Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-09-23
Lower Eight
By Caroline Lockhsr
Copyright, by J. b. Lippincott Coz
By Caroline Lockhsrt

Copyright, by J. b. Lippincott Coz
The Pullman car porter had settle,
himself for a comfortable nap, havinI
snugly tucked away the last of hi
charges. including the fat man ii
Lower Eight" and the timid younj
thing who had boarded the train a
Norfolk. The porter stirred uneasil,
in his nap, for the snoring that wa
arising from Lower Eight" browne,
the roar of the train. The snoring
came in gurgles, means and whistling
the like of which had never beer
heard in heaven above or on the ear
beneath. The curtains of Lower
Eight" had swung slightly open will
the lurch Of the train, and the ia
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 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 Lover Eight" and the bell
trihed wildly. ...'..-r'
'Whst is it, sah?" cried the startled
tSF as he bounded down the aisle.
POI aDio Sea stab me in the side?" de-
=, - fat man in dire wrath.
"oh, no, SAL. II" replied the porter.
81 never done no th.."g like that You
must have been dreaming, sah.
"Confound you! I'm not dreaWing!"
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 TO any gemmah."
ITS mighty funny muttefed Low
er Eight" but he was not in a posi-
ton to contradict this statement so
he subsided. The porter returned 70
the smoking room, Eliminating on the
strange Authorizations produced by
too long a dallying in the dining car.
The sDores began again in rising
Nescendo. Just as the teeth of nerv-
ouS passengers were we'll set, the um.
breAaN stole again from Lower Sew
en-" and another vicious lunge made
the snorS change to a howl of rage.
Porter" yelled Lower Eight" Il
tell you some one n stabbing mel"
KANT be nufip' like that, sah," re-
Nile. the porter, coming up soothingly.
~ s,n,, .--at wink. and nobody's
been moyin, in &Sis car. or Id a'seen
them. You're jess haT.@ = oad
dream"
IT'S no dream!" shouted the fat
man. why, my side is sore: Feels
like there's a hole there you could
stick your fist In"
Now you 60 to sleep again. sab"
coaxed the porter, and III 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. rs there a 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. II 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 keep every
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.
! believe it is a warning. If any ac-
cident is going to happen tonight, L
die with my boots on. I'm going to
get up"
A thrashing about told the other
passengers that the fat man was az
good as his word sigh of relief
was breathed through the car as the
fat man numbered by the curtains to
the smokingroom, 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