Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-26

The thin, nervous man turned uneasily
in bed. 1t was Sunday morning and he
was trying not to wake up. He had done
a hard weeks work and had planned to
catch up his lost sleep by lying abed until
noon. He pulled the covers over his head.
but he could not get rid Of the conscious
ness hat the landlord was making his
matutinal round.
Last call for breakfast" Rap. rap. rap.
The voice started in the upper part OF the
house, but grew in crescendo as 1t came
through the upper halls and then through
the lower. steadily approaching his own
door. The landlord of that establishment
knew well the Sunday morning habits of
men and it was their own fault If they
had to go without breakfast on account
Of being too late.
Yes. sir" called the thin. nervous man
when the rap sounded OF his own door.
"All right" He pulled out his watch and
looked at it. Only 9 O'Clock. Then he
slid down under the bedding again and
tried to forget earth and its woes. The
landlords voice went out of his conscious
ness on a dying wave. All was silence for
a moment and he almost mapped.
The seurrX of feet upon the statistic
man thought.-soon began and many a
ongue wagged. But the thin man kept
his eyes tight shut as his mother had
Taught HlIl WuSl d CEllO ana ITleu 10
think Of nothing but sleep. The sound and
smell of breakfast in the dining room be-
low now came to him with a realization
OF the TACT that he was missing something
thing wholly apart from himself. The
drowsiness was delightful and in the up
per strata Of his mind was quivering the
triumphant feeling that his will to go to
sleep was conquerinS the tendency which
he had to wake up. But vain are the
boasts of mankind. Still. a sharp rap on
the door will UnEa anynni
Buy a morning, paper. sir? Five cents.
Get out cried the thin. nervous man.
complimentary to the landlord, who. no
doubt, poor fellow. thought he was doing
a kindness to his household by admitting
landlord is not a happy one. But pillows
tell no tales and the landlord in this case
was never disturbed by what the nervous
man who couldn't sleep said o him.
The nervous man turned off the heat
which was pouring out Of the register.
Then he had to get up and lower the win
head ache to sleep in a warm 1'o rooms n.
When he got back in bed again ne remem-
bered that he had forgotten to pull the
them up-when he knew it. Then he
squirmed around. thrust his feet through
the covering at the bottom. threw a pill
low down to make good the shortage and
settled himself once more.
Can I get your toweIs?" asked the
maid on the other side of the door. but
he turned a deaf ear to her request.
he counted. trying the scheme OF induce
ing. sleep by keeping the mind on one
train of thought.
"One. two. three. four-must go over to
see Smith this afternoon-five. six. seven
that's Jones Just going down to his dinner
one. two. one, two-wonder II he'll get
anything to eat-seven. eight. Begin again
now and keep at it. One. two. three. four.
five. six-what. a funny fellow Jones is
his voice now"
Jones was in the next room polishing his
shoes and the vigor of his action broke
somewhat the rhythm Of his song as he
sang Darling Sue. Dear. Don't Believe
I'm Chatting"
nervous man as he raped upon the wall.
I'm trying to sleep and I wish you'd let
me-" That Is. he thought he said it and
he thought he raped on the wall. But
the voice stopped and the wall vanished
and the thud of a backing brush thrown
mind. He would have been all right then
IL he had grown used to the sound of run
ming water In the bathroom. women's
voices in the halls. and Gathering dishes
only stop running. the Eewsboys cease
shouting and the church bells ring less
noisily. The church bells-that meant II
o'clock. 1t was no use. The common
should sleep on Sunday morning. The
nervous man finally made Up his mind to
this-he might just as well get up. He
stretched. turned over In bed and
Halt past Il. Going to get up to din
ner?" asked the ever-accommodating land
lord on the other side of his door.
We'll. be thankful for small favors."
said the nervous man when he realized
that for an hour anyway he had been OBJ
livious to the cares of the world.