The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1916-02-11
4 Conductors Story.

Yes. the crowds are letting VI
now. remarked the Pullman conduc-
tor On the through train, with q sigh
Of relief. THE warm fall has kept
us hustling pretty late this year and
we've been running full every day.
Folks sort OF hate to leave their
summer homes when it's the incest
part Of the year. Being conductor on
the Pullman takes lot OF work be-
fore everybody Is satisfied. There was
one woman who was regular tartar
on my last full trip and / must say I
didn't blame her a mite"
Things went wrong, did theyf"
Did they? Well, / guess. In the
first place, you would have to see her
IN order to appreciate what 1t must
have meant to her. She was one OF
these dowager duchess women, the
kind that are used to commanding
the whole world and making the
world like 1t. You knowi
She was escorted to the train at
New York by swell with n high hat
and a cane, who seemed to be her
son, and they were much annoyed in
quiet sort of way because she had
To take a section instead OF a draw
Ing-room. I was sorry that we had no
better accommodations, but 1t was
rather late to give her anything else.
running full as we we're, so she set
tied down to make the best OF it.
When I came through she was sitting
reading hlgh-class magazine and =
bunch of those purple flowers that
are 50 swell lay on the opposite seat.
Say. she looked like queen running
away from the war"
You should have felt honored."
oh. sure | did. However. she kept
me busy from the start In the first
place. the porter and wired for her
maid to meet her. and then we fetch
ed and carried for her all the after
noon. Along toward evening We had
Just got peacefully settled when she
rang for the porter and sent him af-
ter me. was sorting tickets, but
stuck them away and went My land.
i Has something fiercel"
= draft on the back OF her neck 80
Worse than that" chuckled the
conductor. AT one OF the way sta.
lions . woman had come aboard with
four tiny children--all OF them tired
ana some Of them frightened 20 death
and they had settled themselves in
The section opposite my dowager
duchess.
Every one OF those kids was Yell
Ing 10 beat the band and they we're
al babies with good, healthy lungs
The noise was something Gercel ny
ladY wished the racket 20 cease, Just
as II could do IL, but ] wasn't any
expert on anieting babies though I've
E0t Two Of my own. There didn't
Heem IN be anything to do. The poor
little mother was working hard her
self kind Of scared. guess, for fear
ID PM her OF the train or something
And nothing she could do would
make those Kids quiet down. Most
Of the passengers on the car we're
men. and they slid out 10 the amok-
e. but there did not seem 10 be any
place for tho LADY to get away 10. !
tod her that the best thing / could
do sas 10 get her a berth on a sleep.
IT TIM Nnid take on at o'clock and
then ! skipped back to nay ticket
sorting.
L took ! LOT of wiring aroand and
4 good hours work TO sccuro berth
on thai extra Pullman we were 10
take IN. but finally | got IT, The
nafter brought me news from the
front from time To time and | knew
tH1zs youngsters weTe stili yelling
aud the duuager was complaining
thu she uaa going clean crazy In
about ne minutes. The porter aaId
the IiItis mother had one child iyinn
IN one geal aud two others on the
ofher. While she sat between on \
.#uIiaaae aud held the baby In her
arm. lie said once that she was
irving herself. Kind OF softlike and
nIIIInl. aud that the dowRKed duchess
Nas Jul anorting. and signing b.
turns II sas = most unhoiy mesa. :
She must have been glad 10 learn
IhaI she could move out"
The conductor laughed
! vent back he continued grim
ming. after dreading 10 hear all that
noise again. And ! could hardly be
IleYe NJ EYES nt what saw. The
doHaKer duchess was sitting holding
he IInIest baby I'm her arms fast
asleep. and on the seat opposite the
10 middle children we're pulling her
purple flowers apart with EigElea.
The oldest child was looking at the
pictures In the high-clasH magazine.
and the little mother was sleeping
With her head against the pillow
thai the porter had brought
The dowager duchess frowned n
me- because ! spoke too loud when I
told her that I had n section In the
other car for her.
.seetionf she says TO me sur
prlaed. Why. I don't want a sec
ton. can't move. she says. I've
got 10 take care OF these children and
lei that poor soul rest, she says
Say. what do you know about
that7a