Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1897-02-23

WHOSE SOI was more ike &a"C.
Reckon we might as we'll git, then" he
continued, returning to the colloquial
present indicative of verb of manifold
meaning and usefulness. ''Tell Hank,
will you?-Let 'er go, Jack" he shouted
to the engineer, with wave of his Ian
tern. A yelp from the whistle was the
answer; the fireman crawled out from
a warm corner in the baggage car and
shambled drowsily forward to the cab.
Sudden jets of steam flew kissing out
on the frosty air. One after another the
three cars lunged sharply forward and
then slowly rolled forth into the night.
The conductor clambered up the rear
steps with parting wave Of his lantern,
slammed the door after him and came
up the narrow aisle to look at his pas
senger. Before he had time to speak.
however, his attention was attracted by
succession of yells from the track
to their rear. Giving an angry yank
at the bell rope he whirled about and
hurried to the door. The train came
willingly to sudden stand, and Lam.
bert, slowing his hand luggage on the
empty seat before him, heard the fol-
lowing lively colloquy, as did everybody
else who happened to be awake and
within radius of 200 yards:
"What d'you want?"
"Come back hyuh, I say"
''What d'you wa-a-nt? I amt goin'
to back in thar now"
"Huyh's trunk"
"Wha-at?"
"A tru-u-nk."
'Why in hell didn't you sling it abawd
fhst OFF," sung out the conductor, dis:
gustedly. "Ain't you felluhs got any
brains? Back up, Jack!" he shouted
forward, signaling with his lantern
again. "Somebody's left band-bawx,
by criminy!" And SO, growing volubly.
the custodian of the "Owl" swung him
self out from the steps, hanging by the
left hand to the iron railing and hold
ing extended his green and white lam
tern with the other. A couple of stall
wart negroes came painting forward to
meet them, the offending trunk on their
shoulders, and went stumbling up the
sloping embankment towards the slow
ly-backing baggage car. The light from
the lantern fell on the new canvas cover
and on the fresh brown finish of the
straps and handles, then on the inscrip-
ton in bold black letters at the end:
I. N. LAMBERT.
U. s. Army.
At sight of which the conductor
checked the half jocular, half resentful
TRADE he was composing for the bene-
fit of the stationmaster and abruptly
asked:
"Whuh's it goin'?'
"Tugaloo, suh," said the rearmost
negro.
''Well, hump it abawd, n be quick
about it," Then, raising his voice. he
shouted across the platform: "Shuah
you amt gawt a feedin'- bawtle or cake
O. soap or SIM other truck to fetch me
back again, Hank? Dawg GAVIN + T
reckon we ever will get to Quitman
t this rate!"
The darkies about the coffee-stand
gave u guffaw of sympathetic rejoicing
over the officials humor. The conductor
was evidently more popular than the
station master. One of the trunk bear
ers came iunging in at the front door of
the car. and. humble yet confident, ap-
pealed to Lambert:
"Little somethin', sub, fur totin' de
trunk. Bin los. mos like, + it had n
bin f'r> us. Thanky, sub. Thanky."
And the negro's eyes danced, for the
douceur handed him by the young owner
of the vagrant baggage exceeded his
hopes. He strove, indeed, to turn and
was collarcd and hustled unceremoni-
ously OFT the car.
'"You amt goin' to get off at Tugaloo
this time O night?" asked the conduc-
tor, finally, and with that odd en-
phasis expressive of doubt as to a pas
senger's knowledge of his own tnten-
tons SO often heard in our thinly settled
districts. Lambert interpreted. it to
mean "Anybody else, perhaps, but not
YOU" he was already cogitating as to
whether or not the conductor had in
tended some covert sheer in bis recent
reference to feeding bottles" for Lam
ertwas but one-and-twenty. and youth
Unlocking for his years. The tone
Of this inquiry and the look which ac-
companied it after deliberate pause and
study. Of the proffered ticket, however,
were far from aggressive or discour-
teous, yet the unintent ional misplacing
of the emphasis. following an allusion
equally hapless and ali ike unintentional,
had given umbrage to the boy. You
must expect to hear no end Of unpleas-