The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-07-27
THE BOX TUNNEL.
BY CI[ARLES READE.

The 1915 train glided from Paddington,
May T, 1917. In the left compartment OF a
certain iirstclas, carriage were four passcn-
gers: of these two were worth description. The
lady had smooth, white delicate brow,
strongly marked eyebrows, long ashes, eyes
that seemed to change color and good-sized,
delicious mouth, with teeth as white as milk.
A man could not see her nose for her eyes and
mouth her own sex could and would have
told us some nonsense about It. She wore an
anpretending grayish dress, buttons, ana
Scottish shawl that agrceably evaded color. She
was like Il duck so tight her plain feathers fit
ted her and there she sat, smooth, snug and
delicious with book in her hand, and SOU
poon Of her wrist just visible as she held it..
Her opposite neighbor was what call good
style OF man--lhe more to his credit, since he
belonged to Il corporation that frequently turns
out the worst imaginable style Of young men.
He was a cavalry officer, aged 20. lie had a
nustachc, but not very repulsivc one; not
one of those subnasal pgtails on which soup
Is suspended like dew on shrub; it was short,
ahlck, and black rs IA coal IIlsi teeth had not
yet been turned by tobacco smoke to the color
Of Juice, his clothes did not stick to nor hang
70 him; he had an engaging smile, and, what
liked the dog for his vanity, which was IN
ordinate, was in the proper place, his heart, not
N his face, .jOstling mine and other peoples
who have nonc-in word, he was what one
Oftener hears of than meets-a young gentle
man. He was conversing in IN animated
whisper with "A companion, fellow officer;
they were talking about what it is far better
not to--womcn. Our friend clearly did not
wish to be overheard; for he cast ever and
anon a iurtiye glance nj his visa-vs and low
cred his voice. She seemed completely ab-
sorbed in her book, and that treasured him.
At last the two soldiers came down to wills
per (the truth must be told) the one who got
down to Slough and was lost to posterity, bet
ten pounds to three, that he who was going
down with us to Bath and Immortality would
not kiss either of the ladies opposite on the
road. Done, dOncw Now | am sorry man
Lhare hitherto praised should have lent him
self even in whisper, to such speculation
''but nobody is wise at all hours" not even
when the clock is striking five-and-twenty; and
you are to consider his profession, his good
looks, and the temptation-ten to three.
After Slough the party was reduced to three
at Twylford one lady dropped her handker-
chief; Captain Dolignan fell on IL like lamb
two or three words were interchanged on tins
occasion. At Reading the Marlborough OF
our tale made one of the safe investments OF
Ehat dav, he bought Times and Punch: the
latter full of steelpen thrusts aud woodculs
Major and beauty deigned to laugh at some
iafIamed humbug or otherpuncturcd by Punch
Now laughing together thaws our human ice
at Swindon it was a talking match-a'
Swindon who so devoted az Captain Dolignan
he handed them out-he souped them-ht
tpughchickened them-hc branded and coch
inealed one and he branded and burntsugarcd
she other on their return 10 the carriage, one
lady passed into the inner compartment TO in
in 1atnun'g nj that side an
eho line.
Reader, had it been you or |, the beauty
would have been the deserter, the average on,
gyould have stayed with US till all was blue
ourselves included: not more surely does oul
slice Of bread and butter, when IL escapes iron
our hand revOlve it ever so often, alight FACE
downward on the carpet But this was bi
Of iOp. AdonIs, dragoon-so Venus remained
in tete-a-tete with him. You have seen dog
meet an unknown female of his species, how
handsome how empresse, how expressive III
becomes; such was Dolignan after Swindon
and TO do the dog justice, he got handsome
and handsomer; and you have seen cat con
SciOus Of approaching cream-such was Nils
Haythorn; she became demurrer and demurrer
presently our captain looked out OF the WIN
dow and laughed; this elected an inquirin!
look from Mss Haythorn.
"We me now only a mile from the 30.
Tunnel"
"Do you always laugh mile from the Boz
Tunnelf" said the lady
-Invariably"
what forr'
~Why, heml il is gentleman's joke"
Captain Dolignan then IecOunted TO Mis-
Haythorn the following:
"A lady and her husband sat together goin
through the Box Tunnei-ihere was one gen
xlesaan OPPOSITE; il was pitch dark; after In
tunnel the lady said, George. how absurd o
you 20 salute me going through the tunnel
4 did no such thing You didntg NO
Why Because somehow l imagined yo
djdrr