The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-08-21


That he had remained an old bach,
900
The man who works nights had
commenced vending his way home
ward
1t was three O'Clock, or Whereabouts,
and never, in his private estimation,
had the prOverbial darkness before
dawn been more thoroughly accentu-
ated. 1t was dark, TidiculOusly creepy
dark, and the man presently found
himself actually shiveTing with a
feeling ne could not shake off.
There is something uncanny in the
knowledge that you, alone, are walking
in a world of dreamy oblivion-yOU,
with your stumbling and uncertain
steps, moving about in a universe of
sleepers, who, only a few short hours
ago had constituted the hum and the
drum of a city's strife.
You haven't any place in this world
at all; you feel that and you stink
home, the unnatural being you are, to
hastily conform with the well tTOdden
rules of nature and men,
The man continued his lonely walk
His fingers tOyed furtively with the
pistol he always carried on occasions
like this. until tle great, silent white
tOmbed graveyard lOomed stark in the
dimness before him. Then the futility
of even the best shooting arm in the
world to quiet your thoughts at a
time like this, struck him fOrcibly,
and he smiled grimly in the darkness
surrounding him.
He had passed the tombs and their
quiet occupants, who slept, too, al
though in different manner from his
friends of the day time.
1t occurred to the man that every
thing in the world was asleep at that
particular moment excepting himself
Even the trees mOaned in their rest
lessness, and pale moon slumbered
on in it's bed of cloud riffs, forgetting
to shine in it's dreamy oblivion.
Suddenly the musings of the man
were cut short. He had rounded a
corner in the course of his walk, and
had come full into the shadowy out
lines of a building which stood near
his home. The structure itself did
not perturb him particular, but his
eyes, glued on what appeared to be
a protruding foot. thrust from beneath
a convenient platform of steps, were
starting painfully from their sock
cts as he saw stout thick club rest
ing in easy reach of the mysterious
boot
The pedal extremity, common sense
tOiU Ill., DelOuSCu 10 n Hail. w dS ne
dead? Had some dastardIy crime
been enacted, and the body carelesSly
thrust under the steps for the time?
Perhaps even, the thing in the
double darkness of its hiding place
still lived; indeed, he might even be |
secreting himself for some criminal
purpose.
The man determined to see. It |
took nerve, rank nerve, at that time !
of morning, with the police blocks 1
away, perhaps, from the place, to con- /,
duct an investigation, purely on his |!
own hook, but curiosity is a fame 1
which burns brightly, even on dark |
nights, and he persevered in his in !
tention.
He kicked the foot gently. No re- |
spOnse- Then it really was foul play
after all, he considered. He won
dered where the coroner was 1t was
up to him, evidently. to find out.
Then he kicked the lifeIess clay again, |
and had just stopped to pick up the
club with which. the crime had evi-
IDENTIFY been committed, when there
was slight commOtion under the
steps, followed by a yawn and a
groan, and the bulky form of a police
man finally appeared in a sitting pos
ture
The two men stared. Good morn
ing" finally remarked the man who |
works nights 4 hope you have
slept well!' Then, leaving the sleepy
copper to resume his beat or his nap
as the fancy took him, he resumed
his walk down the deserted street
o@O-O
Brown and his friend and confiden- |
tial adviser, who answered TO the
name of Billikins. when properly call !
ed, were two youths, who, in a beau
tIful state of unsophistication, had |
somehow met in the busy whirI of A |
fairly large business centre, Joined |
forces such as they were, and had |
gone in to win"
In keeping with his sudden rise
in the worlds esteem. Brown. who 4
had come forth fresh from the down !
country sticks" felt called upon 10 |
take Up his personal abode in one OF |
the best hotels in the city, and it was /
not long before BilIlikens had fol
lowed. Rather painfully provincial !
but deadly in earnest with life. they
had got on very well, considering.
with wary eye out for trouble which
never came
Billikins had been over the bav.. He
had returned with his features done
10 turn Great blisters were already
making their appearance on his neck
and arms, and his case was quickly
pronounced by Brown and the Young
woman who had accompanied him
home to be one of the very worst
cases of sun burn on record
The situation was fully discussed
by the three as they neared the hotel.
1t was late. and no healing lotion
could be secured at any