The Delta independent., 1912-07-26

ably at DR.. Temple, rose and selected
other chairs further away. Then
Roger Ashton sauntered in, his eyes
searching for a proper companion
through the tunnel
He saw Mrs. Wellington returning
from the platform. Just tossing away
her cigar and blowing out the last of
Its grateful vapor.
With an effort at sarcasm, he went
to her and offered her one of his own
cigars. smiling: Have another"
She took it. looked it over, and
parried his irony with a formula she
had heard men use when they hate
to refuse gift-cigar: Thanks. I'll
smoke it after dinner. If you don't
mind.'
"Oh. don't mind" he laughed, then
bending closer he murmured: They
tell me we are coming to a tunnel, a
nice, long, dark, dismal tunnel"
Mrs. Wellington would not take a
dare. She felt herself already eman-
cipated from Jimmie. So she answered
Ashton's hint with a laughing chal-
lenge:
How nice of the conductor to ar.
range it,
Ashton smacked his lips over the
prospect.
And now the porter, having noted
Ashton's impatience to reach the tun-
mel, thought to curry favor and
quarter by announcing its approach.
He hustled in and made straight for
Ashton just as the tunnel announced
itself with a sudden swoop of gloom,
and far-off clang of the locomotive
bell.
Out Of the Egyptian darkness came
the unmistakable sounds of osculation
in various parts of the room. Doubt.
less, 1t was repeated in other parts OF
the train. There were numerous COO
ing sounds, too. but nobody spoke ex.
cept Mrs. Temple, who was heard to
murmur:
"Oh, Walter. dear, what makes your
breath SO funny"
Next came a little yowl OF pain in
Mrs. Fosdicks voice, and then day
light flooded the car with a rush, as
if time had made an instant leap from
midnight to noon. There were inter
esting disclosures.
arms round the doctors neck, and
she blushed like spoony girl. Mrs.
Fosdick was trying to disengage her
hair from Mr.. Fosdick's scarf-pin. Mrs.
Whitcomb alone was deserted. Mr..
Ashton was gazing devotion at Mrs.
Wellington and trying to tell her
with his eyes how velvet he had
found her cheek.
But she was looking reproachfully
at him from a chair, and saying, not
without regret:
Il heard everybody kissing every.
body. but / was cruelty neglected"
Ashtons eyes widened with unbe-
lief, he heard a snicker at his elbow.
.and whirled to find the porter rub
bing his black velvet cheek and
writhing with pent-up laughter.
Mrs. Wellington glanced the same
way, and shrek of understanding
burst from her 1t sent the porter
into a spasm of yah-yahs till he
caught Ashton's eyes and saw murder
in them. The porter fled to the plat
form and held the door fast, expect
ing to be lynched.
But Ashton dashed away in search
of concealrnent and soap.
The porter remained on the p:st
form for some time. planning to leap
overheard and take his chances rather
than fall into Ashton's hands, but at
length. finding himself unpursued. he
peered into the car and, seeing that
Ashton had gone, he returned to his
duties. He kept a close watch OF
Ashton, but on soberer thoughts Ash
ton had decided that the incident
would best be consigned to silence
and oblivion. But for all the rest OF
that day he kept rubbing his lips
with his handkerchief.
The porter. noting that the tram
had swept into granite gorge like
an enormously magnified aisle in
made-up sleeping car, recognized the
presence of Echo Canyon. and with
1t the entrance into Utah. He hastened
to impart the tidiDgs to Mr. Fosdick
and held out his hand as he extended
the Information.
Fosdick could hardly believe that
his twelve-hundred-mile exile was
over.
Were in Utah?" he exclaimed.
"Yassah," and the porter showed
his palm into view. Fosdick filled It
with all his loose change. then
whirled to his wife and cried:
Edith! We arc in Utah now! EN-
brace mel"
She flung herself into his arms with
a gurgle of bliss. The other passen-
gers gasped with amazement. This
sort of thing was permissible enough
in a tunnel. but in the full light OF
day!
Fosdick, noting the sensation he
had created. waved his hand reas.
suringly and called across his wife's