The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-11-21
CHAPTER III,
Across the Aisle.

No solution offering itselt. went
back TO my berth. Tho snorer across
had apparently strangled, or turned
over. and so after a time l dropped
,uleep. to be awakened by the morn
nc sunlight across my face,
T felt for my watch. yawnlnG prodlg'
iouslv. | reached under the pillow and
failed TO ind it, but something scratch
ed the back Of my hand. L sat up lr'
riiably and nurscd the wound, which
was bleeding little. Still drowsy,
! felt moro cautiously for what l sup
posed had been my scarf pin, but there
was nothing there. Wideawake now, L
reached for my travelling bag, on the
chance that | had put my watch IN
there. | had drawn the satchel to inc
snd had my hand on tho lock before
/ realized that it was not my own!
Mine was of alligator hide. had
killed the beast in Florida, aftor the
expenditure of enough money to have
bought house and enough energy 10
have built one. The bag l held IN my
think The staggering thought of what
the loss of my bag meant to me put
my finger on the bell and kept 1t there
until the porter came;
"Did YOU ring. sir7" he asked, pok
ing his head through the curtains obse-
duiouslY. Mcknight objects that no,
body can poke his head through cur
tain and be obsequiouS. But Pullman
porters can and do.
What in thunder do you mean by eX,
changing my valise for this one? You III
have to find it If YOU waken the en-
tire car to do it. There arc important
papers in that grip"
''Portcr," called feminine voice
from an upper berth nearby; Porter
nm + 10 dangle here all day!'
'Let her dangle," L said savagcly.
"'You find that bag Of mine.
The porter frowned Then he looked
at me with injured dignity. -
brought in your overcoat, sir. You
carried YOUR own valisc.
The fellow was right In an excess
of caution | had refused 10 rehnqulsh
my alligator bag. and had turned over
clear enough then. / was simply 4
victim of the usual sleeplng-car robbery
| was IN a lathcr of perspiratlon by
that time: the lady down the car was
still dangling and talking about 1t; still
nearer feminine voice was giving
quick orders in French, presumably TO
a maid. The porter was on hls knees
looking under the berth
Z" Not there. sir he said. duStlng
his knees. He was visiblv moro cheer
ful, having been absolvcd of RESPONSE
bIIity. ''Reckon II was taken while
YOU was wanderin around the car last
7sI'l give YOU fifty dollars if You
find it, L said "a hundred Reach
up my shoes and ILL
7 stopped abruptly. My eyes were
fixed in stupefied smaZcmcnt on coat
that hung from hook at the foot
Of my berth. From the coat they trav'
eIed. daZed TO the soft-bosomed shirt
beside it. and from there 10 the col
lar and cravat in the net hammock
across the windows.
"a hundredl the porter repeated,
showing his teeth. But ! caught him
by the arm and pointed TO the foot of
mis- berth.
What-what color that eoat?' l
asked unsteadily.
.'Grav, sir His tone was one Of
gentle reproof,
''And-the trousers?'
He reached over and held MP ono
,reased leg. "Gray, too he grlnned.
"Gray!" I could not believe enen eyer
bis corroboration Of my own eyes. EBut
nv clothes were blue!' The ported
was amused: he divcd under the cur
tains and brought up a pair of shoes.
our shoes, sir. - he said with a
flourish. Reckon YOU we been dream
lnC, sir.
Now, there are two things l always
avoid in nv dress-possibly an ldiosyn-
sracv of my bachelor existence. These
tabooed articles are red neckties apd
IAN Shoes And not only were The shoes
the porter lifted from the floor of a
gorgeous shade Of yellow, but the scarf
which was run through the turned over
.olsr was gaudy red 1t took q
tull minute for the real import OF
;bings to penetrate my dazed intelli
gence. Then ] gave a vindlctlve kick
at the offending ensemble.
"They re not mine. any Of them.
! snarled '"They are some other fel
lows III sit here until ! take root
before | put them on
'They re nice lookin' Clothes the
porter put in. eveing the red tie Will
appreciation. "Ain't everybody would
have left YOU anything:'
''Call the conductor | said shortly
Then a possible explanation occurred u
me- ''Oh. porter-what s the numbe,
ii this berthqi
Seven. sir If you can Il wear those
shoes"
"FSevcn!" In my relief / almos
shouted it. "Why. then, it g slmpl
,nough IN in the wrong berth. that
all. Ny berth is nine. Only-wher
the deuce is the man who belong
herc?'