Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-08-15
Copyright. 1911. By II. z. Fiy 90


don't know how l can face it."
Ira growled like a lovesick lion:
CAV, what do you carer"
But l was never married before,
Ira," Anne protested, "aId on train,
too"
"Why, all the bridal couples take to
the railroads"
81 should think it would be the last
place they'd 60" said Anne-a sensible
woman, Anne! Look at the Mallories
how miserable they are"
81 thought they were happy" said
Ira, whose great virtue 1t was to pay
little heed to what was none of his
business.
ooh, Ira," cried Anne, 81 hope we
shan't begin to quarrel as soon as we
are married"
"As if anybody could quarrel with
you, Anne" he said.
do you think I'll be so monotonous
as that" she retorted.
Her spunk delighted him beyond
words. He whispered: Anne, you're
so gol-darned sweet if l don't get a
chance to kiss you, I'll bust"
"Why, Ira-we're on the train"
"Da-darn the train! Who ever
heard Of fellow proposing and get
ting engaged to a girl and not even
kissing her"
But our engagement is so short"
well, I'm not going to marry you
until l get kiss"
Perhaps innocent old Anne really
believed this blood-curdling threat. 1t
brought her instantly to terms, though
she blushed: But everybody's al
ways looking"
Come out on the observation plat
form"
"Oh, Ira, again."
II dare you"
81 take you--but" seeing that Mrs.
Whitcomb was trying to overhear, she
whispered: Let's pretend it's the
scenery"
So Ira rose, pushed the checkers
aside, and said m an unusually posi-.
tive tone: "Ah, Miss Cattle, won't you
have a look at the landscape?"
ooh, thank you, Mr.. Lathrop," said
Anne, Il just love scenery"
They wandered forth like the Sleep
ing Beauty and her princely awaken
er, and never dreamed what gigglings
and nudgings and wise head-noddings
went on back of them. Mrs. Wellington
laughed loudest Of all at the lovers
whose heads had grown gray while
their hearts were still so green.
1t was shortly after this that the
Wellingtons themselves came into
prominence in the train life.
AS the train approached Green
River, and its copper-basined stream,
the engineer began to set the air
brakes for the stop. Jimmie Yelling
ton, boozily half-awake in the smok-
ing room, wanted to know what the
name Of the station was. Everybody
is always eager to oblige a drunken
man, so Ashton and Fosdick tried to
get window open to look out.
The first one they labored at, they
could not bulge after a bicepsbreak-
ing tug. The second few up with such
ease that they went over backward.
Ashton put his head out and an
nounced that the approaching depot
was labelled Green River" Yelling
ton burbled: What beautiful name
for a shtation."
Ashton announced that there was
something beautifuller still on the
platform-"Oh, peach!-a nectarine!
and she's getting on this train"
: Even Doctor Temple declared that
she was a dear lite thing, wasn't
she?
Wellington pushed him aside, say
ing: Stand back Doc, and let me
see; have keen sense Of beautiful"
BE careful" cried the doctor,
hell fall out of the window"
mot out Of that window" Ashton
ssagely observed, seeing the bulk Of
Wellington. AS the train started off
again, Little Jimmie distributed alco-
.holic smiles to the Green RiVerers on
the platform and called out:
Goodbye, everybody. You're all
abslootly-ow- owl" He clapped his
hand to his eye and crawled back into
q the car, groaning with pain.
Whats the matter?" said Wedge
wood. Got something in your eye?"
mo, you blamed fool. I'm trying to
look through my thumb"
Poor fellow" sympathized Doctor
Temple, cts a cinder!"
"a cinder! It's at leasht a ton OF
coal"
II say, old boy, let me have peek"
said Wedgewood. screwing in his mon
ocle and peering into the depths OF
wellington's eye. Il can't see bally
thing"
"Of course not, with that binder
on" growled the miserable wretch,
weeping in spite Of himself and rub
bling his smarting orb.
Don't rub that eye" Ashton coun-
selled, rub the other eye"
+'"It's my eye; I'll rub it If want to.
Get me a doctor, somebody. I'm
dying"
Here's Doctor Temple" said Ash
ton, Fright on the Job" Wellington
turned to the old clergyman with pa
thetic trust. and the deeelyer writhed