The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-04-17

my present husband You may tiet
him In, Now Is 1t all perfectly clear,
portetf
"oh, yassum, clear as clear" Thus
guaranteed she entered the staterooni,
leaving the porter alone with his prob
lem. He tried to work It out In q
,semfaudible humble: "Lemme see!
II your present husbands absent wife
gifts on bode disguised as handsome
hideous woman I'm to throw him
her-otf the train and let her-bim-
come in-oh, yassum, you may rely on
me-" He bowed and held out his
hand. But she, was gone. He shut
fled on into the car.
He had hardly left the little space
before the stateroom when 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 a muf-
fled:
go away. I'm not in."
He put his lips close and softly
called: Edith"
At this Sesame the door opened a
trihe, but when he tried to enter, a
hand thrust him back and voice
again warned him on. you mustn't
come In" -
but I'm your husband"
That's Just why you mustn't come
In" The door opened a little wider
to give him a view Of a down'cast
beauty moaning:
"oh, Arthur, I'm SO afraid"
"Afraid?" he shifted. with your
husband here% . q
THAT'S the trouble. Arthur. What
81 your former wife should tind US to-
gether" -lrsH -
but she and ! are divorced
an some states, yes-but other
states don't acknowledge the divorce.
That former wife OF yours is a tiend
to pursue us this way"
she's no worse than your former
husband. He's pursuing US, too. My
divorce was as good as yours, my
dear"
Eyes, and no better"
The angels looking on might have
Judged from the ready tempers Of the
newly married and not entirely un-
married twain that their new alliance
promised to be as exciting as their
previous estates. Perhaps the man
subtly felt the presence Of those eter-
nal eavesdroppers, for he tried to end
the love-duel in the corridor with an
appeasIng caress and a tender APP
peal: but let's not start our honey
moon with a quarrel"
His partial wife returned the caress
and tried to explain: Pm not quar-
Tellng with you, dear heart, but with
the harrid divorce laws. Why, oh,
why did we ever interfere with
them?"
He made a brave effort with: I'VE
ended two unhappy marriages, Edith,
to make one happy one"
"But I'm so unhappy, Arthur and
SO afraid F"
He seemed 4 tribe afraid himself
and his gaze was askance as he
urged: "But the train will start soon,
Edfth--and then we shall be safe"
Mrs. Fosdlck had a genius for In
venting unpleasant possibilities. But
what If your former wife or my for
mer husband should nave a detective.
on board?" =
"a detective?-poof!" He snapped
his fingers in brayado. you are with
your husband, aren't your"
I'm Illinois, yes" she admitted.
very dolefully. But when We come
to Iowa, I'm a bigamist, and when
we come to Nebraska. you're a blga-
mist, and when we come to Wyoming,
we're not married at all"
1t was certainly tangled web they
had woven, but ray of light shot
through it into his bewildered soul.
"But we're all right in Utah. Come.
dearest"
He took her by the elbow TO escort
her into their sanctuary, but still she
hung back.
ION one condition. Arthur-that
you leave me as soon as We cross the
Iowa state line, and not come back,
TIL we get to Utah. Remember, the
Iowa state lihe!" rrI
"oh, all right" he smiled. And see
Ing the porter, beckoned him close
and asked with careless Indifference:
"oh, porter, what time do we reach
the Iowa state lIne?"
Two ffty,Hye in the mawning,
sah."
1.-TWO hfty-hye a. m,?" the wretch
exclaimed.
two fifty-Hve a. M, yassah," the
porter repeated, and wondered why
this excerpt from the timetable
should exert such dramatic effect
on the luscious.eyed Fosdick.
He had small time to mediate the
puzzle, for the train was about to be
launched upon its long voyage. lie
went out to the platform, and watched
couSle making that way, As their
only luggage was a dog-basket he sup
posed that they were simply come to
lid sonoe of hIs messengers goodbye.