The Worthington advance., 1893-01-05

baggage car when. from among the
trunks, something sung out: Shut that
loor and pull down your vestl' .c.g.s.s3
''Sandy wanted to fight, them" con-
t;nued Tom. HE danced around that
car like prize-hghter in the ring.
'Pshaw!' said, that's boxed-up
parrot" r'~7'-}
''An' then the parrot told you you
lied," asserted Nc TougaL
''Yes!" says Tom, cheerfully.
''Aud then you said-do you remem-
ber what you said?"
mo, Mac; but wasn't at your side
when we got into the next coach sec.
ond later?"
1--WE came back with two brakemen,"
McTougal remarked, continuing. Zone
OF them brakemen looked ON top of the
car, an under it, an in it. He stuck to
it that there was ventriloquist about.
but gave that idea up when he couldn't
find nobody"
I'VE flung those trunks right and
left in lively style." observed Pope;
''but not thing did we discover-no
human living or dead thing-not o
place from which the noise came.
1--WE we're puzzled, you may believe,
and it the search had stopped there The
road might have warehoused that
coach, for no railroad man would have
Travelled in q car that was haunted. 80
"But the end came. While we were
looking into each others faces, aud
frightened in being blocked in that sort
of way the voice spoke again. It said
very distinctly: Let me out! lam dy.
ing-dying!"
ut was under my arm the voice
was," Sandy exclaimed, lin 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 49,
"'Twas light enough. We thought
the poor thing must be almost skel-
eton. got hold of the sledge hammer.
Keep up your courage, ma 'am,' I shout.
ed. AN We'll have you out in 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! Rip! tear! or
came the top, and it was flung clean
across the car. A pile of light, fleecy
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.
''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 q
prospecting tour, lifted up a great wad
of cotton, took good long look
under it, rose to his feet and began to
curse every body, and call 'em a pack
of fools. Then he changed his tune
and began to laugh.
II asked him little angrily what he
was making such fuss about, and if
he proposed to take out the body.
'Bpdy! body! 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 phonograph
that he's had down to camp meeting,
the doctor said. He took one and
rugged it up SO as to go by clockwork.
The shaking of the car set it in mo-
tion.
It's been repeating, parrot like,
only what has been told to it by the
saints and sinners. Very simple, you
see. ! won't charge you anything for
my visit, conductor: Good night and
off he went
SANDY, our friends here want to
know how that dream of yours over
that trunk ended"
''Oh! they do, do they7 Wal, gentle
men. 1 had to pay the cost of that
trunk, an trunks cost. 1t took a
months salary to do it, which isn't
complimentary to the road.
II learned one lesson. If ever
want ter open any mans luggage in
future, I'll smash it professional
style. Boston Globe.