The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-03-27
LOST A NrGHrs sLEEP.
Singular Series of Small MfsfOrtunes
Encountered by a Traveller.
wandering Willie. in Leslie's Weekly.

wandering Wiliie," in Leslie's Weekly.
A strange series of events. over which
nad no control, happened one night last
fall. l was in Indianapolis and had to be
In Cleveland the next morning. There are
Two routes; one direct and the otner by
but as the direct route made me arrive in
Cleveland about O'Clock in the morning,
| decided to take the long way around and
reach Columbus about z o'clock, thus gain
ing. an uninterrupted nights sleep Both
trains start from the same station about
the same time. By an error on the part or
the agent was given a berth on car in
the direct route, and did not discover the
blunder until we had started
l made the best of it and proposed to
sleep Until hafT-past l. Just then the porter
came up with a woman and her small boy.
She had a ticket for my section. There
surrendered to the woman / adjourned to
the smoking room and played pedro until
we reached Cleveland
Thinking 1 could get fair nights sleep
yet, 1 hurried up to the Hollenden House,
put there was convention in town and
every room was taken. At the Weddell
House they could give me a small room
the top floor. A sleepy bell boy took me to
the room; and, while trying to adjust the
key on the. inside, accidentally locked the
door. The key stuck and he could not un-
lock it to get out. I was in the room and
down the fire escape on the outside The
boy pushed the button for assistance; but
the bell didn't ring. Then he began to play
a fistic obligato on the door: He aroused
the night Waterman and explained his inn
prisonment. The night Waterman got the
pass key and fumbled on the outside, but
the other key was fast on the inside and
couldn't be turned either way.
| had retired, but the boy began to act
the ways and means committee on the out
side In about an hour there was a crash
at the door and | saw the head of an ak
come through; splinters flew, and mans
head followed. The lock had been forced.
The boy got out, and after boiling the re-
mains Of the late lamented door turned
no licrhf md fn cir of foC CT
1t seemed only a few minutes before the
call bell in the room began to ring.
Gud1 f. an OTf ., back t bell had
went off, and I tried to smother it by
throwing a pillow at it. Directly there
was a bang at my door, and porter with
Say! did yo' git that call? (Another
bang) It's. four O'Clock. (Wnack! bangD
Yer train leaves in twintwa-thraWh min
told the porter some things about him
self that occurred to me at the moment.
Are yo' awaken he interrupted
Gently, but firmly / intimated that he
would be an Irish wake himself if he lin
gered longer Final slam.) He went away
must have slept whole hour when a
boy came with a telegram that had been
sent over from the Hollenden. The boy
handed me the message and fled. 1t re-
quired an immediate answer but there was
no boy and the bell was broken. There was
nothing for me to do but dress, go down to
the office, and send my message. I did it.
l was gone possibly ten minutes. When
went back to my room, tired to death and
wide open, my bed was undone the sheets
and pillow cases were gone, and the mat
tress was thrown over the Dashboard. The
chambermaid had seen me go out, and
supposed 1 was up for an early train. AS
the laundrywomen go to work early, it is
the custom of the chambermaid to go
around snatching up early sheets and pill
low cases.
I went down to the office and told the
clerk of my mishaps during the past nine
hours They would give me another room
now, but it was already daybreak. If L
had gone back to bed 1 feel confident the
hotel would have burned UP before
o'clock. dropped a penny in the slot and
got some pepsin gum, bought a Cleveland
Leader and waited for the barber shop to
open.
That was my first and only attack of in
somnia, and trust it will be the last.