Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-03-25
CHAPTER XII.
The Needle In the Haystack.

alysis of ingenuity. Marjorie, for lack
of anything better to do, was absent
mindedly twisting Snoozleum's ears
while he, that pocket abridgment OF q
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
off. The new ring attracted his spe'
ciaI jealousy. He was growing dis
couraged st the fll-success or his i'm.
personatIon of a wolf and detected
at being so crassly ignored, when he
suddenly became. IN his turn. center
Of interest.
Marjorie was awakened from her
trance OF inanition by the porter 8
voice. His plantation voice was or
dinarily as thick and sweet as his own
New Orleans sorghum, but now it had
q 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 it, and turned for confirmation
to the dog himself, aren't you,
Snoozleums?"
Well" the porter drawled. trying
to be gracious with his great power,
1.-The rules don't low no live stock 10
tue sleepin' cars, 'ceptin humans"
Marjorie rewarded his condescen.
sion with a 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: # don't care. | won't be
separated from my Snoo2eums."
She looked to Mallory for support,
but be was 100 sorely 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 [ am. He th'owed a
couple of dogs out the window trip
befo' last"
The brute!"
"Oh, yassum, he is 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 q lovely baggage-smash-
En-"
Are you sure he's nice man."
"Oh, yassum, he's death on trunks.
but he's q natural born angel to
dogs" T.
Well, If l must. I must" she
sobbed. Poor little Snoozleums! Can
he come back and see me tomorrow"
Marjorie's tears were splashing on
the puzzled dog, who nestled close,
with foreboding of disaster.
Il reckon p'haps you'd better visit
him"
Poor dear little SnooZteums-good
night, my little darling. Poor little
child-it's the first night he's slept
all by his little lonesome, and"
The porter was growing desperate.
He clapped his hands together I'M
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
troubies-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.
Il must find clergyman" he whis-
pered. I'll be back the minute l find
one, and I'll bring him with me-"
The porter thought he wanted the
dog back, and quickened his pace till
he reached the corridor, where NAL
lory overlook him and asked, in an
effort at casual Indifference, II he had
seen anything OF clergyman on
board.
Amt seen nothin' that even looks
like one." said the porter. Then he
FASTENED ahead to the baggage car
with the squirming Snoozleums, While
Mallory followed slowly, going from
seat to seat and car to car, subjecting
all the males to al INSPECTION that