The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-06-16
Young feller n the sleeper all I know

'GOt MIN, answered. INC cOuuuCtol'
as briefly as possible for man long
attuned to the southern drawl and
whose got" was more like "gawt."
"Reckon we might as well git, then, he
continued, returning to the colloquial
present indicative of a verb of manifold
meaning and usefulness. TEL 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 flom
a warm corner in the baggage car and
shambled drowsily forward to the cab.
Sudden jets of steam flew kissing ont
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
a 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 a sudden stand, and Lam
bert, slowing his hand luggage on the
empty seat before him, heard the fol-
lowing lively co!loquy, 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? 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
fihst off?" sung out the conductor, dis
gustedly. "Ain't you felluhs got any
brains? Back up, Jaclt!" 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 Ian
tern with the other. 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-baclling 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 feedin'- '-bawtle or cake
O. soap or SIM other truck to fetch me
back again, Hank? Dawg GAVIN f
reckon we ever will get to Quitman
'tthis rate!"
The darkies about the coffee-stand
gave 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 lunging 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, T 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
renew his thanks at the rear door, but
was collarcd and hustled unceremoni
ously off the car.
, "You amt goin' to get off at Tugaloc
this time O. night?" asked the conduc
tor. finally, and with that odd EN-
phasis expressive of doubt as TO pas
senger's knowledge of his own inten
tions so often heard in our thinly-settlet
districts. Lambert interpreted it t.
mean Anybody else, perhaps, but mo-
| you" He was already cogitating as tt
whether or not the conductor had in
tended some covert sneer in his recen
> reference to "feeding-bottles," for Lam
ert was but one-and-twenty, and youth
ful-looking for his years. The ton,
| of this inquiry and the look which ac
cQmpanied it after deliberate pause ant
, study of the proffered ticket, however
3 we're far from aggressive or discour
: teous. yet the unintentional misplacinl
. of the emphasis, following an allusiol
equally hapless and alike unintentional
/, had given umbrage to the boy. "Yol
must expect to hear no end of unpleas
:, ant things" he had been told at depart
: ment headquarters. where he had re
ceived orders to go on and join his com
: pany, then in camp at Tugaloo. Ever.
body is mighty sore yet over the late un
pleasantness. Hold your tongue ant
Keep your temper" were the parting in
functions; and he meant to do both
All the same he did not intend to ALLOW
people to treat him with discourtesy-
certainly not a conductor Of publi