The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1916-12-07
The Sword Of
Damocles
By ALAN HINSDALE

j was sleeping uneasily. First j
dreamed that was looking down from
a great height and was dizzy. Then
was conscious of tossing about half
awake In bed. Next I was wandering,
but where knew not
"Begone! What do you mean BY
coming here at this timer
The words and sudden light fash
ed In my eyes awakened me. | was
standing In my pajamas In the room
Of the sister of my chum. Allan Twom-
bly,, whose guest | was.
had walked In my sleep before, but
my somnambullstic adventures, from
one Of which I had barely escaped
with my life. troubled me. and I was
so sensitive about them that I kept
them to myself.
And here was the most unfortunate
Of all Of them. Better that had been
awakened fitting over the peak Of q
roof high In the air than In this fash
ion. which. unless understood. would
cover me with disgrace. And, to make
matters worse. instead Of then and
there giving the cause Of my Intrusion
I skunk out Of the room without Q
word.
Returning to my chamber. threw
myself on my bed and moaned. This
breach Of hospitality. this apparently
dishonorable act, must be revealed In
the morning. I pictured myself dis
missed from the house by Allan, his
<rlA hoo ii Ans n ID krrr oA IN
anger His sister, Gwendolin, whose
room I had entered in the middle Of
the night, I did not expect to meet.
She would doubtless avoid me as she
would a serpent.
Give as an excuse that I was Q SON.
nambulisti Who would believe such
q statement. Nor could prove II. No
one except myself knew that had
walked In my sleep. Once ] had awak-
ened to find myself standing before .
mirror crying. That was several years
before this. when was a hoy. Again
I had suddenly found myself at dawn
! sitting on a gutter. my legs dangling
over, forty feet from the ground.
was near q dormer window and man.
aged to get back through II to my
room But neither Of these exploits
had mentioned to any one. The only
person I had cared to tell was my
mother. and feared that II she knew
I was executing such acrobatic per
formances Il would worry her terribly.
II there Is one thing . young man IL
ignorant Of. II II q young woman. A
good woman Il the last person In the
world to charge q man with insulting
her. II I had explained to Gwen why
entered her room she would have BE-
lieved me. There was no danger Of
her telling how. hearing q sound, she
had turned on an electric light and e.
posed me standing In the middle Of the
room. Had I been ten years older !
would have known this, for there was
no nobler girl living than Gwen Twom-
bly,. and she would naturally have
shrunk from Furnishing me and bring
ing me and her brother into antago-
nism. to say nothing Of the rest Of the
family.
But as lay tossing on my bed pre-
sumed that the morning would bring
disgrace for me- Should l leave be-
fore any Of the family had arisen or
stand and take my medicine3 OF the
two courses ! chose the latter as more
suited to my nature. Knowing that
was innocent OF q guilty intention.
could bear the flashing in store for me,
whereas II I skunk away like a cur
could never face any Of the family
again.
When went downstairs In the
morning I knew not just where the
blow would fall. The CHEEKY Good
morning. old manr' Of Allan stung me.
for knew that my episode Of the
night before had not yet been revealed
to him. Then came greeting from his
father. his mother and the others.
They had not yet been Informed that
they We're entertaining a villain un-
awares.
When we sat down at the table
Gwen was not present.
where's GwenY" asked the father.
II think she has oversight" replied
her mother.
Both the question and the reply were
like sticking a knife between my ribs.
II was evident that Gwen was going
to let me get away without giving me
a flashing, and II she intended to tell
on me would not do so before ! had
gone. Thank heaven. this would spare
me the scene ! had anticipated. Be
sides. there was hope that she would
keep the secret. though II was not to
be expected that would dare enter
the Twombly home again.
Shortly before we rose from the
breakfast table Gwen came In.
Good morning. papa. Good morn
ing, mamma. Good morning. Mr.. VIII
liams. Good morning. AL" Her good
morning to Mr.. williams. who was and
Is myself. was as CHEEKY and even
more kindly than to any Of the rest
oh. that they could all be extin-
guished that ! might fall at her feet
and worship her!
One by one the others left the table.
finally leaving me and Gwen alone.
why have you not slain mef"
asked.
Because you are perfectly innocent