The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1911-07-14

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 II seemed. was startling in
its suddenness, for although my ears
were painfully strained and awake,
] had heard no step outside. The next
instant the curtain hung limp again;
still without a sound. my disturber
had slipped away into the gloom and
darkness In frenzy Of wakefulness,
sat up. drew on a pair Of slippers and
fumbled for my bath robe.
From berth across, probably lower
ten, came that particularly aggravat-
ing snore which begins lightly, deli,
cately, family soprano, goes down the
scale 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 edge
OF the berth and hoped the snorer
would choke to death.
He had considerable vitality, how
ever; he withstood one shock after
another and survived to start again
with new vigor. In desperation
found some cigarettes and one match,
piled my blankets over my grip, and
drawing the curtains together as
though the berth were still occupied, 1
made my way to the vestibule of the
car.
was not clad for dress parade. Ia
1t because the male is so restricted to
gloom in his everyday attire that he
blossoms into gaudy colors in his pa
jamas and dressing gowns? 1t would
take Turk to feel at home before an
audience in my red and yellow bath
robe, 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 L; she gave
me a startled glance, wheeled and dis
appeared, with flash of two bronze
colored braids, into the next car.
Cigarette box in one hand, match
t. the other, leaned against the UNI
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
to the end and went out, and still
stared. For had seen on her express
sive face haunting look that was
horror, nothing less. Heaven knows,
am not psychological Emotions
have to be written large before can
read them. But a woman in trouble
always appeals to me, and this woman
was more than that. She was in dead.
IL fear
If I had not been afraid of being
ridiculous, would have followed her.
But fancied that the apparition of
man in red and yellow bath robe,
with an unkempt thatch of hair, walk
ing up to her and assuring her that
he would protect her would probably
put her into Mysteries. I had done
that once before, when burglars had
tried to break into the house, and had
startled the parlor maid into bed for
week. So / tried to assure myself
that had imagined the lady's distress
or caused 1t, perhaps-and to dis,
miss her from my mind. Perhaps she
was merely anxious about the un.
pleasant gentleman of the restaurant
l thought smugly that | could have
told her all about him: That he was
sleeping the sleep of the Just and the
intoxicated in berth that ought. by
all that was fair and right, to have
been mine, and that if were tied to
man who snored like that | should
nave him anaesthetized and soft pal
ate put where it would never again
nap like a loose sail in the wind,
We passed Harrisburg as / stood
there. 1t was starlight, and the great
crests of the Alleghanies had given
way to low hills. At intervals we
passed smudges of gray white, NO
doubt in daytime comfortable farms.
which Mcknight says is a good wav
OF putting it. the farms being lot
more comfortable than the people on
them
was growing drowsy; the woman
with the bronze hair and the Mortified
race was fading in retrospect. 1t was
colder, too, and turned with a shiyer
to so in.
As ! did so, bit of paper fiuttered
INTO the air and settled on my sleeve,
like butterfly on gorgeous red ana
yellow blossom. picked it up curl.
ousiy and glanced at It. 1t was mart
OF telegram that had been torn into
bits. - "
Ihere were only parts of four words
on the scrap. but 1t left me puzzIed
and thoughtful, 1t read: "--ower fen
car seVe- Lower ten, car seven"
was my berth-the one l had bought
and found pre-empted.
CTo BE coNTINUED.)
Farmer Boy Presidents.
Prof, w. ]. Spillman declares e..