Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-01-12
THE BOX TUNNEL.
BY CHARLES READE.

Inc lady had a smooth, white, delicate brow,
strongly marked eyebrows, long lashes eyes
that seemed 10 change color, and a good-sized
uehctous mouth, with teeth as white as milk.
man could not see her nose for her eyes and
NOUN; her own sex could and would have told
Us some nonsense about it. She wore an IN
pretending grayish dress buttOned to the throat
With'IOZenge shaped buttons and Scottish
shawl that agreeably evaded color. She was
Ike duck, SO tight her plain feathers fitted
her; and there she sat. smooth. snug and de-
iIclGus. with book in her hand and a s0upcon
of her wrist Just visible as she held it.
Her opposite neighbOr was what call good
style of man--the more to his credit since he
belonged TO corporation that turns out the
worst imaginable style of young men. He was
a cavalry officer aged TWENTY-FIVE He had a
mustache. but not very repulsive ONE not one
Oh tnose su0-nasal pigtails on which soup is sus-
pended Ike dew on shrub it was short. thick
ana black as IL coal. His teeth had not vet been
turned by tobacco smoke to the color of 'uIce.
his clothes did not stick to nor hang on him. he
had an engaging smile, and. what liked the
DOG lor' MS vanity which was inOrdinate, was
IN IT'S proper place. his heart not in his face
COSTING other peoples who have none,-in q
word, he was what one Ofterer hears of than
meets.-a young gentleman
He was c0nyersing in an animated whisrer
with companion. fellow officer they were
-
man. Our friend clearly did not wish to be over
heard. for he cast ever ana anon q furtiye glance
ri his fair Wis Wis and lowered his voice. She
seemed completely absorbed in her book, and
tiiit Teassured lin.
At last the two soldiers came down TO a vhis-
per (the truth must be toll)--the one who got
down at Slough. and was lost to pOsteritv. bet
ten pounds 70 three that he was going down
with Us to Bath and Immortality would not kiss
etn lt OF the ladies' opposite upon the road
Done, DONE
Now am sorry man have hitherto praised
should have lent himself, even In a whisper. to
such speculation; but nobody is wise at all
hours not even when the clock ls striking five
ahd twenty; and you are to consider his profess
SION. his good looks, and the temptation-ten to
three.
Aiter Slough the party was reduced to three;
at l"ytord one lady dropped her handkerchief;
Captain Dolignan fell ON it like lamb Two
or three words were interchanged on this occa-
sion.
At Reading the Marlborough Of our tale made
one OF the safe investments of that day: he
bought Times and Punch the latter full of
steel-pen thruStS and wOOd-cuts ValOr and
beauty deiened to laugh at some infamed hum
bug or other punctured by P,nSCh. Now laugh
ing together thaWs out human ice; long before
SWindon Il was talking match-at Swindon
VINO so devoted as Capt. nOlIgnanI-he handed
Them Out-he souped them-he tough chicken
them-he branded and cochnealed one, and he
return to the carriage one lady passed into the
Inner compartment to inspect q certain gentle
man seat on that side OF the line
Reader. had it beenyOu or the beauty wOuld
nave stayed with us till all was blue ourselves
lnciuded,-nOt more surely does orr slice Of
bread and butter when it escapqs from our
hand. reEove 1t even so often, alight face dow n
ward on the carpet But this was bit of q fop
Ad0niS-dragOn.-sO Venus remained in tete-n-tstq
with HIN. You have seen a dog meet an nm
0nl lff sr
now e1nPTtsss. how expressive he becomes; such
was Dolignan after SwinGon. and to do the dog
justice, lie E0t hands0mer ana Handsomely And
You have seen Cat conscious Of apprOachinr
cream-such was Miss HaythOrn: she became
demurrer and demurrer. Presently our canta,n
looked out Of the window and laughed This
ELECTED Gn lnquring look from Miss Hawthorn
we are only mile from the Box Tunnel"
DO YOU always laugh mile from the Box
Tunnel" said the lady.
''Inyariaby
''What for
why. hem, it is a gentieinan's io!cp.n
, captain foiignan then TecOunted 10 Miss Hay
thorn the following:
a lady and her husband sat together going
through the Box Tunnel-there was one cen
teman opposite; it was pitch dark; after the
tunnel the lady sad. George. how absurd of
you 10 salute ne going through the tunnel"
Il did 10 such thing" You didn't" '.N0l
WhgI' because somehow thought Won did,"
i4ttc captain DCIi+,t nan laughed and endcay-
oIti TO lead his companion to laugh. but 1t was
not to be done. The train entered the tunnoI
Miss Hayth1rn-Ah,
D0iignai-Nhat is the Tnattar2
Miss HaYthOrn-I am frightened
Observation-Disclosures TO her side) PRAY do not
be alarmed: am near You.
Miss Hayth0rn-Iou are near me-yPrv near
ne. indeed. Captain Dolignan
DoiigRan-Iou know my name.
Miss Haythorn-l heard you mention 1t. 1
lSD u a NT14ra AlIt II jis ri
Doligmn-I could be content to spend hours
mere, reasSurlng you, my dear lady.
Miss aythOrn-NOnsense!
D0HgRan-Pweep Grave reader. do not mt
your lips to the next pretty creature YOU meet
OF yOu will understand what this means)
Miss HaythCrn-Eei Ee,
Friend-Wh nat Is the NATTER
Miss Haythorn-Open the door, Open the
door. 'O
There was a sound Of hurried whispers the
hostile sharpness
II any critic falls on lie for putting inarticu-
iate sounds In dialogue as above answer
WltA al! the insOence can command at present
INT boys as big as yourself" bigger, perhaps
Such as SophocieS. Eurpdes and Arst0pbanps
They began it, and | learn it of them sore
against my will
Miss HaythOTns scream lost most Of its effect
because the engine whsted forty thousand
murders at Tie same time; and fictitious grief
mthe5 Itself heard when real cannot.
between the tunnel and Bath our yonno
lrlehu mai tine TO ask himself II his conduct
had been marked 10y that delicate reserve which
Is supposed to distinguish the perfect gentle
man.
With long face, real or feIgnp6. be be,,
open the door: his late friends ATTEMPTED To es
cape on the other side-imp0ssible' they must
pass hlln- She whom he had insulted n attn
Tor klSsed) deposited somewhere at his feet a
look OF gentle. bnshing reproach; the other
WhOm ne mad not 1nsulted. darted red hot dag-
gers at him from her eyes, and so they parted
III was. perhaps, fortunate for Dolignan that
ne had the grace to be friend to Major Hos
gyms OF his regiment. veteran laughed at by
the youngsters, for the Major was too ant TO
look coldly upon billiard balls and cigars. he
had seen cannon balls and instocks He had
also, 10 tell the truth, swallowed good bit Of
the mess-roOm poker. which made it as impossi
bic for Major Hoskyns to descend to an unpen-
tleInanllke word or action as to brush his own
trousers below the knee
Captain DOlignan told this gentleman his
story In gleeful accent; but Major Hoskyns
heard him coldly. and as cO!dly answered that
ne had known a man to lose his life for the same
thing. -
That's nothing" continued the Major, 'but
unfortunately he deserved to lose It,"
AT this blood mounted to the Younger mans
temples; and his senior added 81 mean to saw
he was thirty-fve; you, presume, are twenty
one."
TWENTY-FIVE"
That is much the same thing; will you be
advised by me2'
IF you will advise me-"
Speak to no one Of this, and send White the
q how Loot tbol