The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1912-08-29
CHAPTER XIII.
hostlIltles Realn.

F1OStllltleS 6e8IH.
During Mallory's absence. Marjorie
had met with little adventure OF
her own. Ira Lathrop finished his re
encounter with Anne Cattle shortly
after Mallory set out stalking clergy
men. In the mingled confusion OF
finding his one romantic flame still
glowing on a vestal altar, and OF
shocking her with an escape OF pro
family, he backed away from her pres,
ence, and sank into his own berth.
He realized that he was not alone
Somebody was alongside. He turned
to find the great tear-spent eyes OF
Marjorie staring at him. He rose
with recrudescence of his woman.
hating wrath, and dashing up the
aisle, found the porter just returning
from the baggage car. He seized the
black factotum and growled:
Say, porter. there's woman in
my BERTH"
The porter chuckled, incredulous:
Woman In yo' BERTH"
"Yes-get her out"
'Yassah, the porter nodded, and
advanced on Marjorie with gentle
s'Scuse me, missus-yo' berth is mum.
ba one"
Il don't care snapped Marjorie
VI won't take it."
But this un belongs to that gentle
man"
He can have mine -ours-Mr. Nal
iory's," cried Marjorie, pointing to
the white-ribboned tent in the farther
end of the car. Then. she gripped the
arms OF the seat, as II defying evic
tion The porter stared at her in
helpless chagrin. Then he shuftied
back and murmured: Il reckon you'd
beta put her out.
Lathrop withered the coward with
one contemptuous look, and strobe
down the aisle with a determined
grimness. He took his ticket from
his pocket as clinching proof of his
title, and thrust 1t out at Marjorie
She gave 1t one Indifferent glance, and
then her eyes and mouth puckered, as
II she had munched green persim
mon, and a long low wall like dis
tant engine-whistle, stole from heI
lips. Ira Lathrop stared at her IN
blank wrath, doddered irresolutely
and roared:
'.Agh, let her have IT."
The porter smiled triumphantly, and
said: "She says you kin have heI
berth He pointed at the bridal ar
Dor. Lathrop almost exploded at the
Idea.
Now he felt a hand on his shoulder
and turned to see Little Jimmie Well
lngton emerging from his berth with
an enormous smile:
Say, Pop, have you seen lovely
rice-trap? Stick around till she Hops.
But Lathrop flung away to the
smoking room. Little Jimmie turned
to the jovial negro:
Porter, porter"
I'm right by you"
What time d'you say we get t.
Reno?"
"Mawnin' of the 10th day, sah.''
Well, call me just before we rol
In"
And he rolled In. His last word,
fioated down the aisle and met Mrs
Little Jimmie Wellington just return
Ing from the Women.s Room, wher.
she had sought nepenthe In more thar
one OF her exquisite little cigars. TIL,
familiar voice, Familiarity bibuIous
smote her ear with amazement. Sh,
beckoned the porter to her anxiousIy
the name of the man who just hur
ried IMP
"No'm," said the porter Il reckon
he's SO broken up he amt got AM
name left"
TT couldn't be- Mrs. Jimmie mused
Things can be sometimes" sale
the porter. fa SOS
You may make up my berth now,
said Mrs. Wellington. forgetting thai
Anne Cattle was still there. Mrs
Wellington fastened to apologize, anc
begged her to stay. but the spinstel
wanted to be far away from the dis
turbing atmosphere of divorce. She
was dreaming already with her eye.
open, and she sank into number 81,
in lotus-eater's reverie.
Mrs. Wellington gathered certain
things together and took up her hand
bag, to return to the Women's Room
Just as Mrs. Whitcomb came FORTH
from the curtains Of her own berth
where she had made certain prelim
inaries to disrobing. and. put on ,
light, decidedly negligee negligee.
The two women collided in tn,
aisle, whirled on one another, as won
en- do when they jostle, recognized
each other withswild stares of amaze
ment, set their teeth. and made ,
simultaneous dash along the corridor
shoulder wrestling with shoulder
They reached the door markef
Women" at the same instant, and a
neither would have dreamed Of offer
Ing 9ths other 4 courtesy. the