The Man Who Couldn't Sleep

mewhere just in front of those tightly closed lids of mine I could still see a briskly revolving sort of pin-wheel

the qui-vive. That pulsing white pin-wheel was purely a personal matter between me and my imagination. It was some

ye on all its multitudinous activities and aberrations. I seemed able to catch its breathing as it slept its cosmic sleep. I seemed to brood with lunar aloofness above its teeming plains, depressed by its enormous dimensions, confused by its incomprehensible tangle and clutter of criss-cross destinies. Its uncountable midnight voices seemed to merge into a vague sigh,

itan Tower signaling its dolorous message that another day had gone. I had watched those twelve winks with a sinking heart, finding something sardonic in their brisk levity, for I had been remind

n-fence park enclosure, that I was destined for another sleepless night. And I had no intention of passi

f direction. All I remembered was that the city lay about me, bathed in a night of exceptional mildness, a night that sh

n Building, where like an eternal plowshare it threw its eternal cross furrows of Fifth Avenue and Broadway along the city's tangled stubble of steel and stone. Then I peered at the sleepers all about me, th

ly southward, out past the bronze statue of Seward. I watched the driver of a Twenty-third Street taxicab of the "night-hawk" variety asleep on his seat. He sat there i

down the gentle slope of Murray Hill like a double pearl-strand down a woman's breast, I caught sight of a figure turning quietly into the quietness of the square. It attracted and held

ary of mystery, into something compelling and momentous. I sat indolently back on my park bench, peering at him as he drif

hesitated, and then crossed over to the end of the very bench on which I sat. There was something military-like about the slim young figure in its untimely and incongruous cape overcoat. There was also something al

ach of a second and larger figure, the figure of a wide-shouldered man in navy blue serge, passing quietly in between the double line of bench sleepers. He circled

hat-brim as he looked guardedly about. I did not move as he let his covert eyes dwell for a moment or two on my loun

reptilious in its movements. I saw it feel and pad about the sleeping man

or two, as though busily exploring

cket that flashed white in the lamplight, plainly a packet of papers. This was thrust hurriedly dow

have been a full minute of time. Then he rose

tected man. He was at that moment actually carrying away the spoils of some predetermined and audacious theft. And I had sat ca

g figure of the thief as he made his apparently diffident way up through the square. I had often heard of those street harpies

a desperate shake at the sleeper

f being confronted by the disputatious maunderings of a half-wakened sleeper, as I expecte

epeated, as I felt that f

e, quite close to my ear. I struggled to tear m

own gaze was already directed northward, toward where the b

ded. I was struck by his resolut

And there goes the man who did it

my hand and swu

almost fiercely. "But for

s mean?" I nat

more at my clothes, I fancy, than at my face. M

in answering, for I was beginning to r

ns to be the uneuphonious but highly res

with quick impatie

of a rather respectable club, and a

g figure. My flippancy seemed to have been lost on him.

under his breath. "You must! I've a righ

nterrupted, quite

absently admitted, all the w

a court-martial. I've got to get him. Wait! Sit

at his time-piece, look carelessly about, and then, l

quired, "wha

e tones. "It's damn near a tragedy. But now I've foun

I to assume that this little bench scene was a sor

I could clinch the

asked, conscious

st division, the flagship of Rear-Admiral Shrodder. I was sent to confer with Admiral Maddox, the commandant of the Navy Yard. Then I was to communicate with Rear-Admiral Kellner, the supervisor of Naval Auxiliaries. It

let them

I'd been carrying the code forms and they'd been worrying me. So I 'split the wheel,' as we say in the service. I mean I'd divided 'em and left one half locked up at my hotel while I still carried the other half. Each part, I knew, would be useles

first time a sense of his b

trailed. They would be after the second half, I felt. So I made a dummy, and loafed about all day waiting for

off and he caugh

him, watch every step and trick. And if there's a second man, I'm going to get you to follow him, w

ng northward along the asphalted walks

fter your naval secrets?" I asked, as we watched the f

I have to follow him to hell and back!" was the young office

rner. I'll swing up Madison Avenue on the opposite side of him, and walk west on Twenty-sixth Street.

