SNOOP ON THE TRAIN
"I'm glad Dinah looks nice," Flossie whispered to her mother, when she
saw how beautiful the parlor car was. "And isn't Freddie good?" the
little girl remarked anxiously, as if fearing her brother might forget
his best manners in such a grand place.
Freddie and Bert sat near their father on the big soft revolving chairs
in the Pullman car, while Nan and Flossie occupied the sofa at the end
near their mother. Dinah sat up straight and dignified, and, as Flossie
said, really looked nice, in her very clean white waist and her soft
black skirt. On her carefully parted hair she wore a neat little black
turban. Bert always laughed at the number of "parts" Dinah made in her
kinky hair, and declared that she ought to be a civil engineer, she
could draw such splendid maps even on the back of her head.
The grandeur of the parlor car almost overcame Freddie, but he clung to
Snoop in the pasteboard box and positively refused to let the kitten go
into the baggage car. Dinah's lunch basket was so neatly done up the
porter carried it very carefully to her seat when she entered the
train, although lunch baskets are not often taken in as "Pullman car
baggage."
"I'm going to let Snoop out!" whispered Freddie suddenly, and before
anyone had a chance to stop him, the little black kitten jumped out of
the box, and perched himself on the window sill to look out at the
fine scenery.
"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs. Bobbsey, "the porter will put him off the train!"
and she tried to catch the now happy little Snoop.
"No, he won't," Mr. Bobbsey assured her. "I will watch out for that."
"Here, Snoop," coaxed Nan, also alarmed. "Come, Snoop!"
But the kitten had been captive long enough to appreciate his liberty
now, and so refused to be coaxed. Flossie came down between the velvet
chairs very cautiously, but as soon as Snoop saw her arm stretch out
for him, he just walked over the back of the highest seat and down into
the lap of a sleeping lady!
"Oh, mercy me!" screamed the lady, as she awoke with Snoop's tail
whisking over her face. "Goodness, gracious! what is that?" and before
she had fully recovered from the shock she actually jumped up on the
chair, like the funny pictures of a woman and a mouse.
The people around could not help laughing, but Freddie and the other
Bobbseys were frightened.
"Oh, will they kill Snoop now?" Freddie almost cried. "Dinah, please
help me get him!"
By this time the much scared lady had found out it was only a little
kitten, and feeling very foolish she sat down and coaxed Snoop into her
lap again. Mr. Bobbsey hurried to apologize.
"We'll have to put him back in the box," Mr. Bobbsey declared, but that
was easier said than done, for no sooner would one of the Bobbseys
approach the cat than Snoop would walk himself off. And not on the
floor either, but up and down the velvet chairs, and in and out under
the passengers' arms. Strange to say, not one of the people minded it,
but all petted Snoop until, as Bert said, "He owned the car."
"Dat cat am de worst!" Dinah exclaimed. "'Pears like it was so stuck up
an' fine dar ain't no place in dis 'yere Pullin' car good 'nough fer
him."
"Oh, the porter! the porter!" Bert cried. "He'll surely throw Snoop out
of the window."
"Snoop! Snoop!" the whole family called in chorus, but Snoop saw the
porter himself and made up his mind the right thing to do under the
circumstances would be to make friends.
"Cat?" exclaimed the good-looking colored man. "Scat! Well, I declare!
What you think of that?"
Freddie felt as if he were going to die, he was so scared, and
Flossie's tears ran down her cheeks.
"Will he eat him?" Freddie blubbered, thinking of some queer stories he
had heard like that. Mr. Bobbsey, too, was a little alarmed and hurried
to reach Snoop.
The porter stooped to catch the offending kitten, while Snoop walked
right up to him, sniffed his uniform, and stepped upon the outstretched
black hand.
"Well, you is a nice little kitten," the porter admitted, fondling
Snoop in spite of orders.
"Oh, please, Mr. Porter, give me my cat!" cried Freddie, breaking away
from all restraint and reaching Snoop.
"Yours, is it? Well, I don't blame you, boy, for bringing dat cat
along. An' say," and the porter leaned down to the frightened Freddie,
"it's against orders, but I'd jest like to take dis yer kitten back in
de kitchen and treat him, for he's--he's a star!" and he fondled Snoop
closer.
"But I didn't know it was wrong, and I'll put him right back in the
box," Freddie whimpered, not quite understanding the porter's intention.
"Well, say, son!" the porter exclaimed as Mr. Bobbsey came up. "What do
you say if you papa let you come back in de kitchen wid me? Den you can
jest see how I treat de kitty-cat!"
So Freddie started off after the porter, who proudly carried Snoop,
while Mr. Bobbsey brought up the rear. Everybody along the aisle wanted
to pet Snoop, who, from being a little stowaway was now the hero of the
occasion. More than once Freddie stumbled against the side of the big
seats as the cars swung along like a reckless automobile, but each time
his father caught him by the blouse and set him on his feet again,
until at last, after passing through the big dining car, the kitchen
was reached.
"What you got dar? Somethin' fer soup?" laughed the good-natured cook,
who was really fond of cats and wouldn't harm one for the world.
Soon the situation was explained, and as the porters and others
gathered around in admiration, Snoop drank soup like a gentleman, and
then took two courses, one of fish and one of meat, in splendid
traveler fashion.
"Dat's de way to drink soup on a fast train," laughed the porter. "You
makes sure of it dat way, and saves your clothes. Ha! ha! ha!" he
laughed, remembering how many men have to have their good clothes
cleaned of soup after a dinner on a fast train. Reluctantly the men
gave Snoop back to Freddie, who, this time, to make sure of no further
adventures, put the popular black kitten in his box in spite of
protests from the admiring passengers.
"You have missed so much of the beautiful scenery," Nan told Freddie
and her father when they joined the party again. "Just see those
mountains over there," and then they sat at the broad windows gazing
for a long time at the grand scenery as it seemed to rush by.