The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-07-05
CHAPTER III. (Continued.)

Her neither lip trembled and her
eyes were filmed, but they were brave,
and her voice was SO tender that 1t
wooed his mind from his watch. He
gaZed at her and found her 80 dear,
so devoted and so pitifully exquisite,
that he was almost overcome by an
impulse to gather her into his arms
there and then, Indifferent to the I'M
mediate passengers or to his far-off
military superi0rS. An hour ago they
were young lovers in all the lit and
thrill Of elopement. She had chung to
him in the cleaning OF their taxicab,
as 1t sped like q genie at their whim
to the place where the minister
would unite their hands and raise his
own in blessing. Thence the new
husband would have carried the new
wife away, his very. own, soul and
body, duty and beauty, Then, ali,
then In their minds the future was an
unwaning honeymoon, the journey
across the continent, stroll along a
lovers lane, the Pacific ocean gar
den lake, and the Philippines a chain
OF Fortunate Isles decreed especially
for their Eden And then the taxi
cab encountered lamppost. They
thought they had merely wrecked a
motor Garland 10, they had wrecked
Paradise.
The railroad ceased to be lover
lane and became q lingering torment;
the ocean was weltering Sahara,
and the Philippines a Dry Tortugas
of exile
Mallory realized for the first time
what heavy burdens he had taken on
with his shoulder straps; what dis
NAL life of restrictions and hardships
an officers life is bound to be-
Perhaps young Mr. Montague and
young Miss Capuet, instead OF wall
ing, mo, that is not the lark whose
notes do beat the vauity heaven 30
high above our heads" would have
done no better than Mr.. Mallory and
Miss Newton. In any case. the best
these two could squeeze out was:
Its Just too bad, honey"
But | guess it can't be helped,
dear"
ITS a mean old world, isn't it?"
Awful"
And then they must pile out into
the street again so lost in woe that
they did not know how they were
trampled or elbowed. Marjorie's de.
spair was so complete that it paralyzed
instinct. She forgot Snoozleums! A
thoughtful passenger ran out and
tossed the basket into Mallory's arms
even as the car moved off.
Fortune relented moment and
they found taxicab waiting where
they had expected to find it. Once
more they were cosy in the flying
twilight, but their grief was their
only baggage, and the clasp of their
hands talked all the talk there was.
Anxiety within anxiety tormenteu
them and they feared another wreck
But as they swooped down upon the
station, kind-faced tower clock
beamed the reinsurance that they
had three minutes to spare.
The taxicab drew up and halted
but they did not get out. They were
kissing good-byes, fervidly and nu.
merously, while grinnfng station.
porter winked at the winking chaur.
feur.
Marjorie simply could not have
done with fareweits.
IN go to the gate with you" she
said.
He told the chauffeur to wait ann
take the young lady home. The lieu
tenant looked so honest and the girl
SO sad that the chauffeur Simply
touched his cap, though 1t was not
his custom to allow strange fares to
vanish into crowded stations, leaving
behind nothing more negotiable than
instructions to wait.