The Richfield recorder. (Richfield, Idaho) 1909-1931, 1911-04-20
Guarding Their
Slunbers

Mofflt is primarily thoughtful
young man. His consideration for
others has always been a dominant
trait of his character So naturally
at the first insane whir of the alarm
clock he was plunged into dreadful
panic. even before no was really
awake.
In the first place. Mofit was visiting
at Irenes house. 1t was the first
time her family had ever, so to speak,
collectively recognized that he was on
earth. and it behooved him to proceed
carefully and make a good impression
at any cost. When he had got that
weekend invitation from her mother
written by Irene. to be sure -Moffit
had thrilled with qualification. Great
possibilities seemed to be implied Had
not half dozen other young men
been as assiduous as himself all win
ter in paying attentions to Irene? And,
behold the invitation came to himi
He took the alarm clocx because II
occurred to him that he might want
to arise early and go fishing and he
did not want to bother any one to call
I'LL. ne -CiOCh Wd6 Ou6 Ol lDeB6
patent affairs which ring violently I'M
til they are turned OF by lever.
Motif thought he had set If for
o'clock, but he must have been dream
ing of Irene at the time and so made
mistake, for now the clock was
whirring somewhere in the middle
of the night In pitch darknessl
AS he grabbed for the clock he was
full of the recollection Of how frene's-
mother had said the evening before !
that she had bad headache and hoped
that she could sleep it or He also
recalled how Irene's father had said
almost boastfully that when he went
he slept we'll unless something woke
him up, but that If anything woke him |
up he never slept another wink all |
night He was a choleric-looking I
man, too. In these circumstances the |
densest person can understand why |
Moflt made a lunge for his alarm
clock. In doing SO he knocked it OF
on the floor.
Something snapped metallically. but
the alarm still kept on ringing. So
Motif fell bodily upon the clock with
all the bedclothes dragging after him
and clasped it In his arms
He stumbled across the room,
switched on the light and looked for
the lever. Evidently 1t had been the
lever breaking off which had made the
metallic. sound for now there wasn't
any lever!
Motif blinked in horror, then shook
the little clock wildly, but it steadily.
continued It's chief business life. He
grabbed a shoe with the mad thought
Of breaking the clock to pieces, but
he quickly realized that the assault +,
would only increase the noise eman-
lting from his room. Thrusting his
fingers desperately over and around
he clock, he found small hole where.
he lever had been and discovered
lat by inserting niger he pressed
. spring which stopped the alarm.
Thank heaveni" Moffit breathed.
1t was Q 80 by the face OF the clock
dofit, staring at 1t in growing con-
formation, figured that he would have
o sit there holding his finger on the
pring a number of hours. The pros
,ect was not pleasant. Possibly a
match would do as well az his finger
but the room was lighted by cleo
ricityI Still tightly clutching the
lock. which clucked threateningly in
ide it whenever he relaxed In the
east the pressure of his finger.
Ioffit hunted up his vest The matches
70 found therein were the small safe
y kind which were useless for hfs
urpose.
He found a buttonhook on the dress
r and the clock let out thrill peal as
@ withdrew his finger and inserted
ae bit of metal, which bobbed about
bit and then fell out with clang.-l
citing the alarm ring forth In all Its
Tory. Thereupon he fell upon the
ock again and put his finger upon
lie spring. He realized that he was
.rribly, horribly sleepy!
Once he considered hurting the
ling from the window-but there
as an immovable screen there and
} had but one hand at liberty. He
,ened bureau drawers, hoping to
Id something with which to smother
10 clock, but the guestroom bureau
as empty. He thrust the clock I'M
n his pillow with quick jump and
led sleeping on 1t, but 1t sounded
Re a huge humble bee. III
Then he put his finger in the clock
Jain and dragged 1t out and sat and
Id his head Birds were beginning
cheep outside and there was
Int rustic of dawn. Suddenly 1t &C.
rred to him to remove the extra
low case, throttle the clock In Its
Ids, thrust the bundle into his suit
Sc and shut the suitcase In the
,set.
Having ttssius disposed Ct the clock ! r
INT went back to bed. At any rate,
had protected the slumbers OF
mos narents. which was the main