had become convinced of my uncles innocence and treated Anna nll the more coldly for listening to her ad- wiser, though l would not advise her myself.
 One night I woke up under circum- stances involving a coincidence I would not have believed had It not happened to myself. was standing in front of my uncle's safe. Mrs. Lawson had the safe door open and was rummaging the contents. The start gave at waking caused her to turn, and when she saw me she gave a moan and sank down on the floor.
 Never did the right thing to do occur to me so quickly. Darting to Anna's room, without stopping to put on other clothing than the nightshirt l wore, l called to her, Come quick and will prove your guardians innocence" In her nightdress she followed me and we found Mrs. Lawson hurriedly pick Ing up papers that lay on the floor and putting them Into the safe.
 q will do that for you," I said, and pushing her aside I gathered the pa pers and took them to my own room.
 As soon as the culnrit had gone Anna insisted on going with me to my un' cle's room, waking him up and telling him that We had solved the mystery that was troubling him. He was as tonished that one who had so long