rturbed figure in blue stop beside the Farragut Monument on the northwest fringe of Madison Square. I saw him take out a cig

ter, I saw a woman step out of a near-by doorway. She wore a plumed Gainsborough hat and a cream-colore

r or taxi. Then she quickly crossed the avenue and, turning north, p

aught a fleeting glimpse of something passing between them, a hint of one hand catch

ht, however, showed me the danger of this. And the young lieutenant, I could see, had already changed his course, so that his p

ues. As I started northward, indeed, after that mysterious figure in the Gainsborough hat and the crea

w as quiet and lonely as a glacial moraine. My one fear was that she would reach the Waldorf, or some equally complex beehiv

s time, I felt, for twice I saw

w a taxicab come clattering into the avenue out of Thirty-third Street I d

ward again. Then I skirted along the shop fronts, darted across the street, and made straight for the hotel cabstand and a taxi driver drowsily exhaling ciga

And follow that taxicab two blocks behind un

as it turned suddenly westward, at the corner of Twenty-third Street, we broke the speed laws to draw once more up to it. Then, as we crossed Twenty-third Street, I told t

e cross-street on foot. As I reached the corner I caught sight of a figure in a cream-colore

rtist's studios, or a third-rate domicile of third-rate business firms. My one important discovery was that

of shoe heels on the bare tread-boards of the stairs. I waited and listened and careful

o a lock, and then the cautious closing of a door. Then I foun

my way cautiously to the foot of the stairs, found the heavy old-

at quiet and many-odored building. I paused there, at a st

llow light along what must have been the bottom of a closed door

e to the door, I let my hand close noiselessly about the knob. Then

ill hear the occasional click of shoe heels and the indetermi

have been a window in the rear of a narrow hall. I tiptoed back to this window, in the hope that it might lead to so

s. One quiet and steady wrench brought an end-screw bodily out of the ha

yellow light and the locked door above it. I stood there listening for a minute or two. All I could hear was the running of tap water and the

elf. This I knew would go with a snap, and promptly betray my movement. But as I increased the p

t free of the loosening socket. It came with the sudden sound of steps and the turning off of the running

mity of my offense came home to me. I was a house-breaker. I was playing the part of a midnight burglar. I was facing a situation in which I had no

audible sigh. There was no mistaking that sigh. It was as freighted with femininity as though I had heard a woman's voice. And nothing was to be gained by

le at the sudden glare of light. There was an appreciable interval

the top of this I caught the glimmer of a telephone transmitter. In the rear wall stood two old-fash

to me, was the woman in the cream-colored gown. It was

white and rounded arm. I stood there watching her, wondering what move would be most effective. I made no sound; of that I was certain. Yet some si

thout speaking, her eyes wide with terrified wonder. I could see her lips slowly part, a

h at my ease, very much the master of the situation. As an opponent, I could see,

d dart out to the wall beside her, just behind the safe top. As she did so, I could hear the snap

ud of the safe door being shut. Then came the distinct sound of a heavy key being thrust and turned in a metal lock-the safe, obviously, was of the old-fashioned key-tumbler make

indow! She had stolen a march on me. She had defeated me in the first move

turn on that lig

came from

ire! I'll rake every foot of this room!" And with that I gav

denly as it went out. I discree

studying me with her wide and challenging eyes. B

ly and yet as offhandedly as I could. It

lt the voice was, in some way, a foreign one. Some vague substratum of the exotic in the carefully enunciated tones

ere for some t

rug of her softly rounded shoulder. Rice powder, I imagine

l that safe is ope

ng?" she

eated, exasperated

the lace cape and adjusted it about her shoulders. "For,

ank into a chair. She drew her cream-colored train ac

such as hers would have unseen convolutions. It was not the key to the safe she had flung through the window!

