The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-07-26
CHAPTER VIII.
A Mixed Pickle.

- WiHCu UNIV
Mrs. Whitcomb had almost blushet
when she had murmured to Lieuten
ant Hudson:
Il should think the young couple
would have preferred a stateroom,"
And Mr.. Hudson had finched 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 II
unobserved.
First came a huttering woman
whose youthful beauty had a certain
hue of experience, saddening and
wisering. The porter brought her in
from the station-platform, led her tc
the staterooms concave door and
passed in with her luggage. But she
fingered without, Peri at the gate
of Paradise. When the porter re
turned to bow her in, she shivered and
hesitated, and then demanded:
"Oh, porter, are you sure there's no
body else in there?"
The porter chuckled, but humored
her panic.
Il 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 a 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:
is you pleased or Disappointed"
The mysterious young woman was
too much agitated to rebuke the hmm
dence. She merely sighed: "Oh, DOR
ter, I'm so anxious"
I'm not-now," he muttered fo,
she handed him a coin.
Porter, have you seen anybody OF
board that looks suspicious
"EVVabody looks suspicious to me
Missy. But what was you EXPECTING
-especial?"
ON, porter, have you seen ANYBODY
that looks like a detective in dis
yuise?"
Wei, they's one man looks s If he
was disguised as balloon, but don,
believe he's no slooch-hound."
We'll. If you see anybody that looks
Ike detective and he asks for Mrs
Fosdick-"
Mrs, What-dick?"
Mrs. Fosdick! You tell him I'm mi
on board" And she gave him anotho,
coin.
Yassum," said the porter, linger
ing willingly on such fertile sol, "t,
tell him Mrs. Fosdck done give mt
her word she wasn't on bode."
"Yes!-and if woman shou,d asl
you"
What kind of a woman?"
The hldeous kind that men cal
| handsome"
"Oh, amt they hideous, them hand
some women"
We'll, ii such a woman asks fo,
Mrs. Fosdick-she's my HUSBAND,
first wife-but OF course that doecn,
interest you"
"NO'm-yes'm m"
III she comes-tell her-ten her
oh. what shall We tell herr"
The porter rubbed his thick sk,,,.
"Lemme see-we might say you-
tell you what Well tell her. we'll 70,
her you took the train for New York,
and II she runs mighty fast she car
just about ketch It."
Fine, fine!" And she Rewarded
his genius with another coin And
porter" He had not budged "por
ter, II very handsome man with
luscious eyes and soulful smile asks
for me-"
'Tll th'ow him off the train,"
"Oh, no-no,-that's my husband
my present husband You NAV 10,
him in, Now is it all perfectly clear
porter"
"Oh, yassum, clear as clear" Thus
guaranteed she entered the stateroom
leaving the porter alone with his prob
lem. He tried TO work it out In a
selui-audible humble: "Lemme see!