Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1912-07-02

when she had murmured to Lieuten-
ant Hudson:
II should think the young couple
would have preferred stateroom."
And Mr.. Hudson had flinched q lit
tie as he explained:
eyes, of course. We tried to get It,
but 1t was gone"
1t was during the excitement over
the decoration of the bridal section,
that the stateroom.tenants slipped in
unobserved.
First came q fluttering woman
whose youthful beauty had q certain
hue Of experience, saddening and
wisering. The porter brought her in
from the station.platform, led her to
the stateroom's concave door and
passed in with her luggage. But she
fingered without, a Peri at the gate
of Paradise. When the porter re.
turned to bow her in, she shivered and
hesitated, and then demanded:
ooh, porter, are you sure there's no.
body else in there?'
The porter chuckled, but humored
her panic.
II amt seen nobody. Shall l look
under the seat?"
To his dismay, she nodded her head
violently. He rolled his eyes in won
derment, but returned to the state.
room, made pretense Of examination.
and came back with face full of re.
assurance. Nom, they's nobody
there. Take mighty small-size bur
glar to squeeze unda that bald-er-
berth. Nom, nobody there"
"Oh!"
The gasp was so equivocal that he
made bold to ask:
"ls you pleased or disappointed"
The mysterious young woman was
too much agitated to rebuke the impu-
dence. She merely sighed: ooh. por.
ter, I'm SO anxious"
I'm not-now," he muttered, for
she handed him a coin.
Porter, have you seen anybody on
board that looks suspicious?'
"Evvabody looks suspicious to me,
Missy. But what was you expecting
-especial?"
"Oh, porter, have you seen anybody
that looks like detective in dis
guise?"
well, thcy's one man looks 8 If he
was disguised balloon, but don't
believe he's 40 och-hound."
well, if you SEQ anybody that looks
Ike detective and ne asks for Mrs.
Fosdick-"
Mrs. What-dick?"
mrs Fosdick! You tell him I'm not
on board" And she gave him another
coin.
"Yassum." said the porter, linger.
ing willingly on such fertile soil. "l'll
tell him Mrs. Fosdick done give mo
her word she wasn't on bode.'
"Yes!-and II . woman should ask
you"
"What kind OF . woman?"
THE hideous kind that men call
handsome"
"Oh. amt they hideous. them hand.
some women?"
"Well, II such a woman asks for
Mrs. Fosdick-shes my husbands
first wife-but Of course that doesn't
interest you"
7, No'm-yes'm."
| III she comes-tell her-tell her
oh, what shall we tell herr"
! The porter rubbed his thick skull:
'Lemme see-we might say you'll
tell you what we'll tell her: we'll tell
her you took the train for New York;
and II she runs mighty fast she can
just about ketch It,"
! Fine. fine!" And she rewarded
his genius with another coin. And,
porter" He had not budged. "Por'
ter. II q very handsome man with
luscious eyes and a soulful smile asks
for me-"
'I'Il th'ow him of the train!"
"Oh, no-no!-that's my husband
my present husband. You may let
him In. Now is it all perfectly clear,
porter?"
"Oh, yassum. clear as clear" Thus
guaranteed she entered tho stateroom.
leaving the porter alone with his prob
lem. He tried to work 1t out In
semi-audible humble: "Lemme see!
II your present husbands absent wife
gifts on bode disguised as handsome
hideous woman I'm to throw him
her-off the train and let her-him-
come in-oh, yassum, you may rely on
me-" He bowed and held out his
hand. But she was gone. He shuf'
fed on into the car.
He had hardly left the little space
before the stateroom when q hand
some man with luscious eyes, but
without any smile at all, came stink
ing along the corridor and tapped
cautiously on the door. Silence alone
answered him at first, then when he
had raped again. he heard q muf'
fed: 4
Go away. I'm not IN"
He put his lips close and softly
called: Edith"
At this Sesame the door opened
triile, but when he tried to enter. .
hand thrust him back and q voice
again warned him of. "You musn's
come in"
"But I'm your husband"
"That's just why you mustn't come
in." The door opened . little wider
to give him q view of down-cast
beauty moaning:
"Oh, Arthur. I'm 50 afraid"
"Afraid?" he smiled. with your
husband here?"
That's the trouble, Arthur. What
II your former wife should ind u to-