Year: 1874

~>>s~1
came into my room, although I knew
had locked the door, and he stood be
side my bed, looking for all the world,
sir, as If he would like to eat me; and
then the air in the room became SO op.
pressive that it seemed to weigh upon
my face and head, and then this terrible
shivering came over me as if l was lying
ont of doors in bitter frost, though
knew at the same time how hot it was. ,


''Incipient fever" said the Colonel,
'let me feel your pulse"


STRANGE, he muttered, after a min.
ute or two. ''Have you ever had
malarial fever, intermittent or that sori
of thing?"


"Ne, sir; never that 1 am aware of. y


"But yet you must be i'll. Shall &c
and fetch doctor?"


"Oh no, thank you sir. / feel SC
much better now.


"Well, then, Warren, think you had
better go back to bed again."


"The man became pale again in.
stantly, and another attack Of shiyering
seized him, and he exclaimed almost In
agony,


"Oh, no, sir. not to that room l feel
certain that 1 should see that white
faced man again, and feel that weight
upon my face and head. Oh, sir, do
let me lie upon the floor"


The Colonel looked gravely at War
ren. He had, in India, seen good deal
of delirium tremens, and he entertained
very strong suspicion that this was
the real cause of Warren's strange be-
havior and yet the man had been in
his service some time and he had never
any reason to suppose that he was not
thoroughly temperate and sober. So
he said, "Well, you can take this
blanket, and lie down upon the floor, or
sit up in a chair as you please. l expect
you will be heartily ashamed of yourself
tomorrow morning, Warren"


81 think not, sir; 1 shall only be
most grateful to you"


So Warren rolled himself in the
blanket, and Colonel Somerville put
out the candle and got into bed again
and tried to go to sleep.


His efforts were in vain. He knew
himself to be provokingly wide awake,
and though he connted nunberless
sheep going through gate, and resorted
to all those devices which are popularly
supposed to encourage sleep, he re-
manned as wide awake as ever he had
been in his life.


Everybody knows how preturnaturally
acute the senses are when after mid
night they positively refuse to be lulled
to slumber; and the Colonel felt as
terribly on the alert as he had felt
sometimes in the Indian mutiny. War
ren had quite got over his bad dreams
and indisposition, and snored in the
most comfortable manner.


Suddenly some noise within the
house made the Colonel start up in his
bed and listen attentively. Yes-there
could be no doubt about it there was
the sound of stealthy football upon
the stairs. He hastily Lit his candle
again, and his gaze was turned toward
the door, which he had locked after it
vas settled Warren should remain. He
saw the handle move.


In a flash OF thought he asked himself
what this could be. London thieves
would never dream of running the risk
of entering house in which there was
absolutely nothing to steal. To physi-
cal fear Colonel Somerville was a
stranger, and so he at once snatched up
the short, heavy poker from the fire
place, and without waiting to arouse
his servant, whom he saw was sleeping
heavily, he went quietly to the door,
unlocked and opened it suddenly, pre-
prepared to capture the intruder. But
the passage outside was vacant and
silent


Being a man OF more than ordinary
strength, and thoroughly accustomed
TO danger he did not hesitate about
continuing his search. There were only
two other rooms upon this floor, these
he entered, and, as they were destitute
of furniture, a glance was sufficient to
show him that there was no one there.
He went up stairs, carefully examined
Warren's room; then he went down
stairs, walked through the drawing
room dining-room and study. then into
the offices, but he encountered nobody.
Then he proceeded to examine the
doors and windows of the basement,
and satisfied himself that nobody could
have entered there. His examination
of the lower part of the house occupied
him about a quarter of an hour, and
then he arrived at the conclusion he
had been the victim of his own imagina-
ton. Then he yawned and began to
think he felt really sleepy, so he as
eended from the offices, thinking that
he should get few hours rest at last.
Just as he put his foot upon the first
step of the stairs leading from the hall,
something giittered from the floor. He
stopped down to see what it was, and
he picked up what appeared to be a
needle of about four times the ordinary
length with tiny steel button at the
end. He examined it curiously, for he
did not remember to have seen such an
implement before. The point he re-
marked, appeared to be slightly tar
nished. With this, the sole result of
his search he returned to his bedroom.
He entered and locked the door after
him, and was about to throw of his
dressing gown, when to his intense
astonishment he found that Warren,
whom he had left sleeping soundly, was
gone.


He opened the door again and called
loudly. No answer. He hurried up
stairs to his servants room-no trace of
him there indeed no trace Of him any
where, and Colonel Somerville never
saw or heard of James Warren again.
He had no reason to suppose that there
xas any motive for his mysterious dis
appearance, for he had not robbed or
defrauded his master in any way what
ever. The next day the police examined
the house thoroughly but nothing OF
importance transpired. Need l add
that Colonel Somerville's new house
was up again for sale Immediately.


Three facts remain to be recorded :
First, the Strengthening needle which
the Colonel found was subjected to
chemical inspection, and the furnishes
upon the point were found to be human
blood. Secondly, when the house had
been for sale about six weeks, Colonel
Somerville received letter from the
ocantc announcing that the hOuse was