The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-30
THE BOX TUNNEL.
BY CHARLES READE.

The 1915 train gllded from Padding
ton, May Z, 1S47. In the left compart-
ment Of certain first-Ciass carriage were
four passengers; Of these two were worth
description. The lady had Il smooth,
white, delicate brow, strongly marked
eyebrows, long lashcs, eyes mat seeIi9t'
to change color, and good-slZed, uet!-
cious mouth. with teeth as white as mix
\ man could not see her nose Tor her eyes
and mouth; her own sex could and would
have told Us some nonsense about 1t. she
wore an unpretcnding grayish dress, but
toned to the throat with IoZenge-shapcd
buttons, and a Scottish shawl that agreea-
blv cvaded color. She was like duck,
SO tight her plain feathers fitted her, and
there she sat, smooth, snug and dehciouS
with a book in her hand, and a sOupcon
OF her wrist just visible as she held 1t.
Her opposite neighbor was what | call
good stvlc OF man-the more to his crealt
since he belonged to a corporation that
frequently turns out the worst Imaginable
stvle of Young men. He was a cavalry
officer, aged %. He had moustache,
but not a very rcpusivc one; not one OF
those subnasal pigtails on which soup Is
suspended like dew on a shrub; it was
short. thick and black as coal. His teeth
had not vet been turned by tobacco smoke
to the color of tobacco juice, his clothes
did not stick nor hang to him; he had an
engaging smile, and, what l liked the
dog for, his vanity, which was inordinate,
was in its proper place, his heart, not III
his face, iustling mine and other peoples
who have none-in a word he was what
one oftener hears of than meets-a young
gentleman. He was conyersing in an an
imated whisper with a companion, lcl-
low officer; they were talking about what
it is far better not to-women. Our
friend clearly did not wish to be over
! heard: for he cast ever and anon furtive
! plance at his fair vis-a-vis and lowered
| his voice. She seemed completely alb
/ sorbed in her book, and that reassured
! him. At last the two soldiers came down
to whisper (the truth must be todd, the
| one who got down at Slough, and was lost
/ To nosteritv, bet $40 to G3 that he who
was going down with us to Bath and i'm
mortality would not kiss either OF the Ia
1 dies opposite on the road Ozone, done,'
! Now | am sorry q man | have hitherto
! praised should have lent himself even IN 4
whisper to such Speculaton; "but no.
body 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 Twyllord one lady dropped her
! handkerchief; Captain Dolignan fell on
+ il like a lamb; two or three words were
! interchanged on this occasion. At Read
4 inc the Marlborough OF our tale made one
! Of the safe investments of that day-hc
/ bought a Times and Punch; the latter
/ full OF steel pen thrusts and wood-cuts.
Va!or and beauty deigned 10 laugh al
/ some highly infiamed humbug or other
punctured by Punch. Now laughing to
nether thaws our human ice-at Swindon
! it was a talking match-at Swindon who
so devoted ms Captain Dohgnan .-he
handed them out--he soaped them-he
touch-chickoned them-he branded and
/ cochinealci one, and he branded and
burnt-sugared the other; on their return
10 the carriage, one lady passed into the
inner compartment to inspect certain
gentIcman's seat on that side of the line
Reader, had il been you or !, the beauty
would have been the deserter. the average
one would have stayed with Us till all was
blue, ourselves included. Not more surely
does our slice of bread and butter, wher
it escapes from our hand, revolve ii eveI
So often, alight face downward on the car
pet But this was a bit of fop, Adonis
drsgoon-soV Venus remained in ntete-a-tetI
with him. You have seen dog meet AZ
unknown female of his species-hoN
handsome, how esapresse, how expressive
he becomes. Such was Dolignan aftel
Swindon, and TO do the dog justice, hi
T got handsomer and handsomer. And yoJ
have seen a cat conscious of approaching
cream such was Miss Haythorn; she be