Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1919-11-20

WOuAu QuiOhiy huN0 uliNch hlu ITOm
Derbyshire, despite the engrosslng in.
terest Of the work to which he had
been csNed there. This was the third
day Of his residence at the Hall. Be-
ing left to himself Immediately after
dinner, he continued to draw for an
hour and to read for another before
counting sleep in the great black bed
which tradition, loving the slumbers
Of kings, had allotted in It's accustom.
Cd way to that very wakeful person,
James II. His bedroom was high up
In the northern tower Of the house; a
low-pitched spacious apartment with
some fine Chippendale chairs In It and
q dressing-table for which any Bond
Street dealer would cheerfully have
paid thousand pounds. Gavin de-
lighted in these things because he was
an artist; while the attendant luxury,
the service of man and valet, the su-
perb fittings Of the bathroom adjoin-
ing his bedroom, the fruit, the cigar
cites, the books which decorated the
apartment, seemed in some way to
be the reward Of his own labors, not
to speak Of the attainments Of long
cherished ambitions.
To this historic chamber he retired
on the evening OF the third day, and
having added little to his plans, read
some pages OF county history and
smoked final and contemplative
pipe, he undressed and got into bed,
and for an hour or more slept that
refreshing sleep which attend judici,
ous success and mind little given to
trivialities. From this, against all
habit, he passed to dreams, at first
welcome and pleasing; dreams Of
broad acres and sheltering trees and
land Of plenty-then to visions more
disturbing, and to one, chiefly Of q
storm passing over the woods and his
own spirit abroad In the storm and un,
able to find harborage. And then he
awoke to ind light shining full in
his face and to see two black eyes
peering down at him beyond It, But
for an instant he saw them; then the
light was blown out swiftly and utter
darkness fell. He knew that he was
not alone; but feared nothing, he
knew not why.
Some man had entered his room
while he slept and stood, he imagined,
even at that moment SO close to his
bedside that he had but to put out
hand to touch him. Who the man was
or what his errand might be. Gavin
did not attempt even to guess. More
by force of habit than from any other
reason, he asked aloud, who is there,
what do you want?"-but he did not
expect to be answered, nor did any
sound follow his question. Lying quite
still upon the bed and beginning to be
little alarmed as his senses came
back to him, he listened intently for
an echo Of footsteps across the pol
ished floor. arguing that the unknown
man would wear no boots and must
turn the handle of door to 60. This
was no burglar, he felt sure; and he
was half winning to believe that he
had dreamed the whole episode whom
q football made itself plainly audible.
and as followed by . deep breath as
one who until that time had been
afraid to breathe at all. Again Gavin
asked, What is 1t, what do you
want?" The silence continued uR-
broken, and the fear of things un-
known robbed him for the moment Of
his voice to repeat the question. This
he set down afterward to the tradi-
tions of Melbourne Hall and his ind
mate knowledge Of them. He would
| not have been afraid in any other
house.
wi or onH
tried to switch on the electric light A
clumsy effort in an unfamiliar room
found him passing his fingers idly
over a wainscoted wall: and when he
felt for the reading lamp by his bed
side, he overturned 1t with his elbow
and could not replace the plub which
his maladroitness had detached.
Alarmed now as he never believed
that any situation could alarm him,
both hands extended for the figure
which the room concealed. Hither,
thither with an oath upon his clumsi-
ness, he sought the unknown, his
hands touching unfamiliar objects, the
darkness seeming almost to mock him.
That the unknown man was still in
the room he had no doubt whatever;
for the interludes repeated the sound
Of quick breathing and he heard .
garment rustling Just ~ he had heard
II in his sleep. Once, indeed, he felt
the warm breath upon his cheek and
struck savaSely ut an enemy Of
sounds, who stil uttered no word nor
| would acknowledge his presence. Had
he been calmer, he might have known
that the darkness also deceived the
Intruder and that he too was at loss
to escape; but this Gavin did not dis
cover until the door opened suddenly
and flash OF light from the corridor
struck across the room like sun.
beam suddenly admitted by lifted
blind. Then he saw the face OF the
escaping man for the second time and
stood amazed at its familiarity.
"The old gypsy ! saw in the park
Uaatordav walking with the Earl " he