Mexico weekly ledger., 1879-02-27
THE BOX TUNNEL,
BY CHARLES READE,

were lour pa<2SSengerS OF these tw
were worth description. The lady had
a smooth, white, delicate brow, strong
ly marked eyebrows, long lashes, eyes
that seemed to change color, and a
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 unpretending grayish
dress, butioned to the throat with
lozenge shaped buttons, and a Sect
tish shawl that agreeably eyaded col
or. 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 a soup
con of her wrist just visible as she
held it. Her opposite nelghbor was
what call good style of man-the
more to his credit since he belonged
to a corporation that frequently turns
out the worst imaginable style OF
young men. He was cavalry officer,
aged 20. He had a moustache, but
not very repulsive one not one of
those subnasal pigtais on which soup
is suspended like dew on q shrub; it
was short, thick and black as coal .
His teeth had not yet been turned bv
tobacco smoke to the color of tobacco
Juice, his clothes did not stick nor
hang to him; he 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 face, justlIng mine and other peo-
| pies who have nOne--in word he
was what one oftener hears of than
meets-a young gentleman. He was
conversing in an animated whisper
with a companion, fellow officer
they were talking about what it is far
better not to-women. Our friend
clearly did not wish to be overheard !;
for he cast ever and anon furtive
glance at has fair vis-a-vis and lower
ed his voice. She seemed completely
absorbed in her book, and that reas-
sured him. At last the two soldiers
came down to a whisper (the truth
must be tOld), the one who got down
at Slough, and was lost to posterity,
bet flo to f3 that he who was going
down with us to Bath and immortality
would not kiss either of the ladies op-
! posite on the road. "Done, done i"
Now l am sorry a man l have mther-
to praised should have lent himself
even i'll whisper to such a specula-
ton; ''but nobody is wise ut 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 reduc-
ed to.three; at Twylford one lady
dropped her handkerchief; Captain
DoIignan fell on it like lamb; two
or three words were interchanged on
this occasion. AT reading the Marl-
borough of our tale made one of the
safe investments of that day--he
bought Times and Punch; the lat
ter full of steel pen thrusts and cuts.
Nalor and beauty deigned to laugh
at some highly inilamed humbug or
orther punctured by Punch. Now
laughing together thaws our human
ice-at Swindon it was talking
matcll-at SwiDdon who so devoted
as Captain Dolignan?-he handed
them out-he souped them-he tough
chickened them--he branded and
cochinealed one, and he branded
and burnt-sugared the other on their
return to the carriage, one lady pass
ed into the inner compartment to in
spect II certain gentleman's seat on
that side of the line.
Reader, had it been you or /, the
beauty would have been the deserter,
the average one would have stayed
with us till all was blue, ourselves in
cluded. Not more surely does our
slice of bread and butter, when it
escapes from our hand, Ievolve it
ever SO often, alight face downward
on the carpet. But this was bit of a
tOp, AdOnls, dragoon-so Venus re-
manned in tete-a-tete with him. You
have seen dog meet an unknown
female of his species-how handsome,
how empresse, how expressive he be-
comes. Such was Dolignan after
Swindon, and to do the dog justice,
he got handsomer and handsomer.
And you have seen cat conscious OF
approaching cream-such was Miss
Haytholn; she became demurrer.
Presently our captain looked out of
the window and laughed. This elicit
ed an inquiring look from Miss Hay
thorn.
"We are only mile from the Box
Tunnel"
''Do you always laugh a mile from
the Box Tunnel" said the lady.
''Invariably."
''What for?"
"Why, hem! it is gentleman's
joke"
Captain Dolignan then recounted
to Miss Haythorn the following:
"a lady and her husband sat to-
gether gong through the Box Tunnel
there was one gentleman opposite;
it was pitch dark; after the tunnel
the lady said, George, how absurd
of you to salute me going through
the tunnel i did no such thing
sYou didn't?' NO! why?' Because
somehow / thought you did?"
Here Captain Dolignan laughed
and endeavCred to lead his compan-
ion to laugh, but it was not to be
done. The train entered the tunnel.
Miss Haythorn-Ah!
Dolignan-What is the matter?
Miss Haythorn-I am frightened
Dolignan (moving to her side)-l
Pray do not be alarmed; am near
you.
Miss Haythorn-You are near me
very near me, indeed, Captain Dol
ignan.
Dolignan-You know my name?
Miss Haythorn-I heard you men
ton it 1 wish we we're out OF this
dark place.
DoligLan-I could be content to
spend hours here, reassuring you,
nv dear lsdy.