The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-07
IN HER ROBE DE MUTT.
AWFUL EXPERIENCE OF BASH
Full YOUNG MIN IN A SLEEPER.
The Ferryboat Ordeal-Dyed Clothes
Are Dangerous-Roman Marriage
Customs-The Indian Devil.

Customs-The indian Devil.
A young man whose home is in
Chicago and who has been in Denver
only q little more than a week, had an
experience in the Pullman sleeper be-
tween Kansas City and this point
which he will not 500 forget. Inter
esting and novel as it was, he does not
care for a repetition of the adventure.
At about twelve o'clock of the first
night out from Kansas City-the hour
when most uncanny things are wont
to happen-the young maj was awak-
ened in his berth by a pressure on his
feet. and he saw sitting at the foot of
his bed and dressed for the night in a
spotless white garment with insertings
and ruffies and things foreign to the
midnight make up of male humanity,
the form of a girl II young woman,
whose features he could not dis
tinguish in the dim, if not religious
light.
While the young man is not sus-
ceptible to shocks so far as the foibles
| of women are involved, he was some
what astounded, and lay still for a
few minutes wondering what to do
under the circumstances. Presently
he found his wits and voice.
Are you comfortableY he asked in
his softest tones.
Pm quite comfortable" was the
calm, unruffled reply.
The passive assurance of the woman
in white interfered somewhat with the
young mans line of thought and con-
lecture, but he was not long in forInu-
1atinp n second attack.
Wouldn't you prefer a seat at the
head of the bed?" he asked.
mo, l thank you, was the res
ponse; I'm very comfortable here. y
perhaps you would like a pillow?'
he suggested, Offering her n OF the
two upon which his head had been
resting.
By this time the young man was
thoroughly satisfied that the woman
was young and pretty if not unso-
| phisticated, so when she adjusted the
| pillow between her head and the foot
board of the berth, the temporary
owner of the premises was more
pleased than panied. Partly in de-
ference to what he thought was the
impenetrable impudence of his ghostly
visitor, partly in a spirit of fun, and
partly on account of the proverblal
m~eagreness of the sleeping car pillow,
the young man held out the other
feather cushion, saying:-
wont you take the other one?"
Yes, she would and did, placing 1t
with it's companion piece and snugly
nesting her head upon the pair. All
this time the visitor had sat upon the
edge of the berth, her feet resting on
the floor of the aisle, her head and
shoulders against the footboard.
The conversation which the young
man had INDUCED in was in pianis-
| simo. that he should disturb no other
occupants of the car. The replies of
his unexpected caller had been less
guarded in volume. In fact, they
might have been heard a good many
feet away had there been any wakeful
ear within the distance named.
AS the creature in white lay con
tentedly back upon the pillows, her
hands crossed and her breath coming
and going with what seemed to be
measured regularity, tempus did not
fugit very fast for her berth mate. He
hardly knew what to do in the face of
such indifference under such circum-
stances. but collected his wandering
thoughts and asked her again if she
was comfortable. Perfectly comfort
I able" she said. He sat up in the bunk.
| She didn't move. He put his feet in
the aisle and sat on the edge of the
bunk close beside her. She paid no at
tention to him, when a parting of the
curtains let a ray of light fall on her
face.
The eyes were stonily gazing at
nothing, and not q feature of the
countenance betrayed the slightest
evidence of consciousness. The face
was pretty and innocent-that of a
pure minded girl between sixteen and
twenty years of age. 1t was plain that
she slept; that she was asomnambulist
and that she had no knowledge of her
whereabouts nor of her words nor
deeds. The young man would as will
inQly have kissed a corpse as that
sleeping maiden. He tried, by talking
to her, TO find out how she had come o
his bunk, but could get no ineligible
replies, other than that her sister and
herself were travelling to Salida, where
they intended visiting some friends.
and, moreover, her tones were loud.
Worst of all the train came to q
standstill while he was endeavoring to
make her tell where she belonged.
The situation was increasingly EN-.
barrassing. Suppose the girl had a
father or big brother on board and
that relative should find her in the
strange young mans berth. Odd
POUNDS! Suppose the girl should sud.
denly recover consciousness and should
scream, as only a young woman SINH
larly placed might be expected tc
scream. Caesars ghostl The young
man would not find a friend nor be
lever on the train.
The hero of the tale restored the
maiden to her restful position on the
pillows, dressed himself partly anC
went in search of the porter. Thai
functionary was found asleep. He
was told that there was a soinnam
bulist on board. The porter could MOI
make out what a somnambulist might
be, so he called the conductor. The
last named heard the young mans
briefly narrated story, and accom-
panied him and the grinning porter tt
the berth. There was no sleeping
beauty anywhere visible. The berth
was empty.
With many mental reservations a.
to the condition of mind and body il
which the young man had retired the
evening before, the conductor con
sented to waken two young ladies
sisters, who were occupants of the
car. Only one of those young ladies
could be found. The young man hac
- boon I,ao1ninn Tho SiStnr WIN