When the two men grew tired and sleepy, they locked the office and walked
through the yard to the driveway that led to a residence street. Ben was
nervous and irritable. One evening they found three men, sleeping on a pile
of boards in the yard, and drove them out. It gave both men something to
think about. Gordon Hart went home and before he slept made up his mind
that he would not let another day go by without getting the lumber in the
yard more heavily insured. Ben had not handled affairs long enough to come
quickly to so sensible a decision. All night he rolled and tumbled about in
his bed. "Some tramp with his pipe will set the place afire," he thought.
"I'll lose all the money I've made." For a long time he did not think of
the simple expedient of hiring a watchman to drive sleepy and penniless
wanderers away, and charging enough more for his lumber to cover the
additional expense. He got out of bed and dressed, thinking he would get
his shotgun out of the barn and go back to the yard and spend the night.
Then he undressed and got into bed again. "I can't work all day and spend
my nights down there," he thought resentfully. When at last he slept, he
dreamed of sitting in the lumber yard in the darkness with the gun in
his hand. A man came toward him and he discharged the gun and killed the
man. With the inconsistency common to the physical aspect of dreams, the
darkness passed away and it was daylight.
Pages:
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232