Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-05-09
lrow you off the train!"

wasn't talking to you; | was trying
to stop this phonograph." Then he
rose, and laid violent hands on the
annoyer, showed him to the corridor,
seized his bundle of papers from his
arm, and hurled them at his head.
They fell In a shower about the train
butcher, who could only feel cer-
tain respect for the one man who had
ever treated him as he knew he de-
served. He bent to pick up his scat
tered merchandise, and when he had
gathered his stock together, put his
head in, and sang out sincere:
Excuse me-"
But Mallory did not hear him, he
was excitedly trying to calm the ex-
cited girl, who, having eloped with
him, was preparing now to elope back
without him.
Darling, you can't desert me now,"
he pleaded, and leave me to go on
alone?"
well, why don't you do some.
thing?" she retorted, in equal des.
peration. IF | were man, and |
had the girl | loved on train. Id
get her married II | had to wreck
the" she caught her breath, paused
a second in intense thought, and
then, with sudden radiance. cried:
Harry, dear"
Yes, love!"
II have an idea-an inspiration!"
Yes, pet" rather dubiously from
him, but with absolute exultation from
her: Let's wreck the train!"
Il don't follow you, sweetheart"
Don't you see?" she began excited.
ly. when there are train wrecks a
lot of people get killed, and things
A minister always turns up to admin.
lister the last something or other
we'll"
"Well?"
We'll. stupid, don't you see? We
wreck train, minister comes, We
nab him, he marries us, and-there
we are! Everything's lovely"
He gave her one of those locks
with which a man usually greets what
woman calls an inspiration, He did
not honor her invention with an.
alysis. He simply put forward an OBJ
lection to it, and, man-like, chose the
most hateful of all objections:
IT'S a lovely idea, but the wreck
would delay US for hours and hours,
and I'd miss my transport"
Harry Mallory, If you mention that
I'D IN |
I'll have hydrophobia. I'm going
home"
But, darling" he pleaded, you
can't desert me now, and leave me to
60 on alone?" She had her answer
glib:
IF you really loved me, you'd"
"Oh, know" he cut in. You've
said that before. But Id be court.
martialed. I'd lose my career"
What's a career to man who
truly loves?'
It's just as much as 1t is to any.
body else-and more"
She could hardly controvert this
gracefully, so she sank back with
grim resignation. We'll, I've pro-
posed my plan, and you don't like 1t.
Now, suppose you propose something"
The silence was oppressive. They
sat like stoughton bottles. There the
conductor found them some time
later. He gave them careless look,
selected chair at the end OF the
car, and began to sort his tickets,
I'M hnn on hnr nj
making notes with the pencil he took
from atop his ear, and showed back
from time to time.
Ages seemed to pass, and Mallory
had not even suggestion. BY this
time Marjorie's temper had evaporat-
ed, and when he said: IF We could
only stop at some town for half an
hour" she said: Maybe the conduc.
tor would hold the train for u.s."
81 hardly think he would"
HE looks like an awfully nice man.
You ask him"
"Oh, what's the use?
Marjorie was getting tired OF de-
pending on this charming young man
with the very bad luck. She decided
to assume command herself. She
took recourse naturally to the orig
inal feminine methods: 'Pll take care
of him." she said, with resolution. "A
woman can get a man to do almost
anything If she tiirts a little with
him."
"Marjorie!"
Nov. don't you mind anything
DO. Remember, it's all for love OF
you--even If have to kiss him."
Marjorie, l won't permit"
You have no right to boss me
yet You subside." She gave him the
merest touch, but he fell backward
into a chair, utterly aghast at the
shameless siren into which despera-
ton had altered the timid little thing
he thought he had chosen to love. He
wes being rapidly initiated into the
complex and versatile and fearfully
wonderful thing woman really is,
and he was saying to himself, What
have | married?" forgetting, for the
moment, that he had not married her
yet, and that therein lay the whole
trouble.