The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-01-05
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n n A TRYING ORDEAL f.
BY RAY euRNHAM.
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one side, but / held my place.
Everything gone but section elev-
I en- the ticket seller had said.
"PlI take lower berth eleven, them
j. b. Cole" | spoke quickly.
It was thcre that the burly scoundrel
who had jostled me stepped on my
foot.
sort of clumsy, aren't you?' lie
gruRtod. "Hey-upper eleyep,"
grodned. He gave me n stare.
: picked up my sotchel and started for
lie train. The thoughts of having the
bungIesomc chur for a companion de-
pressed me.
He came stamping into the train lust
as ] had got comfortably disposed, fac
ing the front of the car
sit over he said friendly enough,
and crowded me again the window.
"4ial,es me sick to ride backwards"
Tic fellow was a giont and must
have weighed two hundred and eighty
pounds. TO make it worse he was a
vrigeling, Uneasy thing.
Hard work for me to sleep on a
train, as 1t is" he said. Upper berth
--yAh How will ever get up there."
"Hhere is a ladder" l observed
curly.
And it's narrow and shallow. Recll-
on III draw the curtain and sit up,
hey? Anyhow, till midnight-what
say?'
Il thjnk III take a smoke l said,
and arose.
had to fairly Gambler over that
moEnyaln of flesh. got over one knee
e the sprawled-Dut monster. There l
stuck. He had to help me over the
second knee. l reached the smoking
compartment flustered. A perfect ci-
gar Gained and soothed me, once away
from that sprawing lurchlng absurd
ity. l thought Of Isora, and life be-
came sweet again. ! was going TO
Springfield to marry Isora. The we'd
ding was to be the next afternoon.
For Isora's dear sake !" / whispered
to myself IN be humanitarian-ayc
charitnblew l went back TO the sec
tion. ! took the other seat, smiled,
tried to be jolly.
"I.0ok here" proposed to the bulky
bundle Of humanity opposite men
don't you think you would be moro
comfortable in the lower berth than
On the narrow upper one|
Don't 1 think it?' shouted my COM
panion. Don't l know it!"
'NFell, ] will exchange with YOU"
stated with impressive courtesy. at
will be more comfortable"
Huh z growled be. "More comfort
uble-surest thing you know. Thun-
der! !"
The upper berth was a relief to me
tas finally piled into it. | settled my
self down for sleep.
+ Z-zz-zzz-Roh-grr-R proboscls
and throat gave ont a swanging, dis
tOrted mixture of nasal notes and gut
terals. Hour after hour ! tossed to
resonant snoring Chorus.
When | clambered down from my
aerial perch 1t was broad daylight. I
had searched for my cigar case first
thing, cherishing my usual ante-break-
fast smoke, and could not discover it.
/ found the lower berth vacant, poled
around did not come across the case,
and wondered if l had not left it in
the smoking compartment the evening
previous. Thlther / went. Sprawlcd
in the biggest easy chair complacently
ipuffing at the last half of Il cigar, was
the human mammoth.
"Yours?r he hailed, extending my
cigar case-empty! "Fancied So
found it on the car window Rare
Weeds-Ought to know. l smoked all
three"
Thanks" 1 said sarcastically, and
pocketed the case.
1t was raining when we reached
Springfield. That horrible giant was
at my side as l went to the edge of
the depot platform. where a solitary
One-seated automobile stood. ] hailed
its driver.
"Take me to-" And ! gave num-
Der and street, designating the home
of my fiancee.
Hold on-that's my way, tooF' !
blundered in my evil genius.
hOUHl luL Ouc OhiSs tAlidihCu l4l@
chauffeur,
Nonsense" uttered the fog-horn
voice. 81 can crowd in between YOU"
and / shrank and shuddered as he sat
half way over me. The machine start.
ed up.
'"This will do for me-" observed my
as the automobile halted
In front of the home of my beloved. .
he picked up his satchel aud pro.
ceded up the steps, leaving me to pay
tho chaaffeur. He rang the door bell
rs ] reached his side I heard eager
tones beyond tie portal. The door
0neaod-IsOra.
"Oh Julian,a She cried, and was
about to throw her arms about me
when she observed my companion.
"Nvhv, brotherw she exclaimed, u
thought you wasn't coming"
"It's me--changed my mind" called
out the giant.
IL hope you haven't come to--tc
object" faltered Isora anxiously.
"why. yes, | have" declared nay
brother-in-law.
And then he grinned at me. he
,,ot-oa NO IN rho rihc nIaVfflllv he