Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1880-03-18
@@iseellzneons. 3
The Box Tunnel.
BY CHARLES READE.


The l0l5 train glided from Paddington,
Nav :, 1917. In the left compartment of a
certain tirst-class carriage were four passen-
gers; one of the two was worth description.
The lady had a smooth. white, delicate brow,
strongly marked eyebrows. long lashes. eyes
that seemed TO change color and a good
sized. delicious mouth. with teeth as white
a. milk. A man could not see her nose for
her ewes and mouth her own sex could and
would have told US some nonsense about IL.
She wore an unpretending grayish dress,
buitoned TO the top with lozenge shaped but
tons and a Scottish shawl that agresably
eyaded color. She vas like a duck, so tight
her plain feathers fitted her. and there she
sat. smooth. snug. and delicious, with book
in her hand, and a soupcon of her wrist lust
visible as she held it. Her opposite neigh
Dor was what called good style of man
the more TO his credit, since he belonged 10
a corporation that frequently turns out the
worst imaginable Young men. He was a
cavalry officer. aged twenty FIVE. lie had a
mustache, bu, not very repulsiye one not
one of those sub-nasal pigtails on which
soup is suspended like dew on a shrub IT
was short, and black as coal His teeth
had not Vet been turned BY tobacco smoke
to the color Of juice, his clothes did not stick
10 nor hang TO him; he had an engaging
smile. and. Wha, liked the dog for, his van
ity. which was inordinate, was in its proper
place. his heart. not in his face. jostling mine
and other peoples who have none--in a
word, he was what one oftener hears of than
mee;s-a Young gentleman. He was con-
versing in an animated whisper with COM
panion, fellow officer; they were talking
about what it is far better not to-woman.
Our friend clearly did not wish to be over
heard for he cast ever and anon u fur;ive
glance at his fair ris a ris and lowered his
voice. She seemed completely absorbed in
her book, and that reassured him. At last
the two soldiers came down to a whisper,
tthe truth must be told.l The one who got
down al Slough. and was lost to posterity,
bet ten pounds to three, tha, he who was
going with us TO Bath and Immortality would
not kiss either Of the ladies on the road.
Done, done" Now, am sorry, man |
have hitherto praised, should have lent him.
self, even in a 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 tempta,ion-,en to
three.
After Slough the party was reduced to
three; at Twyford one lady dropped her
handkerchief; Captain Doligan fell on i,
like lamb; two or three words were inter-
changed on this occasion. At reading the
Marlborough of our tale made one of the
same investments of that day he bought a
Times and Punch, the latter full of steel
pens, thrusts and wood cuts. Valor and
beauty deigned to laugh at some infamed
humbug or other punctured BY Punch Now
laughing together thaws our human ice at
Swindon it was a talking match-at Swindon
who so devoted as Captain Doligan? He
handed them out-he souped them-he
tough chickened them-he branded and CO.
chinealed one, and he branded and burnt
sugared the other On their return to the
carriage, one lady passed into the inner com
partment to inspect a certain gentleman's
seat on that side of the line.
Reader, had it been YOU or l, the beaut,
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. when il
escapes from our hand, revolve it ever &C
often, alight face downward on the carpet
But this was a bit of fop. Adonis, dra.
goon-so Venus remained in tete a tete with
him. You have seen a cat conscious of ap.
preaching cream-such was Miss Hawthorn
she became demurrer and demurrer present.,
our Captain looked out of the window anc
laughed; this elected an inquiring look from
Miss Haythorn.
"We are only mile from the Box Tun
nel."
'.Do you always laugh a mile from thu
Box Tunnel ?" said the lady.
"Invariably."
"What for?"
why, hem tits gentlemanr joke.
Captain Doligan then recounted to Mis-,
Haythorn the following:
"A lady and her husband sat together 60
ing through the Box Tunnel-there was on,
gentleman opposite; it was pitch dark aftel
the tunnel the lady said:
George, how absurd you are to salute m.
going through the tunnel"
II did no such thing"
"You didn't?"
NO! Why?"
Because somehow thought you did"
Here Captain Doligan laughed and en-
deavored to lead his companion to laugh
but it was not to be done. The train entered
the tunnel, and Miss Haythorn said
"Ah,"
'Pray do not be alarmed; am near you,
moving to her side.
''You are near me-very near me, indeed
Captain Doligan."
"You know my name ?"
Il heard you mention it. wish we wer'
out of this dark tunnel"
II could be contented to spend hours here
reassuring you, my dear LADY,"