Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-10-21
Lower Fig hit
Bycaroline Lockhart
Copyright, by J. B.. Lippincott Coz
By Caroline Lockhart

IL
The Pullman car porter had settled
himself for comfortable nap, ha--!ng
snugly tucked away the last of his
charges, including the fat man 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 a 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.
ooh, 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
| worries, 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 posi-
| ton to contradict this statement, so
he subsidized. The porter returned to
the smoking room, Illuminating on the
strange hallucinations produced by
too long dallying in the dining car.
The shores 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 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.
Il amt slept wink, and nobody's
been movin' in this car, or I'd a-seen
them. You're jess havin' bad
dream"
TITS no dream!" shouted the fat
] man. why, my side is sore. Feels
1 like there's a hole there 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.
ouch! Ouch! Help! Help!" and
a 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?
Pm horribly punctured! Did you see
the villain when he stabbed me?"
KANT nobody stab you, sah,' re-
monstrated the porter sternly. mo
body amt moved in this car You've
got the deleaam 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."