e asked as she drew the cloa

er the key to that

ally afford to

quite imp

at key!" I

mildly inquired. "Is it not so, to brea

y turn t

you can judge if I'm frightened or not. Ther

me with her puzzled a

ans?" she

heft of government naval

e. "Or you are insane, quite insane. May I not lock my jewels in my own

police?" I challenged, po

crept into her

ermit that?

it," was

hall call

rom the

help," she repeated, cr

my left hand, just below the elbow. As I drew it backward it brought h

the open bosom of her gown. I was dimly conscious of a faint aura of perfume, of a sense of warmth behind the soft and lace-fringed corsage.

eard gasped

e to the lips; and for a moment or t

sat there panting and staring at m

the wine of victory was already cou

I faced the heavy black door of the safe. One turn of the

flash. She was on her feet and half-way across the room before I could intercept her. And

ve realized her helplessness. She stared up into my face, bewildered, desperate. There was something supple and panther-like about her, something allurin

my arm. "If there is anything y

ings I want," was my

nt them?" she asked, s

f any mendacity. "That's what I'm sent here for! That

t pa

go; the packet you locked in this safe! And if y

e. Her face was very close to mine as she went on. "I can explain everything, if you will only give me the

t her object now was merely to kill time, to keep me there, in the hope of some chance dis

s she watched me shove a chair over aga

is equally comfortable corner directly behind the safe door. And at the first trick or sign of trou

luminously from her dead-white face. I knew, as I thrust the huge key in the safe lock a

he corner in which she sat. This I found to be the case. I took a second precaution

y being conscious of it. I also knew that time was precious. So I reached into the depths of

was the eminently satisfactory legend: "Plans and Specifications; Bs. Lake Torpedo Company, Bridgeport." The next packet was a blue print

l wheel-code of wireless signals in active service. It was the code that had been stolen from Lieutenant Palmer. The fourth and last paper, I found

l find more," quietly remarked the young w

ugged at the drawer knob. I s

hing?" she asked, wi

ght be still another ruse to kill time. If such it was, I faced it at once, for I se

ely lied, for the drawer was empty. And

, I think," she murmured

together and thrust them down in my pocket, "is just how y

g in my attitude, apparently, struck her as distinctly humorous. For she broke into a sudden and deeper ripple of laughter. There was, however, something

e was speaking slowly and deliberately, and I could see the slight shrug she gave to one panther-like shoulder. "Woul

n you stole it

dly back. Then she drew a deeper breath, an

d some latent note of confidence. The last trace of fear had fled from

wy eyes. It went through my entire body, sharp as an electric shock. It broug

. For there, facing me, stood the figure of a man in navy blue.

held a blue-barreled revolver in his hand. And I could see, only too plainly, that it was leveled directly at me. The wom

olver was still covering me. I heard a little gasp from the wom

o kill him?" she

ut an accent. "Don't you understand he's a safe-breaker? He's broken

ed to horrify the woman at my side. But there was n

" she

d the man w

g-the code, the p

" commande

armed," sh

d the other's

Take his gun;

h on my face. Her movements were more than ever panther-like as she went through my pockets, one by one. Yet her flas

mmanded the ma

to one side, with t

e windows!" o

d the thud of that second closed window.

ld-like before me. I thought of the telephone; the l

shed through me that two hours before I had called the city flat and stale; and her

ch as I hated to, "what

said

good wil

shut your mouth,

I cried. "And I'm afraid the

or them!" wa

The gun barrel was nothing but a black "O" at the end of my line of

aloud, and altogether f

unexpectedly. I could see the man with the gun blink perplexedly, for a second or two, and

rod, the very rod I had wrenched from the outer hall window. I had seen its

the room as the bullet ripped and splintered into the pine of the floor. At the same moment the discharged firearm went spinning a

till pressed to her ears. With one fierce jerk I tor

Palmer, as he tugged cr

ttention. She had stooped and caught up the fallen revolver. The man in

he armpit and sent him catapulting out through

her as we stumbled a

ated, as I pull

code?"

plunging down through that three-tiered well of darkness t