The Washington times., 1911-07-08

AM never a heavy sleeper. ana
perhaps that night 1 was uncon-
sciously waiting to hear some
thing; l remember falling lhto
a doze while wondering il Won hol-
leun and a pack of spies were creep
ing through the hall and watcn!ms
under our windows. l fancy mus
baTe had queer dreams, which
threw me into an uncomfortable resi-
lessness, for l suddenly discovered
that l was sitting up in bed, nstenlns'
For the moment l hung between
half slumber and consciousness dlHl
" believing that / was a fool; oul'
with a start l came to my full 1aC-
ulties. 1t was not a nocturnal mag
ination; some one was moving
through the hall outside.
Under ordinary circumstances l
must have remained where l was.
realizing that II was none of my al
fair what was taking place IN a mouse
in which l was a guest. put my
dreams, and the impression Morgan
words had made upon me, conquered.
/ was out of bed, across the ROOM
and had the door open Just far enoug"
to hear and see.
There were three doors on either
side Of the hall. each opening, as l
supposed. into a room used as a bed
chamber. Two of these doors We're
between mine and the head OF the
stairs which led to the lower floor.
The major, l knew, occupied the
room nearest to the stairs; and on the
opposite side of the hall Morgan had
been assigned the adjoining chamber
so as to be near his patient II any.
thing was required. Who occupied
the three other rooms. or whether
fancied koung Won Holleun was on the
same floor And this was proved cor
rect within half minute after L had
opened my door.
Perhaps because an Invalid was IN
one Of the rooms. a light was burn
ing in a bracket near the head OF the
Gfsfrs, NV end of the hall was in
0emidarkness, the other plainly V1s-
ble. Under the light and in the act
of closing the majors door softly; LII
hand resting lightly on the knob; !
mentally branded myself as an idiot
for banishing what little sleep might
be permitted me by leaping wildly out
of bed. might have known tnat ne
would probably look in upon his pa
tient several times during the night.
He had intimated just before we re-
tired that 1t was possible that the
cayalryman had received knock on
the head which might prove mis-
Expecting that he would turn and
re- enter his own room, I was upon
the point of closing my own door,
when two things kept me where was.
] noted Sud0enly tnat morgan uool
was closed. which would not have
been the case had he entered the
other room, intending to return at
once to his own. And, at the same
moment, he let go the knob and took
a step-not toward his door. but to
the head of the steps leading to the
floor below.
He had warned me against a noe
turnal stroll in the park. Was he go
ing to venture 1t himself. or descend
to procure something for his patient?
] resolved to wait and see.
Fe did not pause, but descended the
stairs so rapidly and quietly that he
was gone almost before I could real
ize it. If 1t was TO get something on
the floor below. he must return with
in a few moments.
1 opened my door a trifie farther.
resolved, If he returned, to ask him
how the major Jared. 1t might not be
a bad idea even to join him in hts
room and smoke a midnight cigar:
for I realized that sleep, for an hour
or so at least, was out of the.question.
But the idea vanished almost as soon
as it took possession Of my mind. He
could scarcely have reached the foot
IF the stairway when heard anothe