The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-01

and he smiled feebly at the three faces looking down at him.
 'I'm afraid I've been giving you lot of trouble" he said, with an obvious effort to collect himself.
 "I'll ring up for Doctor Harrison" Sir George spoke in loud voice, as though to reassure himself.
 "There is not the slightest need to send for Harrison;' said Marsland. "I'm quite right again. I must expect these attacks occasionally for some time to come. They're nothing-just weakness. All I need is a good nights rest, and if you'll excuse me I'll retire now" He got up and walked resolutely out of the room with square shoulders, as though to demonstrate to those watching him that no trace of his weakness remained.
 "Do you think it is safe to leave him alone?" said Sir George, turning to Crewe, as the door closed on his nephew's retreat ing figure. "I feel very anxious about him. Anything might happen to him during the night"
 "A good nights rest will do him more good than anything else. He has been un- der a rather severe nervous strain during the last few days. We will go to his room in few minutes to see how he is.'
 They settled down to their game again, and lady Granville moved up her chair near the chess table for the sake of their company and pretended to take an interest in the game. Only few moves had been made when there was loud report of an explosion. Lady Granville jumped up from her chair and screamed, and then fell back into the chair in faint
 Look to her, said Crewe to his host, "while go and see what's the matter.
 As he ran along the hall to the staircase he met two of the maids, who with white faces and hands clasped in front of them seemed too frightened to move.
 "Where was it?" asked Crewe. Up stairs?"
 "Yes, sir, upstairs" said one of them.
 'It came from Mir. Marsland's room,'' added the other, in an >awed whisper. Crewe ran straight for Marsland's room, expecting to find there some evidence of-a tragedy. As he burst into the room he saw to his great relief that Marsland was there, leaning out of the window.
 "What is it?" asked Crewe. Did you fire a revolver?"
 Marsland, who was wearing a dressing gown, came from the window. In his right hand he was holding big revolver.
 q missed him." he said.
 Missed whom?"
 "A burglar.'
 Ut is very early in the night for burglar to be out"
 "He took advantage of the mist. He must have thought that there was no one in the room. I had turned out the light and was resting on the bed. I was half asleep, but he knocked brush off the dressing table as he was getting through the window and that woke me up. I caught good glimpse of him and l fired. He dropped at once, and I thought I had hit him, but when 1 looked out of the window l saw him disappear in the mist. What an awful pity didn't get him.
 "How did you happen to be lying down Crewe.
 T often take it to bed with me. That is the result of the life at the front. And tonight l had kind of presentiment that I should need it."
 It occurred to Crewe that the young man had been subject to hallucinations during his illness. This habit of sleeping with a revolver under his pillow seemed to indicate that his cure was still far from complete. Was the burglar phantom of sick mind?
 He went over to the window for the pur-