Omaha daily bee., 1910-02-27

ton Of the difficulty. There's no one in
lower nine" he suggested, pulling open
the curtains just across. IT'S likely mines
his berth, and he's made a mistake, owing
to his condition. You'd better take nine,
sir"
did, with a firm resolution that II
nlEe's rightful owner turned up later l
should be Just as Unavailable as the man
opposite. I 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 ar
ranged my clothes carefully, putting 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
I could see out comfortably, and with the
~unhygienic looking Blanket turned back-I
have always a dlstrust OF those much used
affairs-I prepared to wait gradually for
sleep.
But sleep did not visit m The train
came to frequent, grating st :, and I sur
missed the hot box again. l m not a ner-
vous man, but there was sjmething chill
ing in the thought Of the second section
pounding along behind us. Once, as I was
doing, our locomotive whistled a shril
warning-"You keep back where YOU be-
long" it screamed to my drowsy ears, and
from somewhere behind came a chastened
1 "All. right-I-will."
I grow more and more wide-awake At
Cresson I got up on my elbow and blinked
out at the station lights. Some passengers
bearded the train there and I heard a
wcman's low tones, a southern voice, rich
and full. Then quiet again. Every nerve
was tense: time passed, perhaps ten min
utes, possibly half an hour. The0 with
out the slightest warning, as the tram
rounded a curve, a heavy body was thrown
into my berth. The incident, trivial as 1t
seemed, was startling in its suddenness,
for although my ears were painfully
strained and awake, l had heard no step
outside. The next instant the curtain hung
limp again; still without a sound, my dis
turber had slipped away into the gloom
and darkness. In q frenzy Of wakefulness,
I sat up, drew on a pair Of slippers and
fumbled for my bath robe.
From a berth across, probably lower ten.
came that particularly aggravating snore
which begins lightly, delicately. family So
prano, goes down the scale a note with
every breath, and, after keeping the listener
TENSE Will tApttldNluut Gllua WIN an GA
plosion that tears the very air. I was
more and more irritable: I sat on the edge
OF the berth and hoped the snorer wou'a
choke to death.
He had considerable vitality, however.
he withstood one shock after another, and
survived to start again with new vlgor,
In desperation I found some cigarettes and
one match, piled my blankets over ny
grip, and drawing the curtains together as
though the berth were still occupied, ]
made my way to the vestibule of the car.
l was not clad for dress parade. Is Il
because the male Is so restricted to gloon
In his everyday attire that he blossoms
into gaudy colors in his pyjamas and dress
ing gowns? 1t would take a Turk to fee
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 l saw a feminine
figure on the platform, my first instinct
was to dodge. The woman, however. was
quicker than I; she gave me a startled
glance, wheeled and disappeared, with d
flash OF two bronze-colored braids, into
the next car,
Cigarette box IN one hand. match In tho
other, / leaned against the uncertain fran,
Of the door and gazed after her vanished
figure. The mountain air tapped my batl
robe around my bare ankles, my one
match burned TO the end and went out, and
stll ! stared, For had seen on her ex.
pressive face a haunting look that was
horror, nothing less. Heaven knows. am
not psychological. Emotions have to be
written large before l can read them. But
a woman in trouble always appeals to me.
and this woman was more than that. She
was In deadly fear.
II / had not been afraid Of being ridicu-
lous, 1 would have followed her. But ]
faEoied that the apparltion Of a man IN =