Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-06-13
No EmbeZzlement.

One night when l had retired at my
usual hour about ten o'clock, thinking
sleep was ready To 60 to bed, too, /
found l was laboring under n mistake.
Sleep wanted to remain up awhile
longer. My thoughts got TO wandering.
and thought about-which, no doubt,
is true that there are plenty of lodes
yet undiscovered that are Just rs exteu-
sive and rich rs the Comstock lode. Il
appeare to me that il would be n good
thing To- discover aud own one of these
hidden lode. For some time nv mind
was given To the matter, and with more
earncstness tan the probability Of find.
ing such n lode called for. IL really got
tn be time that | was asleep. if expect.
eel any rest that night But sleep eluded
me. Twas taking too lively an interest
in the mining industry. You can't Law
hold of sleep bodily. as you would seize
hold OF pump handle. | would lie on
my right side awhile. then on nv left.
and didn't feel good on either. felt
tired had been working too hard i'm the
mines. Then | would draw up nv
knees; next coil like dog. Still sleer
did not take pity on me and go to rooSi
on my weary cyelids. The clock struck
I twelve. and heard the chickens crow.
was glad To know they were awake
that there was something besides myself
that couldn't sleep. Counting myself
To sleep occurred TO me. began.
When the clock struck one I had
5000 counted. That didn't seem To be
much, and wondered il / couldn't &c
better than that in the next hour. | SET
out in the direction Of two O'Clock,
counting little faster. The clock struck
two and | had 10000 / had got to-
gether from one TO two, making 10, OOC
in all. now began to think OF how
many could count by three O'Clock, i'll
got down to business. turned loose. As
three struck had $4,000, lacking about
an inch, which 1 traversed before the
sound OF the strokes died away.
l was getting warmed up to my werk
and wanted to wake up fellow in the
next room and bet him that | could get
10000 by daybreak or six o'clock. |
dn't awake him though; he was
stranger, and large threw off one of
the blankets and sped away toward
four O'Clock. As four was toied off /
had so close TO $4,000 that l claimed il.
IL was allowed to me BY the referee. |
could feel my heart beat with excite
ment rs threw of another blanket and
started for the next station. When the
clock began to strike five I wanted n
few hundred of having 1900, but by o
spurt-counting about 100 TO each stroke
OF the clOck-l4, 900 was reached, max
ing $500 so far. There was only an
hour left in which to count 1000, TO
make the $1,000 that was struggling
for. But my blood was up and would
try IL. As | swung away on the final
heat, threw OF from the bed the final
blanke. and unbuttoned the collar OF
my nightshirt. was perspiring freely.
/ came laundering in on the home
stretch, straining every nerve to make
$4,000. As the clock struck six and the
rosy dawn peeked in at my window I
lacked hundred or two of the Ia, 900,
but skipped up To II on the last stroke.
IL was no embezzlement; nobody was
paving me for counting; and the count
ing was doing didn't belong to any
body.
arose from my couch to begin she
duties Of the day. didn't feel rested;
felt more like had been trying to head
Oh runaway calf. Counting NAV do
for thin sort OF pastime; II Is cheaper
than billiards; but as an excitement to
arouse sleep / can't recommend it
Lock Metone, ia S0P Franciscan