Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-08-30

( Z 7
tnlngy' she retorted, in equal des.
peration. IF were a man, and /
had the girl loved on train. I'd
get her married If had to wreck
the" she caught her breath, paused
a second in intense thought, and
then, with sudden radiance, cried {:
"Harry, dear!"
Eyes, Lowell"
Il have an idea-an inspiration!"
"Yes, pet" rather obviously from
him, but with absolute exultation from
her: Lets wreck the train!"
II 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"
well. stupid, don't you see? We
wreck train, a minister comes, we
nab him, he marries us, and-there
we are! Everythings lovely!"
He gave her one of those looks
with which 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 1t, and, man-like, chose the
most hateful of all objections:
Its lovely idea, but the wreck
would delay us for hours and hours,
and I'd miss my transport"
Harry Mallory, If you mention that
odious transport to me again, know
I'll have hydrophobia. I'm going
home"
But, darling" he pleaded, you
can't desert me now, and leave me to
go on alone?" She had her answer
glib:
IF you really loved me, you'd"
"Oh, I know" he cut in. You've
said that before. But I'd be court.
martialed Id lose my career"
whats career to man who
truly loves?"
Its just as much as it 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 it.
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 tho
car, and began to sort his tickets,
spreading them out on another chair,
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.
Il 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: I'll take care
Of him." she said, with resolution. "A
woman can get q man to do almost
if she flirts little with
him"
"Marjorie!"
"Now. don't you mind anything 1
do. Remember, it's all for love OF
you-even if I 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 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
was being rapidly initiated into the
complex and versatile and fearfully
wonderful thing woman really Is,
and he was saying to himself, What
have l married." forgetting, for the
moment. that he had not married her
yet, and that therein lay the whole
trouble.
Ito be continued
~~NnN<&N~f.r~~<,~S~