The Portland daily press., 1878-07-20
The Box Tunnel.
BY CHARLES READE.

The 10:15 train glided from Paddington,
May Z, 1S47. In the LETT compartment of a
certain first class carriage were four passen-
gers; of these two were worth description.
The lady had smooth, white, delicate brow: !:
strongly marked eyebrows; long lashes; eyes
that seemed to change color; and goodsized !,
delicious mouth, with teeth as white as milk.
A man could not see her nose fer her eyes
and mouth her own sex conld, and would
have told US some nonsense about it. She
wore an uDpretending grayish- dress, buttoned
to the throat with lozenges shaped buttons,
and Scottish shawl that agreeably eyaded
color. She was like duck, SO tight her plain
feathers fitted her, and there she sat, smooth,
snug and delicious, with book in her hand, !,
and soupeon of her wrist just visible as she
heldit. Her opposite neighbor was what I
call good style of mantle more to his
credit, since he belonged to a corporation
that frequently turns out the worst imagina-
BILE style Of young men. He was cavalry Of
ficer, aged twenty-five. He had moustache,
but not very repulsive one ; not one of those
subnasal pigtails on which soup is suspended
like dew on shrub; it was short, thick, and
black as coal. His teeth had not yet been
turned by tobacco smoke to the color of juice,
his clothes did not stick nor hang to him be
had an engaging smile, and, what liked the
dog for, his vanity, which was inordinate,
was in its proper place, his heart, not in his
race, Jostilng mine and other peoples who
nave none-ln word, ne was what one Of
tener hears of than meets-a young gentle.
man. He was conversing in an animated
whisper with companion, fellow officer !;
they were talking about what it is far better
not to-womeH. Our friend clearly did not
wish to be overheard; for he cast ever and
anon furtive glance at his fair vis.a-vis and
lowered his voice. She seemed completely
absorbed IN her book, and that reassured him.
AT last the two soldiers came down to whfs-
per tine trutn must De toldl, the one who
got down at Slough, and was lost to posterfty,
pet 4lO 70 20, tnat ne VINO was going down
with us TO Batn and immortality would not
Kiss either OF the ladies opposite us on the
road. "Done, doneF NOW l am sorry a
man have hitherto praised should have lent
himself even IN Whisper TO such specula-
tlons put NOBODY Is wise az all nours," not
even when the CLOCK Is striking hve and twen-
~; and you are TO consider his profession,
MS good looks, ana Inc temptaton-ten to
three.
AFTER Slougn Inc party was reduced to
tnlee az IWynord one iaoy cropped ner nand-
kercnlef; captain Dongnan iel on 1t like
lamp TWO OF tnree Wor9s were intercnanged
on tnls occasion. AZ heading Inc MarlDor-
ough OF our tale made one OF the safe invest
ments OF tnat Gay, ne pougnt Tunes and
Punch; the latter full OF stee-pen thrusts and
woodcuts. Valor and beauty deigned to laugh
-togsther at = some inaaWed hunbug or other
puncIuleu py. Iancn. NOW Iaugnlng togetner
.u,,'a .naMs our human Ice-at owindon IL was
Saiking MatGn-at ? ", ,noon VINO SO deVoted as
Oaptain Dong1an me nanded tnem out-ne
soupeo tnem-ne tougn,cnlcKeneo tnem-he
p!andied ana cocnlnealed one, and ne BRAN
oieo anu pufnl-sugareo tne otner on tneir re-
turn 10 the carriage, one lady passed into the
inner compartments 10 inspect certain gen.
tleman,s seat on that side OF the line.
