The daily Alaskan., 1914-12-02
The Tenor
 Of Darkness By SAMUEL E. BRANT

'I have wondered" said Ned Foster, since an episode that occurred to me in the dark that blind persons are not all arrunt towards Children who fear nothing by iajll2ht are timid when they can see nothing Women who will spend day alter day in a house alone will look under .he beds at night for robbers. although at the time sur rounded by their family.
 "Whie travelling I entered a city one evening where there was a celebration of some suri and was obliged to sleep in the saii.e room with some one else. [ did not see me other fellow, nor did be see me There was bed for each of Us, and he was in his bed before I went to the room. His face was turned from me, and all could see of him was little bald spot on the back of his heHd
 "I undrcSSpd. put my wallet, contain. ing q couple of hundred dollars, under my pillow. turned off the light and went 10 bed
 "I am not nn elfeminate man or a coward by daylight, but l am free to confess that the moment found my self in dark room with strange man an uupaSiness crept over me that I was ashamed of l tried to think of the oiden times. when taverns were small affairs and one might be thank. ful if he couid get half of bed with a stranger instead of a whole one to bIr,,Nla s-- 4t---,,.,,'Ir rTUUIus ILuuS- nation began to work upon me, and 1t was not long before I had a picture before me Of my roommate standing over ne with a long knife in one hand raised to drive into me, while the oth- CT was thrust under my pillow in search of my wallet
 "I could not sleep. My throat was dry, and | wished for q drink of wa ter. feared that if arose to get one my roommate might fear that was getting up for some hostile design against bim l was as much afraid of hls fears us was of him. However, the night was gs bot as my throat, and slipping out of bed quietly, l groped toward what | supposed to be the WaShstund
 What MRS my horror at putting my hand an nnir. not auly on hair but the bald sIut vr mans hend that 1t sur rounded withdrew it immediately and retr"aIad on tiptoe. But since l could see nothing I had no idea where was going kept my two hands ex. tended before me, and the first thing ] struck was some glass article with very large top and very small bot tom. It feiI and with the usual crash made by breaking glass
 "I heara nothing from my roommate. but fancIud that ne was doing just what l would do under the circum- stances ,lnt is he had graspcd what ever dprcn-ivr weapon he had and was prepared to defend himself to the death s.uod horror stricken after knocking over the glassware, my heart beating like q ECttledrum. listened, but heard uo sound. felt sure that had awakened my roommate by put ting my nrud on his head and that be was ketiaH= perfectly still so as not to reveal him,oif Had heard any move ment would have felt easier.
 "Click
 Was E the cooking of revolver or one of those sounds that come from cracking caused oy expansion under heat2 did not know. but under ex- citemeRt felt sure it was the former. A cooked pistol wus undoubtedly point ed out into the darkness. It made matters worse, tor now l would not dare strike match even if l could find one
 ''I Stnoh still for what was probably minute. though it seemed to me a quarter of nm hUur Then, touching the wal. cupriuded to try to find my bed that might possess myself of my money E1t did not know which way B. move, If went wrong mighr $;u.uhle over the he'd of my roomnrHje iu the dark Il sense of di- rectiOr ..:,rs ns | was obliged to take :r;ghrful risk. but It was no worse ,:rIu SrspenSe 1 felt my way, makin. no >nrnd in my bare feet un- til a ho",G ru the floor creaked under my treai
 "Ml heart stood still, and so did l.
 "rarn remembered that sound alrur ,i,:,.~ Gat gi"e direction. and grew nni;:", Passing my hEgd along the wall. cage to the d0U frame.