The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1900-06-12
ORDEAL OF A BRIDAL COUPLE.
t0RIshes Curious sleeping Car
Passengers.

The bridal couple boarded the train
at Suspension bridge. He was a
smooth-faced, well-set-up young man,
and she was a sweet, pretty girl of
bride. There was a large, very hilari-
Gus company of wedding guests to see
them off, and as the pair struggled
from their carriage to the sleeping
car they were almost lost to view in
showers of rice and flying old shoes.
The young couple stood the ordeal
with great courage, says the New
York Sun, and after the train had
started did so well that before long
the rest of the passengers in the car
left off watching them and began
turning in.
The next morning the interest in
them grew again, when section after
section of the car was made up until
the bridal couples section stood alone
with its curtains still drawn. This
was the state of things at eight
o'clock, and at $50 there had been no
change. Nine and a quarter past
came round, and still there was no
sign from the bridal section. When
shortly after $3.50 a slight, mysterious
movement was apparent behind the
curtains, almost a sigh of relief went
up from the rest of the car.
The movement continued, increased,
until suddenly, after an especially vio-
lent agitation OF the curtains, they
parted sufficiently to let n young man
slip between them into the aisle. His
hair was rumpled and his coat collar
turned up, and he carried a travelling
bag and various articles of wearing
apparel to be donned in the Mushroom.
As the young man hurried forward he
seemed somewhat puzzled by the al
most smiling interest of the rest of
the car, but of embarrassment he
showed not trace.
When he had disappeared the car
settled itself to await the egress of the
bride. But if she was about to make
her appearance she showed no signs
of it. Neither sound nor motion was
discernible from the recesses behind
the curtains. In a little while the
young man came back showing the
freshened effect of cold water and hair
brushes, and moved the bottom of the
curtains aside sufficiently to shove his
| bag under the berth. As he rose to
his feet again, the car saw that he was
looking down reflectively at the cargo
of rice which covered the floor. He
| continued to regard it for some time
| fXedly. Then he raised his eyes and
surveyed the car. There was a more
or less unsurpassed smile on every
face, but the young man still showed
no embarrassment. Then he arranged
| the folds of the heavy curtains with
elaborate solicitude, and finally went
forward again and whispered some
thing to the porter. The car, to a pas
senger, would probably have gladly
paid double fare to have heard those
half-dozen whispered words. The
pretty mystery was assuming proper
tons. But the porter only said:
''Yes, sub" And then the young man
went forth and sat down gravely in
and end seat from where ne looked
smack into the faces of every soul in
| the car.
The next moment the porter came
down the aisle toward the bridal sec
ton. He was a fat and very black
porter. For an instant he paused be-
| fore the silent curtains. Then a thrill
of horror ran through the car, and
several men got half way to their feet.
With two swift movements he pulled
| h 81 ~
humping and pulling at something
within. Another instant, and horror
| had given way to amaZement, for the
inside of the berth Immediately be-
came visible to all who cared to see.
The porter was making up the section.
/ The bride had vanished.
The car turned swiftly to the hap
less bridegroom on the front seat. An
expression of Arcadian simplicity rest
| ed on his countenance.
A few moments later the porter
started toward his linen closet, but
half way down the aisle he was held
up by half a dozen male passengers
with wonder-stricken faces.
what has become Of the bride?''
J they demanded.
The porter scratched his head and
| looked at them uncomprehendingly
! Then he showed his teeth in a grin.
''Oh. the bridal couple wat got on
at Suspension bridge?" he said. They
done left the train late last night.
They did'n' have their section made
up. That gemman down in front of
the car he had upper one n he kicked
so I shifted him over soon as the
bridal couple left"
The car turned again toward the
young man on the front seat. The eX-
preston of Arcadian simplicity was
still with him. But for the first time
across his face there glimmered a
faint, thoughtful smile.
The half dozen male passengers and
the porter held a moments consulta-
| ton in the middle of the car. Then
they came forward, and one of their
number said something in a low voice
to the young man on the front seat.
/ 70 his faaf still