alarm.

"There's somethin' wrong with the gong," he muttered, "it's gone
wrong two nights now, but I'll chance it. I'll set the alarm at five,
that'll give me time to dress and git there early. I wish I hadn't to
walk so far."

He paused to read some words engraved round the dial:

Early to bed and early to rise
Makes a man healthy and wealthy and wise.

He had read the verse often before, and was much taken with the swing
and rhythm of it. He had repeated it to himself, over and over again,
without reference to the sense or philosophy of it. He had never
dreamed of doubting anything in print--and this was engraved. But now
a new light seemed to dawn upon him. He studied the sentence awhile,
and then read it aloud for the second time. He turned it over in his
mind again in silence.

"Mother!" he said suddenly, "I think it lies." She placed the
clock on the shelf, tucked him into his little bed on the sofa, and
blew out the light.

Arvie seemed to sleep, but she lay awake thinking of her troubles.
Of her husband carried home dead from his work one morning; of her
eldest son who only came to loaf on her when he was out of jail;
of the second son, who had feathered his nest in another city,
and had no use for her any longer; of the next--poor delicate little
Arvie--struggling manfully to help, and wearing his young life out at