The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1900-03-23

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| my brow, and, placing the two adven-
turers on their backs, l peeped eau
tiously out between the curtains to see
whether l had alarmed the car No,
not at all. And there still sat the col
ored porter, with closed eyes, polishing
away at the same boot, presume, at
the rate of a stroke a minute, the brush
hitting the boot about one in five.
An opportunity like that was not to
be lost. | had been scared wide awake
wanted company, and it seemed too
bad that even the porter should have
the advantage of me. | decided he
shouldn't.
First took the infant diamond back
and placed him gently in the center of
the aisle, his head pointed toward the
rear of the car. He meditated a mo-
ment and then paved forward as fris-
ky as a colt. waited until he had got
well within the lamplight and then
coughed loudly. The porter started,
looked inquiringly at the shoe, then at
! the brush, murmured something that
sounded like "Yas, sah," and was
about to relapse again when, as his
head lowered, his eyelids and mouth
suddenly sprang wide open, his arms
| dropped to his sides, and he gathered
in his feet and bent forward staring
hard. The deadly terrapin steadily ad-
vanced The porter arose. His eyes
bulged, and l could hear him breathe
Suddenly his arm shot out, and his aim
missed the turtle by an inch or two.
The porter had disappeared, and the
rear door of the car was slammed to
yiole1tl5. AS quick as cat hoped
from the berth and collared my pre-
cious infant, which was gazing at the
lamp in state of mild wonder. Back
in the berth again I lay, listening. A
faint sound, as of mirth, came from
| the lower berth opposite, but when
stole look the curtains were tightly
drawn. The sleeper above me was
''making mush" or smoking q pipe"
and there was considerable snoring
roundabout.
Presently the door Of the car opened
again, and heard voices, one saying,
"Well, where is it?"
There was a brief silence and fur
tive glance showed me the half clad
conductor on his knees gazing down
the aisle, with the porter, still open
mouthed, behind him.
sIt was right dar,' said the latter in
loud whisper.
The conductor stood up and shook
himself angrily. sWell, it amt there
now, you durn idiot II it was as big
as you say it was
sHones' to Gawd, Mis- jackson, it
was that iongv' He measured off about
a foot and a half of atmosphere with
his black hands. 81 was a-blackin
away an a-whistlin when look up an
see UNI. He had eyes in um like a
coppah snakes, an up an threw that
dar genrman's shoe in numbah s at
um. DaTs the shoe. Hyahw He ran
down the aisle and picked it up. Il
threw it at um, an he came a-leapin at
me like,a-lile aa ailigatah:"
"Sam, said the conductor quietly,
you've been drinking again"
s'Mis' Jackson, l talk two hummah's
Nv peach-two hummahs-hones' to
Gawdp'
"Oh, get to work. said the conduct
or. "You saw coachroach, guess"
"Cockroastv' cried Sam Indignantly
as the door banged. "Cockroastt' He
could say no more, but with wrath
shining in his eyes and sculptured on
his lips he took up the shoe and brush
again and wagged his head at the aisls
| ominously.
While the train ran on lay there
| hoping for sleep and amusing myself
meanwhile by pulling the tails of the
| terrapin as they occasionally projected
through the meshes of the side net. An
hour went by, perhaps, and my in
| somnia had not weakened. / had
| counted some 10000 sheep jumping
over a fence when Of Q sudden there
arose ON the afffighted air, clear and
resonant above the mufiied thunder of
| the speeding train, a bass snore-a
deep, prolonged and piteous sound, as
| of one in distress. ! looked out. It
was the porter.
"Come, my love-" said I, plucking
| the estimable count from the net
"the stars are shiningr l adjusted
him In the aisle and directed his foot
steps. He was slower and more sedate
in his progress than the infant and de-
cidedly more impressive. / waited un-
| til he had approached to within prop
er distance Of the porter and then
coughed to an extent that put out the
pipe of the parsonage overhead.
1t was beautiful success. This
time Sans eyes opened like the lid of
a jack-in-the-box. He gave one look,
dropped shoe and brush and vanished.
The next instant l had captured the
'count" and was finding some recon-
pense for my loss Of sleep. Again l
heard that soft giggle over the way.
looked, but the curtains lwere still
drawn. Then came the sound of the
conductors voice once more, and this
time angriiy.
"You black fool" it said. you're ON
the verge OF the jams. Where's any
| turtle?'
"He come agen, Mis- Jackson-hones'
% Gawd, he did-the same turtle! That
pigr' He measured off two feet. HE
epen his mouf. an see his teef, an
"Oh. go der said the conductor, ding.
ing himself away and leaving Sam
thing to be photographed.
Then l distinctly heard the giggle
again across the aisle, and / opened