The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1912-08-16

jenkins: hope you'll get enough sleep
to make up for the other night"
Jenkins sighed as he punched out
the light. Thank you. strand good
night" he murmured.
How long | slept I cannot tell. as
they say In stories, you know; but
was brought jolly wide awake by a
light that shone through the bed
rooms open door. For II there's one
thing will wake me quicker than
everything else it's n light in the room
at night. Fact is, | always want II rs
black as the what's-its.name cave. or
else I can't sleep. And this light
came from the small electric stand on
the writing-desk. / could tell that by
the way II shone.
And just then the little silver gong
In there chimed three. Jolly rum
hour for anybody TO be up unless
they were having some fun or were
sick. So | raised my head and called
softly:
Observation-Disclosures"
F, No answer Reluctantly | swung
out and stepped within the next
room. Not u soul there. by Jove!
Then | moved over 10 Billings door.
which was wide open for GOODNESS.
like my own. | could not see the
Swallowed alcove In which the bed
was placed. and so | stood there hest
tating. hating awfully to risk the pos
sibility of disturbing him. don't you
know. And just then my eyes, rang
ing slcepily across the room toward
the private hall, were startled by the
apparition of an open doorway.
Startled. all right! And yet. by
Jove. ! was In such a jolly fog, | just
stood there. nodding and batting at II
for a full minute before | could take
IL IN.
What / call devilish queer" ! de-
cided. ! walked over and stuck my
head out into the dark hall.
Billings! Jenkins" | whispered.
BY Jove, not a word! Everything
as silent as the tomb!
didn't like 1t a bit-so mysterious.
you know. Besides, dash Il, the thing
was getting me all walked up! / just
knew IL once | got excited and thor
oughly awake. II would take me near
ly ten minutes TO get TO sleep again.
And, by Jove. just then the excite
ment came. for | got hold OF the fact
after I had stared at II n while. that
the door OF my apartment opening
into the outer corridor was standing
ojar. Why. dash 1t, II was not only
standing. II was moving. Then sud-
denly the broad streak OF light from
the corridor widened under the I'm.
pulse OF a f~reshening breeze, and the
door swung open with a bang.
And then l heard my name spoken.
BY Jove. I had been standing there
with my mouth open, bobbing my head
like a silly dodo: but, give you my
word. | was suddenly wide awake as
a jolly owl wagon!
Away down the corridor, by the
mail chute, a man was standing, read
ing a framed placard. Nothing partic-
ularly remarkable In this. but as the
door banged he turned his head
sharply and calculated:
Dammit! Now. that will wake
Lightnut!"
was surprised. because ! couldn't
recall ever having seen him before:
yet, standing as he did under the light.
l had opportunity for n devilish good
view.
He was a heavy set old party, rather
baldish, with snowy mutton chops and
a beefy complexion that was jolly well
tanned below the hatband line, you
know. The kind OF old boy you size
up as one OF the prime feeder sort
and fond OF looking on the wine when
II is Oporto red. Had something or
the cut OF the retired India ~colonels
one sees about the Service clubs In
London-straight as a lamp post still.
but out of training and in devilish
need OF tapping-that sort OF duck,
you know!
What a respectable-iooking old par.
ty might be up to. wandering around n
bachelor apartment building at three
in the morning, was none OF my busi-
ness. What's more. you know, 1
didn't ARE a jolly hang. But the
thing that dashed me was that Just
as I moved toward the door to close
It, he uttered my name again and
came straight toward me as though to
speak.
So I had to wait. by Jove, for I
couldn't close the door in his face.
Awfully rotten thing to do-that, o
know.
Lost his floor and wants to in.
quire," I decided.
And then as he toddled across the
last yard and stopped before me, 1
saw that the old chap was In his night
things-some darkish sort OF pajamas.
by George!" he exclaimed with a
leer that showed his almost toothless
old gums. bet you never would guess
what ] got mp for!"
No. dash II. I didn't even fare to
tRU 4..at A-..A