The Ordway new era., 1909-08-20
Lower Eight
1. .opyrIght. by J. B. Lippincott Coz
Dy Caroline Lockhan

| himself for a comfortable nap, having
sn, ,,ly tucked away the last OF his
cbaiges. including the fat man In
81 over Eight" and the timid young
thing who had boarded the train at
Norfolk. The porter stirred uneasily
I'm his nap. for the snoring that was
arising from Lower Eight" drowned
the ronr of the train. The snoring
came in gurglcs. moans and whistling.
the like OF which had never been
heard in heaven above or on the earth
brucath The curtains of Lower
| Eirht" had swung slightly open with
the mrch 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
spparcntly in the last throes of chok-
Ing when a neatly rolled umbrella.
he'd In a slender white hand. crept
out from Lower Seven" where the
tlmid young thing was shrinking. and
made vicious lab between the cur
tans of Lower Eight"
Porter! Porter" came whoop
| from Lower Eight" and the bell
| ,rIll' d wildly.
What is IL, sah?" cried the startled
| porter AS he bounded down the aisle.
Did you stab me In the sidc?" de-
manded the fat man in dire wrath.
"Oh. no. sah!" replied the porter.
"1 never done no thing like that! You
must have been dreaming. sah.'
"Confuund you! I'm not dreaming"
growlcd Lower Eight"
well. sah." argued the porter. his
black hand concealing his cleaning
worries, you know that when you
turned in you had took a little noah
than was Jess good TO any gemman."
Its mighty funny" muttered Low
or Eight" but he was not in a posi-
ton to contradict this statement. so
be subsidized. The porter returned to
the smoking room. Illuminating on the
strange Authorizations produced by
too long n dallyinS In the dining car
The snores began again In rising
cresCendo. Just as the teeth OF nerv-
Gus passengers were we'll set. the um.
brella stole again from Lower Sew
en-" and another vicious iunge made
the snore change to a howl Of rage.
"Porter!" yelled Lower Eight" Il
tell you some one is stabbing mel"
"KRint be nufiin' like that. sah." re-
piled the porter. coming up soothingly.
4 amt slept n wink. and nobody's
been movih in this car. or I'd a-seen
them. You're Jess havin' a bad
Dream
It's no dream!" shouted the fat
man. Why, my side Is sore. Feels
Ike there's a hole there you could
stick your fist in"
Now you go to sleep again, sab"
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.
ouch! Ouch! Help! Help!" and
req face shot out Of Lower Eight"
The porter slouched up the aisle. dis
gust written on his countenance.
"Gawd, porter" groaned the fat
man. rs there a Doctor on board?
I'm horribly punctured! Did you see
The villain when he stabbed ms?"
KANT nobody stab you. sah." re-
monstrated the porter sternly. mo
oody ain't moved In this car. You've
eot the delerlam trimmins, that's
WHAT'S the matter wifi you. II you
cont lie still and stop your hollerin'.
NE and the conductor Is goin' to strap
You down"
y don't see what they mean by
putting drunken brutes in the car
with ladies'" exclaimed an acid voice
from Upper Ten"
Put him of at the next station.
inns Is supposed to be q sleeping.
car growled Lower Four" He
aasnt done a thing but keep every.
uoay awake with his Internal grunt.
'ns since he turned in"
from all along the line of curtains
,ame uncomplimentary comments.
Su' there was silence in Lower
seven where lay the timid young
'n.ns who had got on at Norfolk.
n, Never had such bad dreams in my
me' said Lower Eight" addressing
ne car In general. Dreamed the
14ne Thing three times In succession.
1eieve 1t is a warning. II any &C.
s,a s,uent Is going to happen tonight, l
we with my boots on. I'm going to
get up"
thrashing about told the other
sassehgers 1ass that the fat man was as
S sou US his word. A sigh of relief
,.a aS oreathed through the car as the
IL. III. man numbered BY the curtains to
~ - sslioking-room. to spend the rest
nt.xl.A
terry o'eA '"0
,,oa mnen the timid young thing crept
th.n oH her berth the next morning.
Sh'', Tele was something about the smile
maS 'h iurked around her mouth that
Aue the porter scratch his head.