The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-04-11
CHAPTER XII.

The Needle in the Haystack.
The almost-married couple sat long
in mutual terror and a common par
alysis of ingenuity. Marjorie, for lack
OF anything better to do, was absent
mtndedly twisting Snoozleum's ears,
while he, that pocket abridgment of a
dog, In well meaning effort to d.
vert her from her evident grief, made
a great pretense of ferocity, growing
and threatening to bite her fingers
off. The new ring attracted his spe-
cial jealousy. He was growing dis
couraged at the ill-success of his i'm.
personation Of wolf, and detected
at being so crassly ignored, when he
suddenly became, in his turn, a center
of interest.
Marjorie was awakened from her
voice. His plantation voice was or
dinarily as thick and sweet as his own
New Orleans sorghum, but now it had
bitterness that curdled the blood:
"'Scuse me, but how did you-all git
that theah dog in this heah cah?"
"Snoozleums is always with me-"
said Marjorie briskly, as If that SET
tied it, and turned for confirmation
to the dog himself, aren't you.
Snoozleums?"
WELL" the porter drawled, trying
to be gracious with his great power,
+; 1.-The rules don't low no live stock IN
! the sIeepin' cars, 'ceptin' humans"
Marjorie rewarded his condescen-
sion with blunt: "Snoozleums IL
more human than you are"
Il p'sume he isl the porter al
mitted, "but he can't make up berths.
Anyway, the rules says dogs goes
with the baggage"
Marjorie swept rules aside with
defiant: Il don't care. I won't be
separated from my Snoozleums."
She looked to Mallory for support,
but he was too sorely troubled with
greater anxieties to be capable OF any
action.
The porter tried persuasion: You
beta femme take him, the conducta
is wuss'n what l am. He th'owed q
couple of dogs out the window trip
. befo' last"
The brute!"
"Oh, yassum, he is a regular brute.
He just loves to hear m splosh when
they light"
Noting the shiver that shook the
girl, the porter offered a bit of con-
ISOLATION:
Better femme have the pore little
thing up in the baggage cab. He'll be
in charge of a lovely baggage-smash<
err"
Are you sure he's a nice MANI"
"Oh, yassum, he's death on trunks.
but he's natural born angel to
dogs"
We'll, If must, must" she
sobbed. Poor little Snoozleums! Can
he come back and see me tomorrow"
Marjories tears were splashing on
the puzzled dog, who nestled close,
with foreboding of disaster.
Il reckon p'haps you'd better visit
him.
Poor dear little Snoozleums-good
night, my little darling. Poor little
child-it's the first night he's slept
all by mis- little lonesome, and"
The porter was growing desperate.
He clapped his hands together Inn
patiently and urged: Il think l hear
thct conducta comm"
The ruse succeeded. Marjorie fair
ly forced the dog on him. Quick
hide nim-hurry!" she gasped, and
sank on the seat completely crushed.
III be so lonesome without Snoozle-
uEs."
Mallory felt called upon to remind
Ter CT LIS presence. Tin here,
Lar orie" She looked at him just
once-at him, the source of all her
t-oubles-buried her head in her
sr-.s, sd resumed her grief. Mallory
sta,--d at her helplessly, then rose
and bent over to whisper:
I'm going to look through the
train"
"Oh, don't leave me-" she pleaded,
clinging to him with a dependence
that restored his respect.
Il must find clergyman" he whis-
pered. ''Pll be back the minute find
, one, and I'll bring him with me-"
The porter thought he wanted the
, dog back, and Quickened his pace till
he reached the corridor, where NAL
, lory overlook him and asked, in an
effort at casual indifference, if he had
! seen anything of a clergyman on
board.
Amt seen nothin' that even looks
like one," said the porter. Then he
fastened ahead to the baggage car
with the squirming Snoozleums, while
Mallory followed slowly, going from
seat to seat and car to car subjecting
! all the males to an inspection that
rendered some of them indignant,
others of them uneasy.
If dear old Doctor Temple could
only have known what Mallory was
hunting, he would have snatched on
the mask, and thrown aside the secu-
lar scarlet tie at all costs. But poor
Mallory, unable to recognize clergy
man SO dyed-in-the-wool as Doctor
Temple, sitting in the very next seat
how could he be expected to pick
out another in the long and crowded
train?
All clergymen look alike when thew