Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1899-11-11
My FelloW-Pa55enger'S Story.
S54SSS

1t was a prolonged groan, followed by
a string Of adjectives. uttered In quick
succession, like the reports from six
chambered revolver fired against time.
/ shifted my seat little further from
the newspaper and let down the win
dow. SO as to be within reach of the
communication cord should necessity
arise. AS | did SO, the paper fell on
to the fat, drab knees, disclosing red,
clean-shaven face and a pair of saw
age gray eyes.
The man in the corner appeared TO
have experienced warm time or IL
behind the newspaper, for drops Oh
perspiration stood like small glass
beads on his high forehead, and his
face was distorted oy passion, which
made him look anything but n desira-
BILE fellow passenger, l wished the
train would reach a station; even
slight accident to stay its headlong
speed would have been welcome to en-
able me to put few carriages between
me and the man in the corner. But
nothing of the kind happened, only
my fellow passenger. after staring
fiercely at me a few seconds, blurted
out:
Then sales Of great auks' eggs
made me wild. / hate the very name
OF 'em. They say the blooming bird
is extinct, and the sooner them eggs
are. the better | shall like 1t"
| felt relieved that my fellow passen-
in |
had been at first led to suppose. He
was only laboring under little excite
ment occasloned by reading an account
of the recent sale of a couple Of great
auks' eggs.
smiled and remarked that he was
not lover Of great auks' eggs.
"No; dash 'em!" returned the man,
savageiy; Il wish the whole seventy,
which, they say, are knocking about
the world, were burnt up. and the ashes
scattered to the winds of heaven"
| felt interested and longed to hear
further particulars, so. taking out my
cigar-case, l handed it to him, at tde
same time venturing to inquire II he
had ever had any dealings in great
auks' eggs. | thought by his manner
he had.
He paused moment before answer
ing, while he bit off the end of his cigar.
"Well, yes-or, more strictly speaking
no." he said slowly. "But there, it's a
queer story" looked interested, and
after lighting up he began:
at was one night some years ago l
was accosted in the Commercial Road
by a shabby fellow, who asked me to
buy queer-looking thing which he
held In his arms. 1t looked something
between football and an Edam
cheese, as hard as adamant, and the
color Of walnut-peeler' hands. The
man said he had just arrived In Eng
land from abroad, where many years
of his life had been spent. The ball
had been a present from some black
king; he did tell me his name, but for
get 1T now. l know 1t took ten minutes
to say 1t, and you had to sneeze twice
at the end to pronounce 1t properly
The man didn't know what the ball
was, but the king had valued it highly.
told him 1t was no use to me, but he
begged so hard for enough to get him a
nights lodging that l at last gave him
trif1e for 1t, and took the thing home,
thinking it would do to keep the door
open, If nothing else.
For long time the queer old thing
was knocking about the house; 1t was
useless for holding open the door. The
only use 1t appeared to be was for peo-
pie to fan over | fell over 1t first and
Injured the bridge of my nose and
knocked leg off a table NV mother
h-iaw followed me over it a few days
after, and was laid up three weeks
with black eye and shock to the sys-
TEN. Then one Of the kids let 1t fall
on the cats back, Md though they say
cats spine is MAJ of india-rubber 1t
couldn't stand that ball, and snapped.
AT last the baby made a desperate eff
fort to rid the house of that dashed
thing by eating 1t up, and injured the
only two teeth it possessed My wife
grew very indignant at this, and said
the Injury to Obadiahs teeth was the
last straw that made the load too
heavy to bear, and she chucked the
ball into the backyard, where 1t Law
for months behind some boxes, forgot
ten and uncared for.
ut was a couple of days before tht
Derby, and friend of mine had drop
ped in to arrange about going, and how
We were to raise the necessary funds
as We were at very low water. w.
were having a smoke together in tn
yard, while his little beggar of a do
was scraping about for rats, which Ell
listed only In his Imagination. In hi
search AMONG nfhar thiuo~ ha Lat