Amador ledger., 1909-08-27
HoeO He Found
Sleep.
BY sALLlE MENDEEM.

copyright. 1909. by American Press Asso-
ciatonI
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 to do it without waking anybody
up and getting away between midnight
and dawn, when the cops are most
drowsy. While was doing a Job ]
thought of nothing except my work
and was both cool and watchfui.
wasn't one of those blokes who scare
people to death or who are ready IL
necessary to add murder to robbery.
The truth is never liked the prospect
of facing either charge.
As I was saying, while engaged ut
my work, however dangerous, ! was
steady as a monument, but when dan
ger had passed and had nothing to do
but think l went downhill very fast.
What bothered me most was that
couldn't sleep nights-that Is. when
comfortably slowed away in bed. l
once took nap in a gentleman's par
lor and was only wakened by the sun
coming up and shining in my eyes.
lust got out in time to save myself.
But when lying on a soft mattress.
wifi 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 at midnight after
having slept two hours and knew there
would be no more slumber for me till
the next time went to bed. ! was so
desperate that got up with the In
tertion of going into some house where
[ had no right and there snatch an
other couple of hours sleep. l had a
crib in view, small house with not
much in it. But I was looking for
sleep. not plunder. | went there, took
out pane of glass, entered and went
upstairs to find place to settle down.
stood in dark hall looking into a
room where a 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 a boy and. |
think. about five years old.
On n 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. It 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 it looked to me as If he was
about to fall He was restless, and |
knew he would be over very soon.
Somehow | wanted to see him fall,
though | kept in the dark so that he
wouldn't see me if he woke up. The
next kick he made sent him over. lie
| fell Il couple of feet, but didn't wake
up. He landed partly, on the little girl,
but she didn't wake up either. eX-
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 a delightful picture to
one suffering from insomnia that
kept on watching the children. The
boy continued his kicking and crowded
the girl. pushing her with every move
to the front edge of her bed. 1t must
have been half an hour that he kept
this up, when there was 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 would
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
bad | heard such thunder before.
The only effect the storm had on any
of them was to increase the restless
ness of the boy. He rolled and tum
blcd in his sleep like ship tossed by
the waves, sometimes lying for il few
/. minutes close against his mothers bed
then rolling over to the outer edge o1
his own. was sure he'd in time tum
BILE out of this bed, as he had out O.