Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-25

Dr. MOntrosc crossed 10 the table
nnd sat into "A big chair beside II. HIS
gaze straycd over the book-llttcrcd
surface Of the table, but he saw
[ nothing there that looked worth the
| trouble Of reading.
with a sigh no crossed his arms on
| the table edge ana pilowcd his aching
! head upon them.
lie had been up nearly all night
| ana an mWnlng with dying patient.
| No hand-to-hand battle or two me,
| dlaeNnl warriors had ever been moro
| licrcely wngod than Or. Montrose's =
all-night duel with death for the life
OF the patient.
Now, having wagcd that life ana
death battle, and having left his
patient out of danger, he felt
strangely weak and exhausted He
had conquered death but the victory
had taken every fiber Of his strength
ana energy.
Montrosc was worn out half
hours nap In this big chair Of his
seemed to him just then the most de.
sirablc thing that the whole world
could offer
Almost instantly as his head fell
heavily upon his crossed arms he was
asleep. Yet his was not the sweet.
drcamlcss slumbcr that follows on
weariness. He was too tired mentally
Tor such refreshing rest as that. Ana
MS harasscd nerves were taut.
SO he slept uneasily, his slumber
crowded with terrifying dreams, the
muscles Of his face twitching convul-
siNely every now and then.
HIS was the sleep that was almost
as intiguing as restless wakefulness
could have been. II was the penalty
cNactcd by nature for too prolonged
nerve strain.
For some little time he lay thus,
head on arms. Then. thru his troub-
louS dreams. "A sentinel in his raclScd
brain seemed to whisper n warning
that he was no longer alone In his
quiet library that some one had crcpt
IN 10 spy upon his sleep. or else that
vague peril hovcred over MIN
This thot banishod slumber ana
every Vcstigc Of comfortable drowsi-
ness. Like soldier awakened by tho
rcrcillc. Dr. Montrose started up. eyes
wide, muscles tense sleep wholly de-
serting him.
ltc lurched To his feet and started
about him. as might suddenly
aroused watchdog. Every faculty was
on the alert and slow anger was
kndling within him against the un-
known intruder who had robbed him
of his rest.
But his swift glance around the
library failed to discern any such in
trudcr Except for himself the big
room seemed empty. Nor was there
sign that anyone else had entered.
Yet tins did not lessen his queer in
tuition that some lurking toe had
stolen In upon him.
Then from the center OF his eye
Montrosc saw the hallway curtains
sway ever 20 slightly. And to his
strainiug ears came Il faint sound. as
If from the hall.
In one stride Dr. Montrose had
reached the library doorway ana
swept aside the curtain. No one was
lurking behind It, \ second step
brought him out into the hall resolved
To learn who had been spying upon
MN.
ward the front door. Then turning.
he looked back and up the stairway. |
There was no one to be seen.
Had he reserved his inspection aud
looked first toward the stairway in
stead of toward the door he might |
have caught a fleeting. momentaIy
glimpse of q shadowy figure that
dartcd back out Of sight from the
landing At the top of the stairs.
Puzzled. only half-convinccd that
he had been at fault In his suspicion,
the doctor made "a tour OF the lower
rooms. No one was in them.
lie returned To the library ana tried
TO sleep once more. But now, strange
~ enough. MS drowsiness ana fatigue
were gone. Never had he felt wider
awake.
\ restless activity had replaced his
earlier WEAKNESS. He knew he would
he wasting time If he should seek fur
ther To WOO slumbcr. And he wanted
TO be at work.
Picking up his medicine chest from
the hall tablc, he mounted the stair
way and went to his gloomy labora-
tory. There, locking himself In He
proceeded 10 take OFT his coat and
replace IT by chemica l-s;ained work
Ing Jacket that he always wore when
he had experiments To make.
AS he did so he noticed "A phial at
one side of the newly-opened medicine
case. 1t was tiny flask of hydro |
cNanic acid that had been empticd. |
ana winch he had put by itself at one
side OF the case. SO that he might not
forget To retill It,
knowing he would need the drug In |
some work he was planning. he |
cTOs Sed to a wall cupboard took there. |