The Worthington advance., 1893-01-05
A STRANGE VOICE.

A STRANGE VOICE.
Why Two Railroad Men Broke
Open a Trunk.
Between the stories of Conductor
Tom Pope and Sandy McTougal
backed by Sandy McTougars friends,
one gets a pretty good idea of Sandy's
remarkable adventure with q voice, or,
as Sandy terms it, with the devil in
box.
Tom Pope is conductor and Nc
Tougal is baggagemaster on tho Air
line, which runs from the Atlantic
ocean to The middle of next week."
Most astonishing thing. that hunt
OF Sandy's for voice." said the con-
ductor the other night.
Then Tom narrates, and very pref
tily, too, how he and Sandy were trans
ferred to night runs in August last, and
how lonely tho baggageman became
because he was cut of from fellows
to listen to his stories and offer him
cigars.
You alters smoked 'em, Tom," in
terrupted Sandy. II don't smoke, ye
know"
II did get good many puffs that
way, I'll admit" said the conductor.
'"TLey were about the only thing Sandy
ever gave that could get any light out
Of"
80 "Are you telling this story?' asks
McTougal. IF SO, tell it."
Sandy was lonely and miserable" ;"
continued his friend. Nobody talked
to him or gave him a quarter for not
smashing their baggage, so he took to
brown studies and maps between sta
tions. The night of his voice busi-
ness"
Devil, tell you," cries Sandy
abruptly.
WAS q crowded one," continues
Pope, without noticing the Interrupt
ton. 'His car was jam full of luggage
"And the more trunks Sandy has on
board the crosser he gets. There was
q camp meeting on q switch-off' track,
and at the junction picked up lot of
nobby passengers who were leaving
for other places of amusement, and
there was no end of trunks.
"McTougal got things into shape
about eleven o'clock. reckon, and as
there's a part of the run where it's a
good hour between stations, he got
ready for a snooze.
.''He picked out the softest truck in
the pile on which to pillow his head,
tilted back his chair with his feet on
the rounds, pulled his hat over his face
and went to sleep. How's that, Mac?"
'Quite keerect," responds the bag
gagemaster.
Every well; then you tell it for
awhile. l wasn't there, you know"
1T didn't seem 'sif I'd been asleep
more'n minute" begins Sandy, when
there was a lively jump of the car an l
sort of come to life with jerk At the
same time heerd, as If way off, a.
noise like some one a-tallzing.
but I thought twas brakeman
outside, an was jes' a-dozin' off again
when right at my ear, in a thin, sharp
voice, su'thin' said: oh, Lordv
Il amt no fool, ain't," Sandy as
serts. throwing back his head, defiant
~. "an' when that tin whisper comes
into my ear jest half opened my eyes,
'spectin' to see some of the boys around.
But not livin' thing was visible.
$50 said to myself: 4 snored; that's
what's the matter an off l goes a.
nod.tin' an dreamfn'.
'Ihen agin I hears that voice. It
says. quite distinctly: I want to get
outr
Nov I want bit mistaken this
time. / heard it; but fore could get
my wits together there was q yell
soundin' way off.
"'That's my death-call.' says to my
sell. instantly calling to mind fellows
who had heard like sounds an were
dead in less'n week. Then saws to
myself: Sandy, don't be fool! an
jumps to my feet as wide awake as
am now.
1T was wonan's squawk, and l
could have sworn to it. Then it sung
out in tin.trunpet style:
Help! help!'
II hauled over the tool-chest an the
water barrel, and the cupboard in the
corner, an locked out on the platforms.
an did everythin' man could do un-
der the circumstances to find out what
was a-malz1n' of that fuss.
II went to tho side door to cool nv.
self. an was a-fannin' my face when,
blame me, II didn't hear a cornet
start OF with the 'Rogue's March, and
. gruff voice foller it with:
"1n the midst of life we are in
DEATH
II yanked my head round, an didn't
see nothin' that wasn't there before.
That threw me off my pins.
''Then a rooster crowed, an q feller.
with q cold in his nose, counted ten
forward and then backward, an an
other cuss, with q bullfrog. voice, or
dered me to Wake up! the devil wants
YOU!
''You needn't laugh, gentlemen, when
I toll you run; an so d you if you'd
been thar. l was certain the devil had
come for me-late but sure-an' l
didn't wait for him to ask for my
ti:ket."
Tom Pope at this point broke into a
stentorian laugh.
= If, gentlemen. you'd seen Sandy
sitting, you would never stop laughing:
You may not believe it, but his brown |
lace 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:
Tom! Tom! come with metz
What's the matter, Mac?' said.
What ails you?' i
" 'rbm, the DEVILS in my car. He's
been s-cutting up for half an hour, an
I'm most crazy. If you're my friend
some with me |!
"He wasn't drunk, because he doesn't
azinlE. ss~l1 wasn't religious enthusiasm,
occause Sandy has no religion.
Il almost bslisvs he meant what he |