The Prescott daily news., 1912-04-09
CHAPTER VI.
A Conspiracy in Satin.

as he exclaimed: Don't tell me that
 you are bound for Reno!" She whim
 pered: "I'm afraid so, MT. Ashton He put down everything to take her
 other hand, and tuned his voice to
 condolence: "Why, l thought you and
 Sam Whitcomb were"
 "Oh, we were until that shameless
 Mrs. Wellington"
 Mrs. Wellington? Don't believe I | know her"
 q thought everybody had heard of Mrs. Jimmie Wellington"
 "Mrs. Jimmie-oh, yes, I've heard
 of her!" Everybody seemed to have
 heard of Mrs. Jimmie Wellington. | What dance she has led her poor
 husband!" Mrs. Whitcomb said And
 my poor Sammy fell into her trap,
 too.'
 Ashton, zealous comforter, took a
 wrathful tone: q always thought your | husband was the most unmitigated-" | But Mrs. Whitcomb bridled at once.
 How dare you criticize Sammy! He's
 the incest boy in the world" Ashton recovered quickly. That's
 what started to say. Will he contest
 the-divorce ?"
 "Of course not" she beamed. The
 dear fellow would never deny me any | thing. Sammy offered to get it him.
 self, but l told him he'd better stay
 in Chicago and stick to business. I | shall need such lot of alimony." 1oI l.
 along," Ashton insinuated. But the irony was wasted, for she
 sighed: Yes, I shall miss him ter
 ribly. But we feared that if he were
 with me it might hamper me in get | ting a divorce on the ground of de sertion."
 She was trying to look earnest and
 thoughtful and heartbroken, but the
 result was hardly plausible, for Mrs. sammy Whitcomb could not possibly
 have been really earnest or really l thoughtful; and her heart was quite | too elastic to break. She proved it
 instantly, for when she heard behind
 her the voice of young man asking | her to let him pass, she turned to pro- | test, but seeing that he was a hand | some young man, her starch was in-
 stantly changed to sugar And she re-
 warded his good looks with a smile, as
 he rewarded hers with another. Then Ashton intervened like a dog | in the manager and dragged her off to | her seat, leaving the young man to eXclaim:
 Some tamarind, that!" Another young man behind him growled: Cut out the tamarinds and get to business. Mallory will be here | any minute
 T hate to think what he'll do to us
 when he sees what we've done to him."
 "Oh, he won't dare to fight in the presence of his little bridey-widey. Do you see the porter in there?" Yes, suppose he objects" Well, we have the tickets. We'll claim it's our section till Mallory and
 Mrs. Mallory come" They moved on into the car where the porter confronted them When he saw that they were loaded with bun dies of all shapes and sizes, he waved them away with scorn: The emigrant sleepa runs only Toosdays and Ghuzzdays." From behind the first mass of pack ages came a brisk military answer
 You black hound! About face--- forward march! Section number one" The porter retreated down the aisle, apologizing glibly. "Scuse me for , questioning you, but you-all's baggage | looked kind O eccentric at first" The two young men dumped their | parcels on the seats and began to un- wrap them hastily. If Mallory catches us, he'll kill us," said Lieutenant Shaw. Lieutenant Hudson only laughed and drew out | long streamer of white satin ribbon. Its glimmer, and the glimmering eyes 1 of the young man excited Mrs. Whit | comb so much that after little hesi- | the jealous Ashton. "Oh, what's up?" she ventured. Ut | locks like something bridal" Talk about womanly intuition!" said Lieutenant Hudson, with an in- | sratiating salaam.
 And then they explained to her that
 their classmate at West Point, being | ordered suddenly to the Philippines, had arranged to elope with his beloved Marjorie Newton; had asked them to | get the tickets and check the baggage
 while he stopped at minister's to get spliced and hike for Manila by | this train !"