The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-12-28
Hole lie Found
Sleep.
BY sALLIE MENDEEM.

was Ills. L nau mighty gOOQ nerve anu
wasn't afraid Of any one. I seemed 10
know what kind Of a crib to crack and
how to do 1t without waking anybody
Up and getting away between midnight
and dawn, when the cops are most
drowsy. While l was doing a job l
thought of nothing except my work
and was both cool and watchful. 1
wasn't one of those blokes who scare
people TO death or who are ready II
necessary to add murder to robbery.
The truth is l never liked the prospec
of facing either charge.
AS l was saying, while engaged at
my work, however dangerous, / was
steady as a monument, but when dan
ger had passed and l had nothing to do
but think l went downhill very fast.
What bothered me most was that ]
couldn't sleep nights-that IS, whel
comfortably slowed away In bed.
once took a nap In a g~entleman's par
Tor and was only wakened by the sun
coming up and shining in my eyes. ]
Just got out in time to save myself
But when lying on a soft mattress,
with warn covers and no chance Of
being disturbed, sleep wouldn't come
to me. | lay awake thinking Of the
time when | would rear 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
- +sTI n A-.-l ~-.-fA
One night e up at midnight after
having slcf hours and knew there
would be re slumber for me till
the next i went TO bed. I was so
desperat, | got up with the IN
tention e into some house vhere
] had Il 1t and there snarch an
other couple Of hours sleeO. J had q
crib In view, a small house with not
much in It. But / vas cooking for
Sleep not plumber. 7 vor ( there, took
out a pane of gla cred and went
upstairs to f1t q 10 settle down.
I stood in p 4all looking into &
room where IT lamp was burning.
In the roc Jman was in bed with
a child. sleep. The child was
sleeping front OF the bed, very
near the e He was a boy and, /
thin. about I've 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 chubby fist up against her fat
cheek. 1t vas hot summer weather,
and none of them except the woman
had any over whatever.
What interested me vas that the
boys head was hanging over the side
of his bed and SO much OF his bC.1y.
too, tina 1t looked to me as Ii ne teas
about to fall He was restless. and !
knew he would be over very soon
Somehow | wanted to see him fall
though I kept in the dark sc that he
wouldn't see me IL he woke Up. Tbs
next kick he inside sent him over. Il,
fell a couple OF feet, but didn't wax,
up. He landed partly on the little girl
bur she didn't wake mp either. | ex
pected she would, as she moaped once
or twice in her sleep and turned oVer.
but finally she slept rs peacsfully as
before.
1t was such a delightful picture to
one suffering from Insomnia that
kept on watching the children The
boy continued his kicking al cr.v,la
the girl. pushing her With ever' t.e.
to the front edge If ter l. I. rr
have been half au hear e
this up. when there o
the girl lay on ~ tieo.
seemed TO be as cola4H. So -
o. her bed. A. any Fr@.
not the least SIGN - aJaioa
Meanwhile ] beail the p
distant thunder, AND a
tng at them all There e,fe e
crash loud enough a. ue.s
The mother turned csee lc ieit
OF the children moved. fheu it-
one crash after another. ana : eApee.
ed that at least tie mother wou,0
wake up and take d look 1t her chill
dren. But she slept n She must have
been very tired or had lost a 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-
bic out OF this bed, as be had out OF
the other. and | was bound TO see him
do it. Sure enough. before l expected
Ii he gave a lurch and landed plumb
on top Of bis sister.
Neither of them awoke.
7 reckon women know IN their sleep
what's going on with their children,
for. now that the storm was over END
everything VS. still as the tomb. the
mother sat up m ed. glanced at lie.
children. got u ~ Put them in their
proper places. r. o she went back tc
bed herself and was asleep In q mo
ment.
We'll" ! said - mrseY. ar tha;s
what a clear con iafre VIII furnish
I'm going TO have 4 clear conscience
| went back to ny room resolved ncv
er 70 enter any mans house again bs.