The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-01-27


 My first impulse was to crack his head with a billiard-cue; but my second was 10 refrain from this attention, be- cause he was between me and the cue rack. The second impulse was plainly the soundes;; so refrained and pro- eeeded ;o compromise. redeemed the property al former rates. after deduoiing ten per cent. for the use of the iaddSr. i; being my ladder. and next day ~e sent
 down for inc expert once more, aud had
 the third story attached to the alarm. for
 ,hrec hundred dollars.
 By ths time inc 'anunciator had
 grown b formidable dimensions. l. had ior.y -segen tags on II. marked with the names of ;he vanous rooms and ohim-
 neys. and l, occupied the space of an
 ordinary wardrobe. The gong was the
 s:zc of d wash-bo.l. and vas placed WiFe from the house 10 the coschman $
 quarters n the stable, and d noble gong
 alongside his pillow.
 .Wc should have been comfortable now. bu: for one defect Every morning |: :lve the cook opened the kitchen door. fa he WAY of business. and rp went ;ha,
 saa.. lie first tune this happened
 ,aoesh the las, day was come sure. d.dn'i ,h.ak Il in bed-no. bu; ou; @; r. for the effect of that fGshtful gong Is to hG-l yoa across the house, and slam you asainsi the vail. and then curl you up. aad squlrm you like spider or l stove Id. till somebody shuts that kitchen door. In solid fact. there IS TO clamor that IS even comparable to the dire eiamor which that gong makes. We'll, this catastrophe happened every morning regular at five o'clock. and lost us three hours sleep: for. mind you. when tha, yhlng wakes you. '; doesn't merely wake you n spots: II wakes you all over. con scicus and all and you are good for eighteen hours of w!de-awakedness sub seq4ently eiShiecn hours of the vey mos, ineoHceWab!e s.s.e-awakcdness that sea ever experienced in your lie. \ stranger died on OUT hands one time. and We vacated ani lei; h,n n OFT room e.ef :.:sh; B.d that stranger wat ior the genera ygd dsneat: No. ST, he 20, D a; tEe tae neN: morning IF ;ae ,aos. pfamq; aad 4nosleata.4a4s NAY. kgea ae woa.H ] knew ! mighty Re.!. He ze3,cc'eG hts lie taSGfagCe. aEa lyed A4pPy eseE dt;er. iar there Mas plenty oi l4sooi ss . iAe peEiee; si24rcaess oi h!s death
 eiiii. We were .F.s@...4....y fAl. n. away - l better land. oa account ef aar dai.v loss of sleep: ,o We iinally had he cN- per; Ep 8ttin. and he ran vie ,o the aats tc ef our door. ard placed switch there. whereby Thomas. the butler. could take ai: aid pu; on the alarm; bu; Thomas always made one li,,le mistake he swttched the alarm ofF at night. when he wen, 70 bed. and switched i, on q, daybFeak IF the morning. lust in time for the cook 10 open the kitchen door and and enable the gong to slam US across the house, sometimes breaking a window with one or the other of us Al the end q; a week we recognized that this switch basinesS was deiusion and snare. We also discovered lha; band oi burglars had been lodging in the house the whole tune not exactly to steal. fo. ,here w.tsn much lief; now..hg:- 70 hide from the police: for they were hot pressed. and they shFewdly guessed tha, the de ic ;ives would never ihink If ;ribe If burs slarS ,akins sinttuary in a house no- tou3Gs.y protected by the most in posing and elaborate buys,ar-a'arm n America.
 sen; down for the cNpcr; aLAln. and thls ,lme he struck a mos; daring idea -ae tlHed tic ihlnk uP S5 ihai open;ag iae S,teaen coor woeid take of the aiarln. ]; waS ! noble ,det. and he ohafscl ae- eord'nsy. Bat you already fa-scc the festllt switched on the alarra ever, atsai q, bedtime. no longer trusting to Thomas tsal. memory, and a> soon as the Shts weE, oG.. tgc burglars walked IT ai he k.tchea-door. thus taking the alarm oii w.thos, wal:laS f1f ,he teok ;3 Go i ic the morning. You see how az sfeN A'in-3y we were situated. For months we couldn't have any company. Nota spare bed n the house; A.l% occupied by bur. .afs.
 nally %; up cure of nv owI,. The eNPef; answered the call and ran another under ground MTG Ia the stable. and established switch there. so that the coachman could pu, on and t.ke ot; the alarm. That worked trs,-rate, and l season of peace cnsued. during winch we got Q inviting company once more and enjoying life.
 "i'ui by and by the lrrepress!ble alarm invented a new kink. One winters night We were flung out of bed by the sudden music of that awful gong. and when we hobbled 10 the anuncia,or. turned up the gas. and saw inc word Nursery exposed. Mrs. MeWilliams fain:ed dead away. and came precious near doing the same thing myself. seized my shot gun. and stood timing the coachman while that appalling burting went on knew iha; his gong had flung him out. ;oo. ami that he would be along with his gun as soon as he could janp into his clothes. When l judged that the time was ripc. I crep, to the room neN, the nursery. glanced through the window. and saw the dim outline of inc ooachman in the yard below. standing a, present arms and waiting for a chance Then hop ped into the nursery and fired. and .n the same instant the ooachman fired al the red flash of my gun. Both of us were successful; crippled a nurse. and he sho, of all my back hair. We turned up