Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1899-03-26
B0B'S FRIEND JIM.

B0B 5 FRIEND JIM.
 To many people the jigg1ety-jogglety, 3igglety-jeg night is as sopori1e in it's effeet as counting imaginary sheep 8nmpi1g over imaginary fences, or say Ing oEe's prayers backward. The Through express from Florida to New York had kept up this music steadily and rythnically for some hours. The occupants Of the sleeper Oleomargarine Were presumably soothed to slumber, Yhen a sharp. childish treble broke in Gpon the cadenced jigglety=jogglety, jigglety-iog It was little boys voice. Mamma" it cried; mamma, Jim has escaped"
 Silence. Mamma, do you hear? Jim has got away" The big man in upper No. 2 stopped snoring and blinked his fat eyes. Jim got away Wbat's that? A vision of thief danced before 5is waking consciousness. He put his band hastily under his pillow and clutehed his watch An, Jim had left that, at all events.
 Mamma" the voice began again, ''why don't you wake up? Jim has, T "sh'sh, Bob, , came in a gentle femin-. ine tone, If we talk, you know, we'll Wake every one in the car, and people ; love to sleep when they're travelling at night"
 Let 'em sehleeb, then" grunted IJ 0 t~nvU from To,yuor No T
 You don't understand, mamma; it's Jim; he's escaped.
 Hush, Bob, go to sleep. You're dreaming. There isn't any Jim. Who's Jim?"
 Why, Jim's my great big alligator, mam1na; the one who tried to bite ne to-day. He's got out of the box and gone to take walk in the car, and I'm 8 afraid he can't find my berth again.
 There was a wild chorus of Jim, "AlIgatcf escaped, and a concert of screams. Presto! the scene changed. The quiet car aisle, dimly lighted, hung with the somber, flowing drapery we American travellers know so well, was suddenly alive with people Upper No. tumbled on to the very nose of the Hebrew-lower No. 7--and almost sat astride it in his excitement.
 A mother and child in the classic at- titude and elinging drapery of Niobe and her youngest posed motionless with terror. Further on a bewildered Adonis of youth, in pink pajamas slid from his berth. A fair, fat, forty creature was calling in a pretty feminine way for some one to save her. Bobs moth- CT, in her peignor, plunged into Bob's l. berth
 "0h. Bob, Bob! not Jim! Don't say it is Jim. He's so fierce Why couldn't 1t have oeen one of the others
 "0ne of the others!" shrieked the chorus again, changing positions.
 They're in the hoz, the others, said Bob's mother, addressing the entire car. Don't be frightened, good people, pray don't; and really think Jim must have gotten away by this time, he crawls so fast"
 "Grawls so fast! oh-h-h" shrieked woman.
 ''oh, porter, find him; find him!" screamed two girls together; find the alligator" and the black porter, aided by the more intrepid men, looks under berths, opens traveling bags, feels in ladies pockets and adds to the general pandemonium.
 Hush! there he is!" cried fair fat and forty, pointing upward
 Nonsense, ma'am, says the fat man. They don't go up; they go down. Look in your shoes They always go for shoes, spiders and lizards, and snakes and crawly critters generally"
 The fat man was getting back into upper six. Jim can't get up here. then, " he said. "can he?n
 oh. yes; they climb, cried ignorant Bob eheerfqlly.
 No, no, Bob" pleaded his mother.
 Oh, they climb, cried the chorus.
 Crawl and climb, added the fair, 1at and forty. hysterically.
 l have himl" called the Jew. ex- sl'edly. Here he is, and he held up
 arms length the wee, struggling, ragglffig creature.
 Throw him out! throw him out!"
 slled the women. Throw him out! <nfow him outi' echoed the men. !, \. fouad,', shrieeed Adonis into VI ,s''s z " 2 the spinster's spectacles
 s, ofb;r ens sigator's found. and
 ,,.s, .,ls ps ttlabit of thing. :"
 dly eTbar :. ~ sala his mother. Jasper