Year: 1861


BY the Moonlight which streamed in,
l saw that the bed was occupied, and by
the heavy breathing ! knew that Hor-
ace was in 4 sleep. ] would not,
therefore, awaken him, but save the
story of my mishap for the following
day.


With this resolution l slipped quiet
ly into bed and in three minutes was
oblivious. What oug int l to have
dreamed that night? Bnt shall not
anticipate. l lay facing the windows
as the sun pcepcd up above the distant
hills and scattered the gray mists Of
the morning. My bed fellow was
breathing heavily, but it was broad
daylight and there was no more sleep
in me, so ! was determined Horace
should wake up and hear the story Of
the railroad breakdown. l turned
quickly and gave the sleeper a sudden
shake. AS rapidly as my own motion,
my bed fellow, who had lain with his
back toward me, sprang to a sitting
posture.


There are such surprises as are
without terror, which deprive us Of our
speech, until the brain has time to act
and reason. Such surprises do not
generate screams and faints. They are
expressed by open mouthed and silent
wonder. This was the case with
myself and bed fellow, as we sat up and
stared. Right by my side, with her
face within two feet of my own, sat d
young woman; not more than seventeen
with great, dark, hazel eyes, and such
great masses Of brown curls, tucked
awap under the neatest night cap that
ever was. She had gathered the bed
clothes with spasmodic jerk up about
her throat, and with the most rigid
astonishment looked as though doubt
ing whether she was sleeping or wa
king gazcd steadily in my eyes. Mem
ory serves man but little in such eases
but if my memory serves me right, it
was l who first spoke. l blurted
out with: .... ...,t. ........ ........


GLOW came you here?


The figure stared III specchlcss as
tcnishment, but in moment as though
awakened from its stupefaction spoke:


care you Charles Morgan?"


l answered in the affirmative.


"Well then, Mr.. Morgan said the
figure, by this time calm, and with
quite as much dignity as though in the
drawing room. Il am May Stevens,
and was put in this room after On
unexpected arrival. Horace had gone
over to ncighbor's a few miles off, be
FORE and was lot to return till to day.
this is how was put in this room."


So here l was, vis a vis to this May
Stevens, that mythical lady, for tho
first meeting with whom 1 intended to
get up such superlative toilet? A.
nice style OF introduction and a nice
style Of toilet. And she---she by this
time was as cool as the thirty first of
December, and sat looking me right III
the eyes as l made some rambling ex
planation ofmy being in that cxtraordi
nary position. 1t was a lame explana
ton wonderfully mixed up with irrcya--
lent matter, and stammerel aud stutter
ed through in way that should have
disgusted any sensible person. She
scemelto be seriously ponlering during
the recital, and at it's end looking
at me as though asking the most
simple question in the world,
said: r. 2. IS .


"NVhat's to be done!"


"Let me jump out Of the win
dow as / came up said |, ia a
sickly tone Of voice, for the
thought came to me that to-
achieve this end, / must make
some desperate display Of myself
in a style Of costume which l dep.
recated. She relieved ME in
stantly. .u


"No, that will not do; there
are people moving about and you
will be seen"


1t was now my turn to stammer
out; "what's to be done! For
saw that the little hazel-eyed girl
was superior to me in presence Of
mind and energy of action. She
did not wait long to answer my
question. >e..a, rf


"You must lie still here until |