The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1916-02-25
Hotv He Found
Sleep.
BY SAlllE MENOEEM.

+o.-O--O-Fo-ro--oi-O --Of O--o..-O-fO-..
BY sALLIE MENoEEM.
Copyright. 1903. by American Press Asso-
ciation-l
The way got out OF the burglar line
was this: had mighty good nerve and
wasn't afraid OF any one. I seemed %
know what kind Of a crib 10 crack and
how to do It without waking anybody
up and getting away between midnight
and dawn. when the cops are most
drowsy. While l was doing a Job |
thought Of nothing except my work
and was both cool and watchful. l
wasn't one of those blokes who scare
people to death or who are ready If
necessary to add murder to robbery.
The truth is l never liked the prospect
Of facing either charge
As I was saying. while engaged at
my work, however DANGEROUS, I was
steady as a monument, but when dan
ger had passed and had nothing TO do
but think 1 went downhin very fast
What bothered me most was that I
couldn't sleep nights-that Is, when
comfortably slowed away In bed
once took a nap in a gentleman's par
Tor 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 a soft mattress.
with warm covers and no chance OF
being disturbed. sleep wouldn't come
TO me. | lay awake thinking Of the
time when 7 would hear prison doors
clang behind me. The thought was
dreadful I'm afraid I was too fine
grained for the business.
Month after month my hours o.
sleep grew less till I feared insanity.
One night l woke up at midnight after
having slept two hours and knew there
would be no more slunbsr for me TIL
the next time I went to bed. I was SO
desperate that got up with the In
tention Of going into some house where
] had no right and there snatch an.
ether couple Of hours sleep. ] had q
crib In view. a small house with not
much in It. But I was looking for
sleep, not plumber. I went there, took
out a pane OF glass, entered and went
Upstairs to find a place TO settle down.
/ stood in a dark hall looking into q
room where a night laIcp was burning.
In the room a woman wac in bed with
child. both asleep. The child was
sleeping on the font Of the bed, very
near the edge. Haswas a boy and.
think, about irs years old
On . narrow hover bed, close beside
the other, slept another child. girl or
about three. She was sleeping r. the
center OF ner bed on her side and had
her chubby fist up against her fat
cheek. 1t was hot summer weather.
and none Of them esulpt the-wonan
had any covers wmtsyu1<
What interested NJ Vn1pRh1f tho
boys head was hanging ovG tie ode
Of his bed and % much Of biz bedy.
too, that 1t looked to noe ~ II De Oas
about to fall He was restiesA ana
knew he would be over very soon.
Somehow I wanted to sec him fan,
though / kept In the dark so that be
wouldn't SEQ me II be woke up. Ths
next kick he made sent him over. Hs
fell q couple OF feet, but didn't wax,
up. He landed partly ON the little girl
but she didn't wake up either. I ex
pected she would. as she moaned once
or twice In her sleep and tuned over.
but nnany she slept rs peacefully az
before.
It was such q delightful picture 70
one suffering from insomnia that
kept On watching the children The
boy continued his kicking and crowded
TO the front edge Of her bed. II must
have been half an hour that he kept
this up, when there was q thump. and
the girl lay on the door. But she
seemed TO be as comfortable there as
on her bed. At any rate, she showed
not the least sign OF waking.
Meanwhile beard the mutterfpg Of
distant thunder, and while was look
ing at chem 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 q teok at her chill
dren. But she slept on She must have
been very tired or had lest q 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 Their was 10 increase the restless
ness Of tie boy. he rolled and tum-
bied IN his sleep ike q ship tossed by
the waves. sometimes lying for q few
minutes close against his mothers bed.
then rolling over TO the outer edge &C.
his own. I was sure he'd n time tum-i
bic out OF This bed, as he had out &c
the other, a'.d | was bound TO see him.
Go IL. Sure enough. before I expected
T. be gave a lurch and landed plumb
on top OF his sister.
Neither of them awoke.
reckon women know In their sleep
what's going IN with their Children
fcr now that be storm was over and
everything wae sttli as the tomb, thu,
mother sat VI In bed, glanced at her.
chilcrr got up and put them In their.
proper .slaces. Then she went back 81
r.. H.