The Delta independent., 1912-07-05
CHAPTER XVI.
Good Night, All


peace. But there was still some mur.
muir and drowsy energy. Shoes con-
tinued to drop, heads to bump agains.
upper berths. the bell to ring now
and then, and ring again and again.
The porter paid little heed to It;
he was busy making up number five
Qra Lathrop's berth) for Marjorie.
who was making what preparations
she could for her trousseauless, hus.
bandless, dogless first night out.
Finally the Englishman, who had al
most rung the bell dry of electricity,
showed from his berth his indignant
and undignified head. Once more the
car resounded with the cry OF Paw.
tab! Pawtah!"
The porter moved up with notice
able deliberation. Did you ring.
sah?'
did I ring! Paw-tah. you may
draw my tub at eight-thutty in the
mawning."
Draw yo'-what, sah?" the porter
gasped.
MY tub"
"Ba-eth tub?"
'Bahth tub"
'Lawdy, man. Is you allowin' to
take ba-ath in the mawnin'?"
"Of course I am
Didn't you have one befo' you
stahted?"
How dare you! OF cawse did"
We'll, that's all you git
DO you mean to tell me that there
is no tub on this beastly train"
Wedgewood almost fell out of bed
with the shock of this news.
I'VE do not carry tubs-no, sab.
There's a lot of tubs in San Fran.
cisco, though"
mo tub on this train for four days!"
Wedgewood sighed. But whatever
does one do in the meanwhile?"
"One just waits. Yassah, one and
all waits
IT'S ghahstly. that's what it is,
ghahstly."
"Yassah," said the porter, and
mumbled as he walked away, but the
weather is gettin' cooler"
He finished preparing Marjories
bunk. and was just suggesting that
Mallory retreat to the smoking room
while number three was made up,
when there was a commotion in the
corridor, and a man in checked over
alls dashed into the car.
His ear was slightly red, and he
held at arms length. as IL It were a
venomous monster, Snoozleums. And
he yelled:
Say. whose durn dog is this? He
bit two men. and he makes 30 much
noise We can't sleep in the baggage
car"
Marjorie went flying down the aisle
to reclaim her lost lamb in VOLTS
clothing, and Snoozleums, the returned
prodigal, yelped and leaped, and told
her all about the indignities he had
been subjected to, and his valiant
struggle for liberty.
Marjorie, seeing only Snoozleums,
stepped into the fatal berth number
one, and paid no heed to the dangling
ribbons. Mallory, eager to restore
himself to her love by loving her dog,
crowded closer to her side, making a
hypocritical ado over the pup.
Everybody was popping his or her
face out to learn the cause OF such
clamor. Among the bodiless heads
suspended along the curtains. like
Dyak trophies. appeared the great
mask OF Little Jimmie Wellington. He
had been unable to sleep for MOURN
Ing the wanton waste OF that lovely
rice-trap.
When he peered forth, his eyes
hardly believed themselves. The
elusive bride and groom were actu-
ally In the trap-the hen pheasant
and the chanticleer. But the net did
not fall. He waited to see them sit
down. and spring the Internal ma.
chine. But they would not sit.
In fact, Marjorie was muttering to
Harry-tenderly. now, since he had
won her back by his efforts to con.
sole Snoozleums-she was muttering
tenderly:
I'VE must not be seen together.
honey Go away. I'll see you in the
morning"
And Mallory was saying with bit.
terest resignation: Good night-my
friend
And they were shaking hands! This
incredible bridal couple was shaking
hands with itself-disintegrating,
Then Wellington determined to do at
least his duty by the sacred rites.
The gaping passengers saw what
was probably the largest pair OF pa.
3amas In Chicago. They saw Little
Jimmie. smethering back his giggies
like schoolboy, tiptoe from his
berth, enter the next berth, brushing
the porter aside, climb on the seat.
and clutch the ribbon that pulled the
stopper from the trap.
Down upon the unsuspectinp .,on-
ers came this miraculous cloudburst
OF ironical rice. and with It came Lit
tie Jimmie Wellington, who lost what