The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-06-18
Hotv He Found
Sleep.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
BY sALLIE MENpEeM.

ClatlOn.J
| The way got out of the burglnr line
was this: bad mighty good nerve ant
| 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 I was doing a 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 IL
necessary to add murder to robbery.
| The truth Is never liked the prospect
OF facing either charge.
| As I was saying, while engaged at
my work, however dangerous, was
steady as monument. but when dan
ger had passed and had nothing to do
but think 1 went downhill very fast
What bothered me most was that I
couldn't sleep nights--that Is, when
comfortably slowed away in bed. l
once took n nap In gentleman's par
lor and was only wakened by the sun
coming up and shining In my eyes I
| 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. l lay awake thinking of the
time when would hear prison doors
clang behind me. The thought was
dreadful. I'm afraid l 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 I 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. l had
| crib in view, small house with not
much In It. But l 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 n dark hall looking into a
room where night lamp was burning.
| In the room woman was in bed with
child. both asleep. The child was
| SlttBihR Ou thC iiOhl VI thc DtN, WY
near the edge. He was 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 .eepng in the
center Of tsr bed on her side and had
her chubby fist up against her fat
cheek. 1t 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 l
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 IL he woke up. The
next kick he made sent him over. He
| fell n 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
II was such n delightful picture to
one suffering from insomnia that |
kept on watching the children. The
hoy 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 I 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
had / 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-
bled In his sleep like a ship tossed by
the waves, sometimes lying for a few
minutes close against his mothers bed,
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 ont of
the other, and was bound TO see him
do 1t. Sure enough, before expected
it he gave lurch and landed plumb
on top of his sister.
Neither of them awoke.
reckon women know In their sleep
what's going on with their children,
for. now fiat the storm was over and
everything was still as the tomb, the
mother sat NJ in bed, glanced Mt her
children, got up and put them in their
proper places. Then she went back to
bed herself and was asleep in mo.
ment. ~
"Well," said to myself. 'if that's
what aNclear conscience win furnish
I'm going 10 have clear conscience"
\ IN