Reader, mad II been you or l, the beauty
would have been the deserter, the average
one one wouia nave s5ayed WIN US .li all was
blue, ourselves lnciuded; not more surely
does our slice OF bread and butter, when it
escapes rom our nano, reyolve 1t ever so
But Inls was pit 0! Top, Adonls, dragoon
so venus remained IN tete-a-tete with him.
lou nave seen oog meet an unknown one
Oh nls species, now handsome, ooW enapresse,
now expressive ne becomes sucn was Doilg-s
nan alter owlndon, and 70 GO the dog justice,
ne got handsomer and handsomer; and you
nave seen cat conscious OF approaching
creaM-suca was MISS Haytnorn; sne De-
came demurrer and demurrer; presently our
Captain looked out OF the window and
laugnea, tnls eiicted an lnqulrlng look from
MISS Haytnorn:
we are only mile from the Box Tun-
nei.
10 you Always laugh nile from tne BOX
I9nnei! sala tne iaoy'
InvarlaDiy:
What for 7"
why, hem! it is gentleman's joke"
Captain Dolignan then recounted to Miss
Haythorn the following:
"a lady and her husband sat together go.
ing LQIOuQQ tl6 BOX luQQ6l-LloT6 was one
gentieman opposite, IL was Pitcn darK; a1ter
Tue tunnei .ne 3aoy said, 9eolge, now ab-
sulu " you W Sa'uto Ao goinS through Inc
s9ar,ee, ou ny s4cn sp sning. You
uluuIs aa No. WY Decause somehow
'ngIsnt you uiu' -,
s e,o oapta.n Donsnan laugned ana en-
Seaytleu sa " ~, 'ead !. hs companion pan 70 laugh,
pus tt Iva. ~ was no9 W We uone' LIS train entereo
'nS Nr;ss ;unuer. War,,,oAh,
11eJ; Io,;onaI5MMh.t ,~5 SnV T. a. .,.oro
HT;as Uan.,,o u"mh "' 70 .ns s.s. mat.ei.
I; mo,;,naTs 10y @saar;r. "M ~ iisn'eneu. s;saI
80 In aiaraa5 anao1tns w nel s"el uo
nov ~r;ss Io "IaaIu, MoutI, "1r neal you.
,onr ss nay ;adand C,.. are near me-Very
near ,ne, inoeeu, Captaln Dohgnan.
1,:al DoisnManLt sMi-; ou know my name1
MISS nayInorn-i neard you mentlon 1t.
WISH W. were out Oh tnis darK place.
Dohsnan-d a couu De content TO spend
NJ M.tIas -, ~ "o"A i"uy'
Mss aay aaytl0rn-Nonsense! yN
Uongnan-Iweep! lGraye reader, 40 no.
Pus your ups 70 , tn9 next pretty creature you
,esn mess VI S'u Will unuers'ano what Inls
ineans M;Hs sp.u.horn-ro,po,
MssS n5yWpat pay ySIUat :, tI,e o..o Ie.
Nf;ss UonthnrnSOno,, ns 70 Sno ,aes.e, tSo a. TO-.
doorI I' 10y '''oi oin-op'n 'ie ooof !open tne
1vTI Thsro mos sorrd of hrr,;oa u,,.a. a..
S. sounI ~ al nLiileu LIE. Wn,sPels, tne
;th hst;,e maS en, anu 'ne piinu puiied down
WIZ fanG nossue ar;.sa Sharpness. sl3ir
.;cu,sy ~ any c.islS ialis on me Ior putting mar
sUaa.e ,;sS sIunus M in uiaogue as ABOVE, an,
eve. rosant ma al T;. Sns iIsolence a can command
hicaar ,,arhons sT,oI' =. GO w as yourself,
5as an Pear, Ar;sto,nhnas Su"n as Pup @bopnoces, Euripe
iearnad Il 81 .hoi,, soro lucy oegan ~, anu
Miss Hsu+horn,s 0o,u sorssna anSo io.4 ,ny VIII "a.
effect becausa tho onn;na s.a9 rUS; 9S' Sn y, onS S
,,mrJor. atIo at tIo sa .no ens,ne Mnistea 4V.ooo
grief makes itself @ haor - ynhar a ano moo.tious
Between the tunnel snd %iT Rash aehi c@US onr uCu