The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-12-13
The Sleepwalker
BY ARTHUR EDWARDS
Copyright. 1910 by American Press
Association


ticed TO a New York china merchant
The apprentice usually lived in the
family OF his employer. and liveo
with the Nan Horns. Mr. Van Horns
office was ON the ground floor of his
house, the living rooms being upstairs
The house stood on the bank of the
East river. and from II we could see
the ships in which he was interested
come in to the slips on the other side
of the street, poking their bowsprits
almost in AT our windows
was but fourteen years of age when
was apprenuced TO Mr. Van Horn.
He had but one child, Katherine, who
was twelve TO whom soon stood as
brother. Before the term of my APP
premiership had expired we had be-
come lovers. and preferred to remain
where | was rather than accept a po-
sition that would separate me from
Katherine. But of this Mr.. Van Horn
was ignorant.
and her place In the household man
agement was taken by housekeeper,
q middle aged widow named Clark.
Mrs. Clark had no sooner come into
the family than It was apparent that
she aimed at marrying Mr.. Van Horn.
By that time | was nineteen years old
and Katherine was sixteen. 1t was
natural that we should unite against
the common enemy. for Katherine was
up in arms against any ,one who asplr-
ed to take her mothers place.
During my boyhood | became a SOM
nambullst. The first time walked in
my sleep awoke to find myself stand
Ing before mirror brushing my hair
was terribly shocked and, running to
my bed. covered my head and lay
trembling till morning. Another time,
when the bowsprit of a large ship ex-
tended over the house, found myself
one night on the bowsprit. | saved
myself from falling into the street by
catching rope. | had gone on 10 the
roof. got on to the bowsprit and was
shining down.
At that time there were no safes
such as we have now. A modern safe
compared with the strong box Of that
day is like an ocean liner compared
with one Of the caravels In which Co
lumbus crossed the Atlantic well
remember the strong box Mr. Van
Horn kept in one Of the rooms on the
main floor Of his house, a room he
used for his private Office II was COW
cred with strips of iron interlaced like
basketwork. But IL was opened by a
big iron key that would now serve for
a stable door.
All Of a sudden Mr. Van Horn began
TO miss important papers FROM his
strong box He conhded his loss to
Mrs. Clark. and there was at once
great change In his treatment OF me.
1t was plain to me that she had not
only opened his eyes TO my relations
with his daughter. Of which he had
been obllyious. but she led him to sus-
pect that was stealing his papers.
She herself was obllvious TO nothing
that was going on and had not only
discovered that Katherine and were
lovers, but that we stood in her way
to become Mrs. Van Horn. But Mr.
Van Horn was secretiye man, and
though he was seriously poisoned
against me and was ambitious for his
daughter to become the wife of an emf.
nent man. he pretended to disbelieve
the charge against me. preferring to
set watch upon me without letting
any one IN the house know that he was
doing so He slept with his door open
at the other end of the hall. on which
my room also faced. and since he was
a light sleeper Il was almost impossi
BILE for me to leave my room without
his knowing 1t.
Well. one night | woke up from one
of my somnambuistic walks, and my
astonishment was as great as, II not
greater than. ever before. was
standing In the counting room on the
main floor. Mr. Van Horn was stand.
ing in the door that opened into his
private office. while by the light OF a
candle Mrs Clark was seen kneellng
beside the strong box.
go to your ROOM" said Mr.. Van
Horn to me.
lost no time In doing so. but soon
recovered from the shock Of my sud.
den awakening from somnambulism,
for | saw that my physical defect had
made a great change In the situation.
The next morning | saw Mrs. Clark
packing to leave. and before noon she
was out Of the house. never to return.
As soon as she had gone Mr Van
Horn called me into his private Office
and told me Of the loss OF his papers,
his consultation with his housekeeper
and her turning his suspicious against
me rhe night before he had heard
me gel out OF bed and. going himself
into the hall. had seen me start on
what be soon became convinced was
"A somnambullstie tour. He and | were
both In our bare feet and moved with
a catlike tread When he saw me 80
Gown into the Office IL occurred to him
that | was stealing his papers in my
sleep. But instead OF that | was lead.
ing him to the thief. who was at that
tune engaged In removing more papers