The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1912-02-02

BY SAlLIE

my work. however dangerous. | wa
steady as n monument. but when dar
ger had passed and | had nothing 70 n
put think went downhin very fast
what bothered me most was that
couldn't sleep nights-that is. whe,
comfortably slowed away in bed.
once took a nap in a gentleman's par
Tor and was only Weakened by tho sur
coming up and shining in my eyes.
just got out in time to save mvse,f
But when lying on 4 soft mattress
Win warm covers and 10 chance Of
being disturbed, sleep wouldn't como
TO me. | lay awake thinking of the
ume when / would hear prison doors
ciang behind me. The thought was
dreadful. I'm afraid l was too fine
grained for the business.
Month after month nv bours 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- fiji
the next time / went to bed. | was so
desperate that I got up with the in
tentfon OF going into some house where
l had no right and there snatch an.
other couple of hours sleep. 1 had a
crlo In view, a small house with not
much In 1t. But was looking for
steep, not plumber. / went there. tool,
out a pane of glass, entered and went
upstairs to find a place to settle down.
L stood in a dark hall looking into a
room where a night lamp was burning
In the room q woman was in bed with
a child, both asleep. The child was
sleeping. on the front of the bed, very
near b edge. He was a boy and. I
think, about five years old.
On a narrow lower bed, close beside |
the other, slept another child, a girl of !
about three. She was sleeping in the |
center of her bed on her side and had
her .Shubby~fst up against her fat
cheek. 1t was hot summer weather. /
Iii None of them except the woman
had any covers whatever.
Whass intenested 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 gyas 8
about to fall. He was restless. ana
knew he would be yer very soon.
l wanted to see him fall.
though l kept In the dark so that he b
wouldn't see me If he woke up. The
kick he made sent him over He \
ell a couple of feet, but didn't wake
I'D. He landed partly on the little girl. !.
,ut she didn't wake up either. L ex-
'ected she would, as she moaned once
# twice in her sleep and turned over. =
nut finally she slept as peacefully as >
'efore.
lt was such a delightful picture to
suffering from insomnia that
on watching the children. The
oy continued his kicking and crowded
girl, pushing her with every move
the front edge of her bed. 1t must
ave beer half an hour hat be kept
up, when there was a thump. and
ne girl lay on the floor. But she
eemed to be as comfortable there as
her bed. At any rate, she showed
the least sign of waking.
Meanwhile l heard the muttering OF
thunder, and while l was look
g at them ali there came one terrific
ash loud enough to wake the Gead.
he mother turned over, but neither
the children, moved. Then followed
lie crash after another, and | expect
that at least the mother would
AXE up and take a look at her chill
EN-. But she slept on. She must have
very tired or had lost a lot Of
eep or She couldn't have slept
those terrible bolts. Never
d L heard such thunder before.
The only effect the storm had on anv
them vas to increase the restless
SIS Of the boy. He rolled and tum-
In his sleep like a ship tossed BIZ
waves, sometimes lying for 4 few
nutes close against his mothers bed.
en rolling over TO the outer edge of
own. l was sure he'd In time tum-
u OF this bed, as he had out of
: other, and l was bound to Sc him
1T. Sure enough, before l expected
gave a lurch and landed plumb
top of his sister.
Neither of them awoke.
reckon women know In their sleen
ats going on with their children
now that the storm was over and
'rything was still as the tomb. the :
Their sat up in bed, glanced at her
ldHen, got up and put them in their
per places. Then she went back 10
herself and was asleep in a mo-
ut.
Well" l said to myself, eff that's
at a clear conscience will furnish
going TO have a clear conscience"
'ent back TO my room resolved nev.
% enter any mans house again but M;
own, at least not for plumber.
TO bed n slept ike q top for
nty-four hours.
Kept nay resolution, found honora- ~,
employment and prospered. But ]
forget the family that converted
The mother was a widow. and. q !
a hard time to get On, 1 made
acquaintance and married her.
II none OF NV fs mylv tnow <b,e