The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1922-12-01

barely possible" said. IF it is, it is
the most remarkable case of somnam-
bulism on record. Did you ever hear
Of Mr.. Beasley's walking in his"
She touched me lightly but peremp-
torily on the arm in warning, and
stopped: On the other side of the
board fence door opened creakily,
and there sounded loud and cheerful
voice-that of the gentleman in the
dressing gown.
"Here we comew 1t said; me and
big Bill Hammersley. want to show
Bill can jump anyways three times
as far as he can! Come on, Bill"
rs that Mr.. Beasley's voice" 1
asked, under my breath.
Miss Apperthwaite nodded in affirs.
nation,
"Could he have heard me?"
A mo-" she whispered. He's just
come out of the house" And then TO.
herself, "Who under heaven is Bill
Hammersley? never heard of him !"
"Of course, BILL" said the voice be-
yond the fence. "if you're afraid I'll
beat you too badly, you've still got
time 20 back out. / did understand
you to kind of hint that you were con-
siderable of a jumper, but if What?
What'd you say, Bill?" There ensued
moments complete silence. "Oh. all
right" the voice then continued. "You
say you're in this to win, do you?
Well, som ], Bill Hammersley; som
l. Who'll go first? Me? All right.
from the edge of the walk here. Now
then! One-two-three! Hal"
A sound came to our ears of some
one landing heavily and at full
length, it seemed-on the turf, fol-
lowed by a slight, rusty groan in the
same voice. ugh! Don't you laugh.
Bill Hammersley! ! haven't ;umped
as much as / ought to, these last
twenty years; reckon I've kind Of
lost the hang of it. Aha !" There were
Indications that Mr., Beasley was picks
ing himself up, and brushing his trou-
sers with his hands. snow, it's your
turn. Bill. What say?" Silence again.
followed by, Eyes, I'll make Simple
ioria get out of the, way. Come here.
Simpledoria. Now, Bill, put your heels
together on the edge of the walk.
That's right. All ready? Now then
One for the money-two for the show
three to make ready-and four for
to CO." Another silence. "By lingo,
Bill Hammersley, you've beat me
Fla. ha! That was a jump! What
say?" Silence once more. "You say
you can do even better than that?
Now, Bill, don't brag. Oh! you say
that was up In Scotland, where you
had q spring-board? Ohio! All right
let's see how far you can jump when
you really try. There! Heels on the
walk again. That's right; swing your
arms. One-tw0-three! There you
got" Another silence "zing! Well,
sir. Til be e-tarnally SWITCHED to film
ders If you didn't do it that time, Bill
Hammersley! see I never really
saw any jumping before in all my. born
days. It's eleven feet If it's an inch.
What? You say you
heard no more, for Miss Apper-
thwaite, her face flushed and her eyes
shining, beckoned me impersonally to
follow her, and departed SO hurriedly
that it might be said she ran.
II don't know" said I. keeping at
her elbow, whether it's more like
Alice or the interlocutor's conversa-
ton at a minstrel show"
Hush !" she warned me, though we
were already at safe distance, and
did not speak again until we had
reached the front walk. There she
paused. and / noted that she YVES
trembling and, no doubt correctly.
judged her emotion to be that Of con-
sternation.
''There was mo one there ~ she ex-
claimed. HE was all by himself! 1t
was just the same as what you saw
last night!'
Evidently
did it sound to you"-there was
little awed tremor in her voice that
I found very appealing did it sound
to you like person who'd lost his
mind?"
II don't know" / said. II don't
know at all what to make of it."
HE couldn't have been"-her eyes
grew very de-'intoxicatedp
mo. I'm sure it wasn't that"
"Then 1 don't know what to make
of it, either. All that wild talk about
Bill Hammersley' and 'Simpledoria'
and spring-boards in Scotland and.
"And an eleyen-foot jump" I sug-
gested.
"Why, there's no more Bill Ham
mersley,'" she cried, with gesture Of
excited emphasis, "than there is
'Simpledoria'
$50 it appears" / agreed.
Hes lived there all alone" she
said, solemnly, ''in that big house, so
long, just sitting there evening after
evening, all by himself, never going
out, never reading anything, not even
thinking; but just sitting and sitting
and sitting Well" she broke of,
suddenly, shook the frown from her
forehead, and made me the offer Of