The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-07-14

ling sleep i'll the immediate neighboT-
Hood. | do not recollect hat / have
lever heard a man say that he liked TO
lhear people snore. And all this brings
up Il story.
It was getting along towards IL
O'clock at night, and the southbound
mail and express train was dashing on
its way. Here tie engine blew sharply
las il IL were going TO Slow up at Il
Ismali town. but il whizzed through at
the rate Of forty miles an hour, again
the ordinances of the municipality duly
made and provided: here the solitary
Ioil lamp at the end Of the platform Of
Il country station threw its yellow
flight into the car window, as IL a de-
Elective were flashing Il dark lantern at
Il burglar: here there were u click ard
la ~cIatter, like the keys of the telegraph,
as the wheels rushed over the rails Of
u switch, but the train didn't stop TO
get the message: here a great plowed
field made it look as if the locomotive
and long line Of coaches were skirtins
la narm of the sea, where the sleepy
waves were waking up at the rush and
roar; a mile further on the train had
evidently u over into Egypt. for
THAT hill and curtain of forest could be
Ipone other than the Pyramid Of Che
lOps.
Inside the Pullman sleeping car,
where they could get the full benefit
Iof the blazing lamp overhead four
travelling statesmen were playing six
lty-three," and a little further down a
tall. thin man had brought the cup
from the water cooler, and was taking
In liver. mill SfoI1f avnYiYaSSa9 Wa
man near the loo was laying down
the law TO the negro porter about a
missing parcel from her baggage: but
the bullying curtains here and there,
land the movements behind them. told
that most of the through passengers
were preparing to enjoy O. the nights
rest on a railway car.
Suddenly, from the interior of a
berth at Il extremity Of the ear, came
IA peculiar sound. The drummer who
was travelling with Il "CremO" line of
cigars held his cards perpendicularly
before him, and listened. The tall man,
who had just taken the pill, and was
very nervous and irritable, swallowed
the water the wrong way at the sound.
and was thrown into a violent fit of
coughing. This sound from the inte-
tioI VI lHt btIGl was tS IL Il ctTtCI1lCf
had started to plane a plank, but was
rather afraid he would wake up the
rest Of the people. There, by gum"
exclaimed the drummer, ITS begun"
"ker-wee-ee-eez" planned the carpen-
ter, timidly INC tentatively at first.
But very soon he got reckless. The
plank was full Of knots, like that
Which old John Willet tackled as he
slept and snored by the fire of the
Maypole Inn, in Dickens ''Barnaby
Nudge" But the plane plowed along,
knot or no knots. "Ker-we-gher-
|Hgh. gah! rach.' Great Scott .Ain't
that just awful!' said the drummer,
|ls he wiped the perspiration from mis-
face. Another workman in a middle
berth, who appeared disposed to start
another job i'll rivalry, showed under
when there came Il terrific, ear-splIt-
ting "Gar-rar-rach!' and turned over,
|and slept all night as peacefully as a
babe.
"Jerusalem. Porter, go and wake
that terrible passenger mp, and ask
him, for the lands sake, 10 quitI!'
"Fo' Gawd, boss, l amt got no
right TO do dat. Dere aim no law
'ginst day mekin' a mise in dey sleep,
as L KNOWS on"
All night long that unseen, myste-
|liOus carpenter inflicted torture with
his plank, blowing on the side, running
up and down from end to end, and
bringing from it a whole gamut Of
in protest. Now and then
would come a brief, blessed pause, but
lit was only the carpenter greasing his
blade with Il piece of meat-skin, to
|1e-cOmmence with redOubled viGOr.
Day came at last, and her sunshine
over hill and field, and found the train
returned from Egypt, back from the
|seashore, and galloping lickety-split
|acrOSS the pine barrenS of Il Southern
state. And now the passengers eyed
that carpenters dreadful berth with
intense interest, awaiting the appear
|ance of the tOrmenter. Would he be
just a common man, with a thoraX, Il
larynX, bronchial tubes, etc. just like
ordinary people? Would he have only
lone nose, II a mouth built like the
general run Of mouths?
There was a rustic for a few mill
utes behind the protecting curtain, 1t
was parted, raised-and, in a dainty,
ItailOr-made suit of gray, with Il little
lace collar and a dash Of color at the
neck, stepped out a petite blonde, with
the face of Il Madonna, the eyes of a
Ifawn, and Il mouth made up Of twin
I~rOsebudS. ]. H. NJ.
Fayetteville, July ;.