change of temperature without bodily exposure." Extending his
hand he pulled the other rope, which, running through the pulley over
his head, brought the counterpane quickly over him. "How's that? No
sitting up, reaching down, fumbling about in zero weather."

"That's good as far as it goes," said Dennis, whose natural state was
not one of reverence; "but how about the window? Some one has to get
up and shut the window."

"Simple as eggs," said the Shad, yawning disdainfully. "A string and a
pulley do the trick, see? Down comes the window. All worked at the
same exchange. Well, Dink, you may lead the cheer."

Now, Stover suddenly remembered a device he had been told of, and,
remembering it, to give it the appearance of improvisation he
pretended to deliberate.

"Well," said the Tennessee Shad, surprised, "my humble little
inventions don't seem to impress you."

"Naw."

"They don't, eh! Why not?"

"Oh, it's the right principle," said Stover, assuming a deliberate
look; "but crude, very crude, backwoods, primitive, and all that sort
of thing."

The Tennessee Shad, amazed, looked at Finnegan, who spoke:

"Crude, Dink?"

"Why, yes. All depends on whether the Shad wakes up or not. And then,
why hand labor?"

"I suppose you have something more recherche to offer," said the
Tennessee Shad cuttingly, having recovered.

"Why, yes, I might," said Stover coolly. "A real inventor would run
the whole thing by machinery. Who's got an alarm clock?"

Dennis, mystified, returned running with his.

Stover, securing it with strings, fastened it firmly on the table,
which he moved near the scene of operations. He then lowered the upper
half of the window, assuring himself that a slight impetus would start
it. To the sash he attached a stout string which he ran through a
pulley fixed to the top of the window frame; to the string he fastened
a weight which he carefully balanced on the edge of a chair; to the
weight, thus fastened, he attached another string which he led to the
clock and made fast to the stem that wound the alarm. Then he
straightened up, cast a glance over the Shad's handiwork and went to
the register.

"When the window shuts it should open the register, of course--first
principles," he said crushingly. He disconnected the string from the
bed and arranged it on the window. Having wound the clock he addressed
his audience:

"It's a simple little thing," he said with a wave of his hand. "I
happened to r