Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-01-11
The Sleep
Walker
Copyright. 1918. Western Newspaper Union.
By VICTOR REDuIFFE

There was q thief In the house-of
this fact Gregory Dale felt certain.
His identity 1t was not difficult to SIR
mise-of this also the wealthy ex-bank-
er was assured. The man of money
and position sat rejecting In his sump-
tuous library, grave, indignant. dis
turbed and undecided all at n and
the anne time.
This had TRANSFERRED: His son, Wal
ter, had returned from college appar-
emily broken down nervously. He had
brought with him a close student
friend named Allen Blair. 1t had been
decided to ser ] Walter away to recu-
perate at a distant health resort at
the end two weeks, and Blair had
departed for his o " home the sal-o
day.
As the welcome guest of the Danes
the young man had daily met the fair
daughter Of the house. priscilla. To-
wards the last few days Of his visit
they had been together most of the
time. They had learned to love, al
though no mutual confession had AXE
place.
And now. the day after the double
departure. the father OF Walter was
going over some distressing thoughts.
He meditated deeply. finally seemed
to arrive at a definite conclusion,
touched an electric button and told
the servant to inform his daughter that
he wished to speak with her.
at is about Allen Blair" he said.
bluntly, and priscilla flushed and evad-
ed her fathers keen probing glance.
"Driscilla. l do not know how deeply
you are interested In the young man.
but I must tell you that he shall
enter this house again and that you
must hold no further communication
whatever with him."
"Oh. papai" gasped priscilla. and
. her face grew colorless.
"Driscilla," proceeded Mr.. Dale,
steadily and ruthlessly. ALLEN Blair Is
q thief. He has robbed me Of W %
thousand dollars and is not at to asso-
ciate with you or your brother. These
are the facts: The last night he was
here l received two thousand dollars
In bank notes from O mortgage. / left
1t ON my desk carelessly, and even for
got to lock the door Of the little
I use as an Office. I went upstairs to
see Walter, got talking with him and
forgot all about money and key. When
] went to the office In the morning the
money was gone"
"But, papa" futtered priscilla. "a
servant. a burglar"
"No," dissented Nj. Dale. chillingly.
II went through all the upper oom".
In the one Blair occupied, leading to
the tower. / found the key to my Of
nce and the paper band that had sur
rounded the money bearing the bank
notation OF the Enclosure"
priscilla bent her head and tears
told what she was suffering. Sorrow
fully she was thinking Of a letter she
had received from Allen Blair that
morning. 1t was buoyant and confd-
Ing. 1t told of his riding on the train
as far as his hone town to keep Wal
ter company. II also impaired the In
lciiktuNc bhus ihtOdbn he dhSApNSG
ed acquisition Of money. the writer
was enabled TO purchase a small prac-
uce where he had expected the seryi-
tude OF a doctors apprenticeship.
''giving me a chance to work for q
wife and a home" the letter signin-
cantly ended.
priscilla did not answer the letter.
Sadly she strove to forget her first
lover, apparently unworthy Of her de-
votion. She tried to center her
thoughts on her invalid brother. Un-
expectedly at the end Of a month Wal
ter returned home. Father and sister
were astonished TO ind him back II
normal health.
priscilla was alone with wRltg
In the library. She was on the
point OF telling him Of the change 10
family sentiment towards Blair. but
decided to leave that to her father.
She could not sleep that night She
sat with her door open TO admit the