"I've found it!" said the excited inventor, Arthur Cotton, to his wife.

"But, you've been up all night. It's 6 am, and you haven't been to bed. You must be exhausted."

"Ahh! That's the point! I'm not tired."

"How can you not be tired? You may not feel it now, but soon enough, you'll pass out on the sofa like you always do when working all night on one of your hair-brained inventions."

"If you're referring to my failed cure for baldness, I'm not amused. Last night, I discovered how to eliminate the need for sleep by means of electricity."

"What the heck are you talking about?"

"Let me explain. Our bodies continuously expend energy, whether by physical exertion or radiating heat. Either way, we become drained of energy, and we get tired. We eventually get so exhausted we fall asleep. Our bodies re-energize while we sleep."

"So, what does electricity have to do with sleep?"

"When we sleep, we literally recharge our body."

"You're kidding, right?"

"I'm completely serious. All life is electrical. All our energy is electrical. We are essentially human batteries."

"So, how is this invention supposed to work? Or is it a secret?"

"I can tell you, my Love. You're my darling wife," said Arthur.

"I mean - Do you simply give yourself a jolt of electricity?"

"Essentially, yes!"

"Wouldn't you electrocute yourself in the process?"

"Not if I apply the electricity correctly. I'm working on the details, experimenting with different voltages and varying levels of current."

"And you didn't hurt yourself?"

"A few times. Once, rather painfully, I admit."

"That would explain why the lights went out last night."

"So, you noticed. I hoped you wouldn't be upset."

"I was beginning to drift off to sleep when the little night light in the bathroom went out. I didn't think anything of it at the time. And I didn't feel like getting up to check it."

"Ahh! But you see, that's the point!"

"What's the point?"

"With my new invention, you'll never need to sleep."

"But, I like to sleep. It's so, so... so relaxing."

"But with a few doses of electricity throughout the day, you won't want to sleep. You'll never be tired. You'll have an extra eight hours every day."

"Yes, and I suppose you'll want me to use those extra hours doing more chores around the house, like I don't have enough cleaning, cooking, and darning your socks as it is!"

"Oh, Love! Don't you see? We'll both have more time for each other. Instead of sleeping, we could dance all night. I've even invented a non-stop phonograph for exactly that purpose."

"Now, you sound like a hopeless romantic. I think you gave yourself too many volts. The electricity has gone to your brain."

"THAT'S IT! Maybe I need to direct the electric current to the brain! Darling, you're an inspiration!"

"As they say, Arthur, 'Behind every great genius stands a woman.'"

"Yes, Dear. Well, I'm bushed. I think I'll go to bed."

Story Copyright © 2023 by Michael DeFrancesco

Cover Illustration Non-Copyright

Story based on the following article - The Seattle Star 10/17/1923 pg 1