The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-05-06

better satisfied, and seemed to be
thinking " A man can be philanthro-
pist in little as we'll as great things"
No one paid any attention to phleg-
matte Dutchman, whose seat had been
all day directly behind the maiden
lady's, and who growled audibly She
is nod nice aloud it and shtill she is
more nice as WISE"
The Adrianople" had left Lake
Shore rails, and was attached to New
York Central train. 1t was in the still
watches of the very early morning, and
the sleeping passengers were some
where between Buffalo and Rochester
The military looking porter had polished
several pairs of boots of different shapes
and sizes, and fallen asleep on one of
the drawing-room sofas. Something
more than a dozen different snores
mingled with the voice of the train.
The benevolent-faced man who had
given up part of his berth was, how
ever, not asleep; he lay dreamily gaz-
ing out through narrow slit between
curtains into the aisle, planning various
methods of making the human race
still more happy. To his surprise, the
maiden lady, whose berth was directly
across from his, protruded her head
from between her own curtains.
" Is nobody awaken" she called. Il
have pressed the button of the annun-
ciator pertaining to my berth some
half-hundred of times, and the porter
does not come. 1 am dying of thirst.
Will no one bring me glass of water?"
The benevolent gentleman was just
about drawing the drapery of his paja-
mas around him, throwing over his
shoulders the top blanket of bis berth,
discovering himself to the fair maid in
desert, and bringing the wherewith to
Stake her midnight thirst. But before
he could do 80 the lady had herself in
vaded the aisle. Clad in the respectable,
loose-ftting day-gown in which she was
passing the night, she rose, excaiming:
~ will get it myself, and report this
to the company" Before disappear
ing, she very thoughtfully and care
fully pinned her handkerchief upon the
curtain of her berth, so as to make no
mistake upon return.
Now the benevolent gentleman was
not a philanthropist alone; he was
student of psychology. He fell to won
dering what the maiden lady would
think and whom she would report if,
uDOu u6E IcluIu, 5uc lOuuu tuO uduu-
kerchief pinned upon the curtains of
another berth. 1t was but the play of
moment to spring into the aisle,
change the location of the handker-
chief, and scuttle quietly back.
He was interested, as the lady re-
turned, to notice that she did not show
any resentment at the removal of the
handkerchief. On the contrary, she pro-
ceeded to the berth above which it was
pinned, and hearing sudden move
ment which the benevolent man made
possibly to prevent her-she pumped
headforemost into the berth of the
Dutchman who had been so disguised
with her only the evening before.
The train had just stopped at Roch-
ester, and was promptly on time-it be-
ing three A. NJ. 1t is impossible to tell
all that happened, as the various re.
suits of the benevolent gentleman's i'll
starred experiment, of which he did not
dare to tell for many, many years after
ward. The original occupant of the
berth thought some one was trying to
rob him, and used a great many words
of very strong double-Dutch, while
vigorously holding in his grasp the sup.
posed train agent, who on her part
screamed through five octaves, with
none of the accidentals omitted. The
outcry brought large assemblage of
passengers to the disputed berth; and
the two combatants were at last hauled
out into the aisle, each accusing the
other of all sorts of things. Conduc-
tors, brakemen, porters, and even
depot-polcemen, were as thick as flies.
An improvised court and jury heard
both sides. The maiden lady men
toned, as the most irrefutabe evidence,
that she had pinned her handkerchief
on her own berth-curtain before starting
for drink, and they could find it there
if they would look. But it had been
basely and surreptitiously replaced-by
whom has never been told TO this day
and the poor woman, hardly able TO be-
lieve her eyes, dove into her own berth
at last, buttoned the curtains tight, and
was never seen more.
She got off at Syracuse at five this
morning." said the tall porter, in
answer to the many sympathetic in
Quiries from passengers upon arising
for the day. She was the mos polite
woman l ever see. She didn't threaten
to report nobody w'atsomever, an give
me a dollah, am toll me to ask her
apologies to everybody in tn car, an
she dom see how she ever made such a
mistake pinnin' on de handkerchief"