The Winslow mail., 1909-12-04
Lower Eight
By Caroline Lockhsn
By Caroline Lockhsn

charges, including the fat ma in
Lower Eight" and the timid Young
thing who had boarded the train AT
Norfolk The porter stirred uneasily
in his nap, for the snoring that was
arising from Lower Eight" drowned
the roar Of the train. The snoring
came in gurgles. means and whistling.
the like of which had never been
heard in heaven above or on the earth
beneath. The curtains of Lower
Eight" had swung slightly open with
the lurch of the train, and the fat
man could be seen lying on his broad
back, with his mouth gaping wide.
As his slumber deepened, he was
apparently in the last throes of chok-
ing when a neatly rolled umbrella,
held in a slender white hand, crept
out from Lower Seven" where the
timid young thing was shrinking, and
made vicious jab between the cur
tains of Lower Eight"
Porter! Porter," came a whoop
from Lower Eight" and the bell
trilled wildly.
What is it, sah?" cried the startled
porter as he bounded down the aisle.
did you stab me in the side?" de-
manded the fat man in dire wrath.
"Oh, no, sah!" replied the porter.
Il never done no thing like that! You
must have been dreaming, sah''
"Confound you! I'm not dreaming,"
growled Lower Eight"
We'll, sah,' argued the porter, his
black hand concealing his cleaning
ivories, you know that when you
turned in you had took little noah
than was jess good fO' any gemman."
ITS mighty funny" muttered Low
er Eight" but he was not in a posi-
tion to contradict this statement, so
he subsidized. The porter returned to
the smoking room. Illuminating on the
strange hallucinations produced by
too long a dallying in the dining car.
The snores began again in rising
crescendo. Just as the teeth of nerv-
GUS passengers were we'll set, the UNI
brella stole again from Lower Sew
en- and another vicious lunge made
the snore change to q howl of rage.
"Porter!" yelled Lower Eight" II
tell you some one is stabbing mel"
KANT be muffin like that, sah,'' re-
piled the porter, coming up soothingly.
II amt slept wink, and nobody's
been movin' in this car, or I'd a-seen
them. You're jess havin' bad
dream"
It's no dream!" shouted the fat
Why, tx side is sore. Feels
Ike there's hole ARE you could
stick your fist in
Now you go to sleep again, sah,'
coaxed the porter, "and I'll watch
that you amt fetched"
The rumble of the train was once
more lost in the vocal exercises from
Lower Eight" and the porter, pull
ing his cap over his eyes, mapped in
the smoking compartment
Such! Ouch! Help! Help!" and
red face shot out of Lower Eight"
The porter slouched up the aisle, dis
gust written on his countenance.
"Gawd, porter" groaned the fat
man. 'Is there doctor on board?
I'm horribly punctured! Did you see
the villain when he stabbed me?"
KANT nobody stab you, sab" re-
monstrated the porter sternly. No
body amt moved in this car. You've
got the deleriam trimmins, that's
what's the matter wifi you. If you
don't lie still and stop your hollerin'.
me and the conductor Is goin' to strap
you down"
II don't see what they mean by
putting drunken brutes in the car
with ladies'" exclaimed an acid voice
from Upper Ten
Put him off at the next station.
This is supposed to be a sleeping
car" growled Lower Four" He
hasn't done a thing but keen everv-
body awake with his Internal grunt-
ing since he turned in"
From all along the line of curtains
came uncomplimentary comments,
but there was silence In Lower
Seven" where lay the timid young
thing who had got on at Norfolk.
Never had such bad dreams in my
life said Lower Eight" addressing
the car in general. Dreamed the
same thing three times in succession.
I believe it is warning. If any ac-
cidsnt is going to happen tonight,
die with my boots on. I'm going to
get up"
A thrashing about told the other
passengers that the fat man was as
good as his word. A sigh of relief
was breathed through the car as the
fat man numbered by the curtains to
the smoking-room, to spend the rest
OF the night brooding over the mys-
terry.
When the timid young thing crept
from her berth the next morning,
there was something about the smile
which lurked around her mouth that
made the porter scratch his head.
Convincing the Jury.
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