Daily Arizona silver belt. (Globe, Gila County, Ariz.) 1906-1929, 1909-09-02
HosV He Found
Sleep.
BY sALLIg MENDEEM. .

BY SALLiE MENDEEM,
copyright 1909. By American Press Asso-
I ciation.l
The way got out Of the burglar line
was this: had mighty good nerve and
wasn't afraid Of any one. | seemed to
know what kind of crib TO crack and
how 10 do II without waking anybody
up and getting away between midnight
and dawn, when the cops are most
drowsy. While was doing Job
| thought OF nothing except my work
and was both cool and watchful.
wasn't one of those blokes who scare
people to death or who are ready X
necessary TO add murder to robbery.
The truth Is never liked the prospect
of facing either charge.
AS was saying. while engaged at
my work. however dangerous, ! was
steady as IA monument. but when dan
ger had passed and | had nothing to do
but think | went downhil very fast.
What bothered me most was that |
couldn't sleep nichts-that Is, when
comfortably slowed away In bed. !
once took nap In gentleman's par
lor and was only Weakened by the sun
coming up and shining In my eyes.
just got out In time to save myself.
But when lying on soft mattress.
with warm covers and no chance Of
being disturbed, sleep wouldn't come
to me, | lay awake thinking of the
time when would hear prison doors
clang behind me. The thought was
dreadful. I'm afraid | was too fine
grained for the business.
Month after month my hours Of
sleep grew less till ! feared insanity
One night woke up Mt midnight after
having slept two hours and knew there
would be 40 more slumber for me iii
the next time | went TO bed ] was So
desperate that | got up with the In
tention of going into some house where
had no right and there snatch an
other couple OF hours sleep. had n
crib In view. small house with not
much in It. But was looking for
sleep. not plunder. ] went there, took
out pane II glass, entered and went
w tfiIti ~ ma Y w SNibit N'NAi.
stood In u dark hall looking into a
room where n night lamp was burning.
In the room woman was In bed with
child. both asleep. The child was
sleeping on the front of the bed. very
near the edge. He was boy and. !
think. about five years old.
On narrow lower bed, close beside
the other, slept another child. girl of
about three. She was sleeping In the
center OF her bed on her side and had
her chubby fist up against her fat
cheek. II was hot summer weather,
and none of them except the woman
had any covers whatever.
What interested me was that the
boys head was hanging over the side
of his bed and SO much OF his body.
too. that 1t looked to me as II he was
about to fall He was restless, and
Somehow | wanted to see him fail.
though kept In the dark so that he
wouldn't see me II he woke up. The
next Kick he made sent him over. lie
fell couple Of feet. but didn't wake
up He landed partly on the little girl,
pected she would. as she moaned once
or twice In her sleep and turned over,
but finally she slept as peacefully as
before
1t was such q delightful picture TO
one suffering from insomnia that |
fx.l, In. aIxfl nm
boy continued his kicking and crowded
the girl pushing her with every move
to the front edge OF her bed. Ii must
have been half an hour that he kept
this up when there was n thump. and
the girl lay on the floor. But she
seemed to be as comfortable there as
on her bed. At any rate. she showed
not the least sign of waking.
Meanwhile | heard the muttering of
distant thunder, and while | was look.
ing at them all there came one terrific
crash loud enough to wake the dead
The mother turned over. but neither
of the children moved. Then followed
one crash after another, and ! expect
ed that at least the mother wonld
wake up and take look at her chill
dren. But she slept on. She must have
been very tired or had lost lot of
sleep or she couldn't have slept
through those terrible bolts. Never
had heard such thunder before.
The only effect the storm bad on any
of them was TO increase the restless
ness of the boy. lie rolled and tum-
bled In his sleep like a ship tossed by
the waves. sometimes lying for few
close against his mothers b,.d,
then rolling over to the outer edge of
his own. was sure he'd In time tum-
Bile out Of this bed, as he had out OF
the other. and I was bound to see him
do II. Sure enough, before ! expected
~ "a crava n lI1rch and landed MIN nh