Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
KEPT HERSELF BUSY

From the hour the train started from the
great st. Louis station the Dfsagreeable
Woman was busy.
She was black-browed, wedge-faced. thin
Tipped and. as to age. anything above forty.
She was travelling alone and Washington
was her destination.
The red-capped station porter at the st.
Louis station dragged her multitude of
traps into the sleeper, and when he had
bestowed them safely he stood grinning.
waiting for q bit Of hard-earned back
sheesh.
''That'll be ALL" said the Disagreeable
Woman to him, motioning him away. Don't
stand there chessy-catting at me! I've got
nothing for you. guess you're paid to help
lady passengers, amt you? Scatv'
The station porter, looking alarmed, back
ed out without any of the. feel of silver In
his palm.
The Disagreeable Woman deliberately
site her own. She had just finished doing
this when a sad-faced little woman, &C.
cempanied by little girl, appeared at the
seat that had been Uttered UP by the Dis
agreeable Woman, conveyed by the car por-
ter.
''Heah's yo' seat. lady" said the porter
to the sad-faced little woman. Lady" ad-
dressing the Disagreeable Woman, "Ah'll
have t tex yo' things offn this seat"
WHO said you would!' snapped the Dis
agreeable Woman. You wait till you re
told to touch my things!''
But de seat belongs t. dis heah lady an
de III GIRL said the porter.
Huh! Can't you put them somewhere
else?" testify inquired the Disagreeable Wo-
man.
Nom. Evenly place is dun TAKEN" re-
piled the porter. "Yo' all hasn't gagged de
section.
remove the Disagreeable Woman's things to
her own seat.
you take your hands Off of my things
this minute!" snapped that pleasant person
and she grabbed her truck and slammed ii
onto the seat beside where she sat by the
window.
The sad-faced little woman and her little
cir, sat down. the child looking scared and
on the verge Of tears.
1t was about half after in the evening
and just growing dark when the train
pulled out of the st. Louis station.
The train had barely crossed the Eads
bridge before the Disagreeable Woman rang
the bell to summon the porter. The porter
appeared on the run. looking polite and at
tentive.
II want my berth made up Immediately. >
said the Disagreeable Woman.
The porter looked surprised
but it amt o'clock yet. lady," he said
looking at his watch.
Il don't care whether it's o'clock or II
Il want to go to bed and to bed am GO
ing. guess I ought to know when 1 am
ready for bed
But it's ag'n de rules t. mex up de buths
so early" said the porter. de conductor
would tuhn me down eff All made 'em ur
at dis houah. lady"
you tell the conductor want to see him
at once" said the Disagreeable Woman in
her harsh. strident voice.
The porter got the conductor who ap-
peared SOlicitouS to be polite and accom-.
modating.
81 want my berth made up this minute. ~
said the Disagreeable Woman to the con-
ductor.
After little while. lady" said the con.
ouctor. soothingly. You see, the COM
pany's rule is that
Don't you talk to me about any of your
old ruleSr interrupted the Disagreeable
Woman. The company hasn't anything te
do with my time of going to bed
IL you are tired, lady, the porter will fix
some pillows under your head and you can
take nap" said the conductor. becoming
bit firm. But 1 can't break the COM
pany's rule by allowing berths to be made
up before dark
The conductor went away, and the porter
started to place some pillows on the Disa-
greeable Woman's seat so that she could
take it easy until the arrival of tie regular
hour for making up the berths.
Take these things away from here!'
snapped the Disagr eeable Woman. "If
can't sleep in the berth that 1 paid for,
don't want any makeshifts.'
When, an hour or so later, the berths
were made up. the sad-faced little woman
and her daughter started to retire in the
lower berth. The Disagreeable Woman rang
frantically for the porter. When the porter
appeared she demanded that the conductor
be sent to her instantly.
What does this woman mean," she rau-
cously demanded Of the conductor when he
appeared, "by selling the lower berth that
belongs to me?" and she nodded vindictively
in the direction Of the Sad-faced woman,
whose little girl, in fear, began to wall.
"Mean?" said the conductor not unnat-
uralIy becoming bit testy himself. "Why
she means to turn in. suppose, lady. The
lowers her BERTH"
Her berthv' almost screamed the Disa-
greeable Woman. Don't you dare to tell
me that! 1 expressly told the man in St
Louis that 1 wanted the lower berth! Dc
you dare to tell me that he didn't give II
to me?'
I'm afraid I've got to dare that" said
the conductor. You have this upper
BERTH
well, 1 won't take it. that's allr' said
the Disagreeable Woman. THE idea OF
such a thing-me being asked to climb Into
an upper berth! You'll have to get me a
lower berth somewhere on the trafn.''
None left on the train. lady," replied the
conductor.
Then I simply decline to go to bed, -
said the Disagreeable Woman.
The conductor didn't look in the least
if he wanted to suggest that she could re-
main up all night with the boisterous bot
tle-passing young men in the smoking COM
partment of the sleeper but he didn't say
anything
The Disa agreeable Woman snapped and
snarled for half hour or so. and then
sh, turned in in the upper berth.
She was the first up In the morning, made
the ladies' dressing room first, and locked
herself in there for about two hours. while
the other wcmen sat about disheveled and
disconSolate.
She summoned the porter after the berths
were all pushed up.
II want you to fix table here in front OF
my seat so that can have the dining car
waiter bring me some, coffee and sand
witches in here" she said to the porter.
"'Gainst de rules. lady" said the porter
"De diners dun hooked on-yo' all can &c
In an git yo' breakfas, lady. But dey
doan't let no tables be put up TO eatin' In
de sleepuhs. Only on de pa'luh cahs Wen
dey's a buffet cab on de train"
The Disagreeable Woman abused the
porter for telling her that and went snif-
fingly into the dining car for breakfast
She Jumped on the waiter because he told
her that cantaloupes were out of season
and. when she had finished her breakfast
she jumped the dining car steward because
the car she said was overheated.