The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-05
A woMAN,s TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE,
BY Which She Discovers anew Style of Wrap
but Is Unable to Make II Fit

but Is Unable to Make It Fit.
Letter in San Francisco Wasp.
l am not a selfreliant woman In fact, l am
rather timid and retiring. from which it may be
imagined that the following circumstance, pain
full and embarrassing as it would have been to
anyone, was doubly distressing to me. 1t was
i'll a seeping-car, about which | had read so
many extravaganza and, as l formerly mag
ined impossible episodes. On the night in
question L had retired to my berth, as in
deed had all the other occupants
of our car, and the subdued whispering mingled
with an occasional giggle from neighboring cur
tains had gradually subsidized until silence
reigned, except for the monotonous rumbling of
the wheels and the interiectional snoring of a
bald-headed passenger, whose berth was about
the center of our cosmopolitan dormitory. Before
going to sleep began to realize that was thlrs
ty, and determined to procure glass of water
from the cooler, which was, unfortunately, at
the oppositd end of the now dark and silent
sleeper So, throwing a shawl around me,
marched up the aisle toward the water jar,
reached it in safety, and, after quenching my
thirst started on my return trip Loosening my
grasp on the shawl, it accidentally slipped from
my shoulders just as l passed the section occu-
pied by the snoring passenger, who emphasized
the act by a prodigous snort. Somewhat
startled by this, 1 stopped and hurriedly
picked up the shawl, which seemed to be
considerably heavier than before and more
cumbersome Making an attempt to res
place it on my shoulder, something fell on
the floor with thump very much as if it were a
pocket knife, and then, to my horror and amaze
ment found that in rescuing my shawl | had
laid hold of the stout geptleman'S pantaoons and
was engaged in a futile effort to wrap them
gracefully around me. Had it not been for the
fatal pocket knife l might have escaped, but the
clatter it made in falling awoke its owner, who
opened the curtains and gruffiy inquired who's
thatW lmpulsively, andwithOut stopping to think
of the dreadfully suspicious appearance of
the affair, l said desperately, Here's your
pantsw To detect a strange female striving
first to tie your pants around her neck and then
magnanimously offering them to you in the
dead OF night, when you don't want them, Is
rather startling, it must be confessed, and the
stout passenger growled, I'm much obliged
to you, madam for your kindness in returning
them; they didn't fit, [ suppose l was ready
to sink with shame and modification, when
things took more serious and utterly
horrible turn, for after ransacking the
gentleman declared he missed u five-dollar gold
piece, and shouted to the reporter, Bring me
light; there's a thief in the carl" His demand
being complied with revealed a halfhysteTcal
woman, very much en- deshabille, her teeth chat
tering with fear and indignatOn-a cynosure for
every inqusitive eye in the car as each and every
passenger thrust his or her head out of the cur
tains and glared at the culprt In vain protested
my innocence and threatened dire revenge
the stout passenger for his insulting suspicion.
The circumStantial evidence was too strong and
had not my irascihle fellow-passeuger discovered
the missing gold piece in his vest pocket upon
which he promptly and profusely apologzed), l
shudder to think of the consequences AS it is,
my friends here at the palace are making my life
a burden with stupid remarks about pants, and
am determined never again to make sleeping car
pilgriniages after dark, or to trust stout gentle
men who make a practice of hanging up their
abOminable garments on the floor.