Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-05-12

There's no one in lower nine" he
suggested, pulling open the curtains
just across. TITS likely nine's his
berth, and he's made mistake, owing
to his condition. You'd better take
nine, sir"
l did, with a firm resolution that il
mines rightful owner turned up later
l should be just as unavailable as the
man opposite. l undressed leisurely,
making sure of the safety of the forged
notes, and placing my grip as before
between myself and the window.
Being a man of systematic habits,
I arranged my clothes carefully, put
ing my shoes out for the porter to
polish, and slowing my collar and
scarf in the little hammock swung for
the purpose.
At last, with my pillows so arranged
that could see out comfortably, and
with the unhygienic-looking blanket
turned back-I have always q distrust
Of those much-used affairs-I prepared
| to wait gradually for sleep.
But sleep did not visit me. The
train came to frequent, grating stops,
and I surmised the hot box again.
am not nervous man, but there was
something chilling in the thought OF
the second section pounding along be-
hind us. Once, as l was doing, our
locomotive whistled shrill warning
"You keep back where you belong,
it screamed to my drowsy ears, and
from somewhere behind came a chas
tened "All-right-l-will."
I grew more and more wide-awake.
At Cresson / got up on my elbow and
blinked out at the station lights. Some
passengers boarded the train there
and l heard a woman's low tones, q
southern voice, rich and full. Then
quiet again. Every nerve was tense
Time passed, perhaps ten minutes
possibly half an hour. Then, without
the slightest warning, as the train
rounded curve, heavy body was
thrown into my berth. The incident
trivial as it seemed was startling IN
it's suddenness, for although my ears
were painfully strained and awake
had heard no step outside. The mex
instant the curtain hung limp again
still without a sound, my disturbel
had slipped away into the gloom ant
darkness. In frenzy of wakefulness
[ sat up, drew on pair of slippers and
fumbled for my bath robe.
From a berth across, probably lowel
ten, came that particularly aggrsrat
ing snore which begins lightly, deli
cately, family soprano, goes down thu
scale a note with every breath, and
after keeping the listener tense with
expectation, ends with an explosion
that tears the very air. | was more
and more irritable: sat on the edgt
of the berth and hoped the snore'
would choke to death.
He had considerable vitality, how
ever; he withstood one shock aftel
another and survived to start agar
with new vigor. In desr GRAFTON
found some cigarettes and enc match
piled my blankets over my grip, anC
drawing the curtains together as
though the berth we're still occupied,
made my way to the vestibule of the
car.
/ was not clad for dress Parade. Il
it because the male is so restricted tC
gloom in his everyday attire that he
blossoms into gaudy colors in his pa
jamas and dressing gowns? 1t would
take a Turk to feel at home before an
audience in my red and yellow bath
robe, a Christmas remembrance from
Mrs. Klopton, with slippers to match
So, naturally, when | saw femi
nine figure on the platform, my first
instinct was to dodge. The woman
however, was quicker than 1; she gave
me startled glance. wheeled and dis.
appeared, with a fash Of two bronze
coIored braids, into the next car.
Cigarette box in one hand, match
in the other, leaned against the un-
certain frame Of the door and gazed
after her vanished figure. The noun
tain air tapped my bath robe around
my bare ankles, my one match burned
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