The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-12-31

come firing into the car where I was
sitting, you would never stop laughing.
You may not believe it, but his brown
face was as white as your shirt fronts,
and his eyes were as big as billiard
! balls. He dashed down the aisle and
whispered in my ear:
Toni Tom! come with mel"
What's the matter, Mace l said.
What aiIs your
Tom, the. devils in my car. He's
been a-cutting up for half an hour, an
I'm most crazy. If you're nay friend
come with me =
"He wasn't drunk, because he doesn't
drink. 1t wasn't religious enthusiasm,
because Sandy has no religion.
81 almost believe he meant what he
said, and that he had been called for.
/ got up in hurry ana followed him.
81 hadn't more than got inside the
baggage car when, from among the
trunks, something sung ont: Shut that
door and pull down your vestr
SANDY wanted to fight, then" CON-
tinued Tom. "He danced around that
car like prize-fghter in the ring.
'Pshaw!' 1 said, that's boxed-up
parrot"
AN then the parrot told you you
lied" asserted McTougaL
YES" says Tom, cheerfully.
And then you said-do you remem-
Der what you said?"
mo, Mac; but wasn't at your side
when we got into the next coach SEQ
ond later?"
1--WE came back with two brakemen,"
McTougal remarked, continuing. "Ons
of them brakemen looked on top of the
car, an under it, an in it. He stuck to
it that there was a ventriloquist about,
but gave that idea up when ne couldn't
find nobody"
1--WE flung those trunks right and
left in a lively style" observed Pope;
but not a thing did we discover-no
human living or dead thing-not a
place from which the noise came.
I'VE were puzzled, you may believe,
and if the search had stopped there Tho
road might have warehoused that
coach, for no railroad man would have
travelled in a car that was haunted.
But the end came. While we were
looking into each others faces. and
frightened in being blocked in that sort
of way the voice spoke again. 1t said
very distinctly: Let me out! lam dy-
ing-dying?
at was under my arm the voice
was" Sandy exclaimed, in big trunk
that had come from camp-meeting. l
sung out for Jake to run for doctor if
there was one on the train an Tom
an me put that trunk on the floor as
gently as if twas glass.
"'Twas light enough We thought
the poor thing must be almost skel-
eton. l got hold of the sledge hammer.
Keep up your courage, ma am l shout
ed, AN wen have you out in a jiffy.'"
You should see Sandy at that mo-
ment, said Pope, enthusiastically. He
looked like a hero, every inch of him.
He gave that hammer four sweeping
swings. Crash! crash Ripl tear! Off
came the top, and it was flung clean
across the car. A pile of light. feecy
stuff followed
"a dozen faces looked anxiously in
to that trunk, expecting to see the
body of dying or dead woman. Sandy
seemed beside himself with anxiety.
1--WE crowded around the trunk and
the doctor knelt down beside it.
He pulled out a lot of rags very
carefully. run his arms down on
prospecting tour, lifted up great wad
of cotton, took good long look
under it, rose to his feet and began to
curse everybody. and call 'em a pack
of fools Then he changed his tune
and began to laugh.
81 asked him little angrily what Re
was making such fuss about, and If
he proposed to take out the body.
'Bodyl bodyi ha, ha, ha, ha! See
here, gentlemen and he tossed out the
cotton from the trunk, showing a
funny-looking machine at the bottom.
This is Stringfellow's photograph
that he's had down to camp meeting,
the doctor said. He took one and
rugged it up so as to go by clocl1work.
The shaking of the car set it in mo-
ton.
It's been repeating, parrot like,
only what has been told to it by the
saints and sinners. Very simple, you
see. l won't charge you anything for
my visit, conductor. Good night and
Of he went
Sandy. our friends here want to
know how that dream of yours over
that trunk ended"
''Oh! they do, do they? Wal, gentle
men, l had 70 pay the cost of that
trunk, an trunks cost II took a
months salary TO do it, which isn't
plimentary to the road.
II learned one lesson. II ever
want ter open any mans luggage in
future, I'll smash it professional
sty lie. Boston Globe.
1adednits Directions,
How often does the ferry boat start?"