Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1911-07-20
CHAPTER III.
Across the Aisle.

No solution Offering itself, l went
back to my berth. The snorer across
had apparently strangled, or turned
over, and so after a time l dropped
asleep. to be awakened by the morn
ing sunlight across my face.
l felt for my watch. yawning pro
digiously. I reached under the pillow
and failed to find it, but something
scratched the back of my hand. / sat
up irritably and nursed the wound,
which was bleeding little. Still
drowsy, I felt more cautiously for
what / supposed had been my scarf
pin, but there was nothing there.
Wide awake now, I reached for my
travelling bag, on the chance that
had put my watch in there. / had
drawn the satchel to me and had my
hand on the lock before i realized
that it was not my own!
Mine was of alligator hide / had
killed the beast in Florida, after the
expenditure of enough money to have
bought house and enough energy to
have built one. The bag l held in my
hand was a black one, sealskin, l
think. The staggering thought Of
what the loss of my bag meant to me
put my finger on the bell and kept 1t
there until the porter came.
Did you ring, sir?" he asked, pok-
ing his head through the curtains OBJ
sequiously. Mcknight objects that
nobody can poke his head drought
a curtain and be obsequious. But Pull
man porforo ran and do
NO" / snapped 1T rang itself.
What in thunder do you mean by ex-
changing my valise for this one?
You'll have to find it if you waken the
entire car to do it. There are impor-
tant papers in that grip"
Porter" called a feminine voice
from an upper berth near by. Porter,
am / to bangle here all day."
Let her dangle." said savagely.
You find that bag of mine"
The porter frowned Then he
looked at me with injured dignity. Il
brought in your overcoat, sir. You
carried your own valise."
The fellow was right In an excess
of caution | had refused to relinquish
my alligator bag, and had turned over
my other traps to the porter. It was
clear enough then. l was simply a
victim of the usual sleeping car rob
berry. / was in a lather of perspira
ton by that time: The lady down the
car was still dangling and talking
about It; still nearer a feminine voice
was giving quick orders in French
presumably to a maid The porter
was on his knees. looking under the
berth
Not there, SIR" he said, busting his
knees. He was visibly more cheerful
having been absolyed of responsible
ty. Reckon it was taken while yol
was wanderin' around the car las
night"
I'll give you $50 if you find ii"
said "A hundred. Reach up m,
shoes and III"
l stopped abruptly. My eyes wer'
fixed IN stupefied amazement on Z
coat that hung from a hook at tn
foot of my berth. From the coat the.
travelled, dazed, to the soft-bosome'
shirt beside it, and from there to tn
collar and cravat in the net hammocl
across the windows.
"A hundred" the porter repeated
showing his teeth. But l caught hin
by the arm and pointed to the foot
the berth.
'What-what color's that coat?"
asked unsteadily.
Gray. sir" His tone was one Q
gentle reproof
"And-the trousers?"
He reached over and held up on
creased leg. Gray. too" he grinnet
Gray" could not believe even hi
confederation of my own eyes. "Bu
my clothes were bluei" The porte
was amused; he Owed under the cul
tains and brought up a pair Of shoel
Your shoes, sir" he said with
flourish Reckon you've been dream
ing. sir"
Now. there are two things / Away
avoid IN my dress-possibly an Idle
syncracy OF my bachelor existence
These tabooed articles are red necl
ties aud tan shoes. And not only wer
the shoes the porter lifted from III
floor of a gorgeous shade Of yellow
but the scarf which was run throug
the turned over collar was a gaud
red II took a fun minute for the res
import o. things to penetrate N
aazed intelligence. Then / gave
vindlctive kick at the offending Ell
semble
They're not mine. any Of them"
snaried They are some other fe
l...--. IN alt here until I tale ror