The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-06
CHAPTER XII.

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The Needle In tho Haystack.
The almost-married couple sat long
IN mutual terror and a common par
alysis OF ingenuity. Marjorie, for lack
OF anything better to do. was absent.
mindedly twisting Snoozleum's ears.
while he, that pocket abridgment of a
dog, In well meaning effort to d.
vert her from her evident grief, made
a great pretense of ferocity, growing
and threatening to bite her fingers
on. The new ring attracted his spe-
cial jealousy. He was growing dis
couraged at the ill-success or his I'M
personation of wolf, and detected
at being 80 crassly ignored, when he
suddenly became, In his turn. a center
Of interest.
Marjorie was awakened from her
trance Of inanition by the porter's
voice. His plantation voice was or
dinarily as thick and sweet as his own
New Orleans sorghum, but now it had
bitterness that Curdled the blood.
"'Scuse me. but how did you-all git
that theah dog In this heah cah?"
"Snoozleums Is always with me-"
said Marjorie briskly, as II that set
tied 1t, and turned for confirmation
to the dog himself. aren't you,
Snoozleums?"
WELL" the porter drawled, trying
to be gracious with his great power,
the sleepin' cars, 'ceptfn' humans
Marjorie rewarded his condescen-
sion with q blunt: 'Snoozleums Is
more human than you are" >
II p'sume he is" the porter ad..
mitted. "but he can't make up berths.
Anyway, the rules says dogs goes
with the baggage"
Marjorie swept rules aside with a
defiant: II don't care. 1 won't be
separated from my Snoozleums."
She looked to Mallory for support,
but he was too sCrely troubled with
greater anxieties to be capable OF any
action.
The porter tried persuasion: You
BETA lemme take him, the conducta
is wuss'n what l am. He th'owec q
couple Of dogs out the window tr1p
befo' last"
THE brute!"
"Oh. yassum, he is a regular brute.
He just loves to hear m splosh when
they light"
Noting the shiver that shook the
girl, the porter offered a bit of con-
ISOLATION:
Better lemme have the pore little
thing up in the baggage cab. He'll be
IN charge OF lovely baggagesmash.
err"
Are you sure he's nice man."
"Oh. yassum, he's death on trunks,
but he's a natural born angel to
dogs"
Well. If must, l must" she
sobbed. Poor little Snoozleums! Can
he come back and see me tomorrow
Msr1orie's tears were splashing on
the puzzled dog, who nestled close,
with a foreboding of disaster.
II reckon p'haps you'd better visit
him.
Poor dear little Snoozleums-good
night, my little darling. Poor little
chiid-it's the first night he's slept
all by his little lonesome, and"
The porter was growing desperate.
He clapped his hands together inn
patiently and urged: Il think | hear
that conducta comm"
The ruse succeeded. Marjorie fair.
ly forced the dog on him. Quick
hide him-hurry!" she gasped, and
sank on the seat completely crushed.
I'll be so lonesome without Snoozle-
ums."
Mallory felt called upon to remind
her OF his presence. lin here,
Marjorie" She looked at him Just
once-at him, the source of all her
troubles-buried her head In her
arms, and resumed her grief Mallory
stared at her helplessly. then rose
and bent over to whisper:
I'm going to look through the
train"
"Oh, don't leave me-" she pleaded,
clinging to him with a dependence
that restored his respect.
II must flnd a clergyman" he whis.