Baxter Springs news., 1910-02-03
Lower {, Eight
ByCarOlins LOeLAaA
(COpyrlght. BY J. B. LlpDinOOtt Coz

Th0. Fullman car pOrtor nau b0ttl0o
himself for q comfortable nap, having
snugly tucked away the last Of hid
charges, including the fat man ID
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 Waa
arising from Lower Eight" drowned
the roar Of the train. The snoring
came in gurgles, means and whiStlingl
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 q slender white hand, crept
out from Lower Seven" where the
timid young thing was shrinking, and
made q vicious jab between the cur.
tains Of Lower Eight"
Porter! Porter!" came Q whoop
from Lower Eight" and the bell
trilled wildly.
What is 1t, sah?" cried the startled
porter as he bounded down the aisle.
did you stab me in the Bider de-
manded the fat man in dire wrath.
"Oh, no, sah!" replied the porter.
Il never done no thing like thatl You
must have been dreaming, sah."
"ConfOund you! I'm not dreaming!"
growled Lower Eight"
well, sah," argued the porter. his
black hand concealing his cleaning
worries, you know that when you
turned h you had took . little noah
than was jess good TO any gemmAn."
ITS mighty funny" muttered Low
er Eight" but he was not in posi-.
ton to contradict this statement, -
he subsidized. The porter returned 10
the smoking room, ruminating on the
strange hallucinatlons produced By
too long a dallying in the dining car.
The snores began again In rising
crescendo. Just as the teeth Of nerv.
GUS passengers were well set, the um'
brella stole again from Lower Sew.
en-" and another vicious lunge made
the snore change to q howl Of rage.
"Porter!" yelled Lower Eight" n
tell you some one is stabbing met"
KANT be nufin' like that, sah," ~.
piled the porter, coming up soOthingly.
II amt slept wink, and nobody's
been mOvih' in this car, or I'd aSeeA
them. You're jess havin' . bad
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 Est In"
Nov you go to sleep again, sAA,"
coaxed the porter, ''and Ill 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 ID
the smoking Compartment.
"Juch! Ouch! Help! Helpi" and
a RED face shot out Of Lower EIght :
The porter slouched up the aiSlS :,6tos
gust written on his countenanee.
"Gawd, porter" groaned the tat
man. rs there a doctor on board?
I'm horribly punctured! Did you zee
the villain when he stabbed ms?"
KANT nobody stab you, sah." re.
monstrated the porter sternly. mo.
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 hCllerin',
me and the conductor is goin' to strap
you down."
Il don't see what they mean by
putting drunken brutes in the car
with ladies'" exclaimed an acid voice
from Upper Ten"
Put him on at the next station.
This Is supposed to be q sleeping.
car" growled Lower Four" He
hasn't done . 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 gpt on ct Norfolk
''Never had such bad dreams IN ny
life." said Lower Eight" addressing
the car in general. Dreamed the
same thing three times in SuccessioA,
/ believe 1t Is q warning, II any ae-
cident is going to happen to-night
die with my boots on. I'm going b |
get up
A thrashing about told the ether |
passengers that the fat man was - /
good as his word. A sigh q relied !
was breathed through the car as thS
fat man numbered by the curtains - |
the smoling-roOm. to spend the r11i |
- A. ,,t-sfk hveoNl~., .-,-- A., -.