The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-10-03
Copyright, 1911, By IL. z Fly Co.
CHAPTER XIII.
Through a Tunnel.


quired also the habit, as travellers do,
of calling England freer than Amer
lea. She determined to do her share
toward the education OF her native
country, and chose. for her topic, to-
bacco as a feminine Accomplishment
She had grown Indifferent to stares
and audible comment and she could
fight a protesting head waiter to a
standstill. II monuments and tablets
are ever erected to the first woman
who smoked publicly in this place or
that, Mrs. Jimmie Wellington will be
variously remembered and occupy a
large place in historical record.
The narrow confines OF the women's
room on the sleeping car soon paIIed
on her, and she objected to smoking
there except when she felt the added
luxury OF keeping some other woman
outside-fuming, but not smoking
And now Mrs. Jimmie had staked out
a claim on the observation platform
She sat there, putting like a major
general, and in one portion of Ne
braska two farmers fell off their agri-
cultural vehicles at the sight OF her
cigar-smoke trailing after the train
In Wyoming three cowboys followed
her for a mile, yipping and bowling
their compliments
Feeling the smoke mood coming on,
Mrs. Wellington invited Mrs. Temple
to smoke with her, but Mrs. Temple
felt a reminiscent qualm at the very
thought, so Mrs. Jimmie sauntered
out alone, to the great surprise OF
Ira Lathrop whose motto was, Two
heads are better than one" and who
was apparently willing to wait till
Anne Gattles head grew on his
shoulder.
81 trust I don't intrude," Mrs. Well
ington said.
"Oh, no. Oh, yes" Anne gasped in
fiery confusion as she fed into the
car, followed by the purple-faced Ira,
who slammed the door with a growl:
That Wellington woman would break
up anything"
The prim little missionary toppIed
into the nearest chair: "Oh, Ira, what
will she think?'
"She can't think" Ira grumbIed.
I'm a little while she'll know"
Don't you think we'd better tell
everybody before they begin to talk?''
Ira glowed with pride at the
thought and murmured with all the
ardor Of senile Romeo: Il suppose
SO, ducky darling I'll break it
mean I'll tell it to the men, and you
tell the women"
IAN right, dear, I'll obey you," she
answered, meekly.
obey mel" Ira laughed with boy.
ish swagger. And you a mission.
aryl"
well, I've converted one heather
anyway" said Anne as she darted
down the corridor, followed by Ira
| who announced his intention to "gC
to the baggage car and dig up his old
| Prince Albert
In their flight forward they passed
| the mysterious woman In the state
room. They were too full of their
| own mystery to give thought to hers
| Mrs. Fosdick went timidly prowling
| toward the observation car, suspect
| ing everybody to be a spy, as Mallory
suspected everybody to be a clergy
man in disguise.
AS she stole along the corrid or
| past the mems clubroom she saw heI
| husband-her here-and-there husband
YEARLY counting the telegraph
posts and summing them up into
miles. She tapped on the glass and
signalled to him, then passed on.
| He answered with a look, then pre-
tended not to have noticed, and wait
ed few moments before he rose with
an elaborate air of carelessness. He
beckoned the porter and said:
| Let me know the moment We en-
ter Utah, will you?"
"Yassah. Well be comm along
| right soon now. We got to pass
/ through the big Aspen tunnel, after
that, befo' long, we splounce into ole
II Utah"
Don't forget" said Fosdick, as be
sauntered out. Ashton perked up his
ears at the promise of a tunnel and
kept his eye on his watch.
II Fosdick entered the observation
room with a hungry look in his
luscious eyes. His now-and-then wife
put up a warning finger to indicate
Mrs. Whitcomb's presence at the
writing desk
Fosdick's smile froze into a smirl
OF formality and he tried to chill hi:
tone as if he were speaking to a tota
stranger.
Good afternoon"
Mrs. Fosdick answered with equa
ice: Good afternoon. Won't you si
down."
Thanks. Very picturesque seen
cry, isn't it?'
Isn't it?" Fosdick seated himself
looked about cautiously. noted thai
Mrs. Whitcomb was apparently alb
sorbed in her letter, then lowered his
voice confldentially. His face kept VI
a strained pretense OF indifference
but his whisper was passionate with
longing:
Has my poor little wiley missed
her poor old hubby?'
''Oh, so much!" she whispered
Has poor little hubby missed hi:
poor old wife,"
Horribly. Was she lonesome il
that dismal stateroom all by her
self"
"Oh. so miserableI 1 can't stand II
much longer"
Fosdick's face bIazed with good
news: In Just little while we come
to the Utah line-then we're safe"