Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-01-06

the young lawyer was determined
man. For the next three he was a
martyr. For the third three he was
hunting through Blackstone and Coke
for advice on how to patch up low
ers quarrel without losing every shred
or his dignity. Those volumes, though
so full of legal lore, gave him no nelp
on the subject nearest his heart
The moon was more kind, however.
One night, az he tossed on his sleep.
less couch and called himself names
for the hundredth time, the full moon
shining into his window brought
sudden recollection with it, Miss
Drake had once mentioned that on the
full of the moon she had been known
to rise, throw wrapper around her
and walk forth on the lawn in state
Of somnambulism., Here was the full
of the moon. Might not she be walk
ing at this very minute? Why
shouldn't he walk, too? He was Oh
the ragged edge, and that was next
door to somnambullsm Two somnam-
bulists might accomplish what two
persons, awake, had failed to do.
With heart beating high. the young
lawyer hurried into his clothes, tip
toed down the stairs and five min
utes later was two blocks away and
gazing at human figure slowly walk
ing across a lawn. 1t was the figure
of girl! 1t was the figure Of Mabel
Drake. She was walking in her sleep
There is no law down in such cases.
Attorneys must act for themselves.
Young Mr.. Egbert acted. He became
a somnambulist and began pacing the
lawn almost within reaching distance
Of the girl.
For five minutes the two sleep-walll-
ers paced They turned at a goose
berry bush at one end and at crab
apple tree at the other. Then the
sleeping Mr.. Egbert said to himself N
a sleepy voice:
II shouldn't have said that to the
dear girl-no, shouldn't"
There was a long-drawn sigh from
Mabel
Another sigh, ard just as they
turned. the soft words fell from the
sleening girls lips:
If ] had known-if had known
that he once called my George a
have told him that hated him.
Then the couple stood at the goose
berry bush moment as If listening to
the sad refrain of the katydids, and
George murmured
Il was wrong-I was wrong! Earth |
holds no nobler girl than my dear
Mabel
On the way to the crabapple tree,
with the distant watch dogs baying
Mt the moon and the tree toads keep
ing up their internal racket Mabel
sighed again. and her voice was brok-
en- as she said:
Two strings to my bo,! How could
George say such thing to me! /
have loved one and only one
After the turn at the crabapple, |
George uttered sort of groan and
said:
Can she-will she ever forgive me?
It's more than I can hope for, but l.
will put my arm about her and tell
her how sorry am, and that no such
words shall ever pass my lips again"
Miss Drake gave. a start and jump
aside and exclaimed:
'Who-what where am l? Who is
this here?
And Mr.. Egbert gave a backward
opi ilS loOheu Wluly niOuhu
and exclaimed:
o-what--where am I? How
came I here? Is this you Mabel?"
Mr.. Egbert, what does this mean?
The last remember l was in my bed,
and I now wake up to find myself
here in your company"
"Just the same with me, Mabel dear.
l went to bed with such an anxious
mind that | must have got up in my
sleep, dressed and come here. You
once told me that you sometimes
walked in your sleep in the full Of the
NOON"
How queer that we should both be
in our sleep on the same
night! Do YOU think we talked to
each other?"
IL think we did, and If you will
sit down on this bench | will tell you
all I can remember"
And when he told her and the katy
dds and watch dogs and tree toads
were still for moment, she smiled
and said:
Don't be foolish any more-at least
not until after we are old married
folks"