The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-06
CHAPTER XIII.
Hostilities Beqin.

men. In the mingled confusion Of
finding his one romantic fame still
glowing on 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 a 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 a gentle.
"'Scuse me, missus-yo' berth Is num-
ba one."
II don't care" snapped Marjorie.
II won't take It,"
But this un belongs to that gentle.
man."
He can have mine-ours-Mr. NAL
lory'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 evio.
ton. The porter stared at her In
helpless chagrin- Then he shufiied
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 it one Indifferent glance, and
then her eyes and mouth puckered, az
II she had munched a green peretm.
mon, and long low wall like q dis
tant engine-whistle, stole from her
lips. Ira Lathrop stared at her In
blank wrath. doddered irresolutely,
and roared:
"Agh, let her have IT,"
The porter smiled triumphantfy, and
said: "She says you kin have her
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
ington emerging from his berth with
an enormous smile:
Say, Pop, have you seen lovely
rice-trap? Stick around till she hops.'
But Lathrop dung 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 to
Reno?"
We'll, call me just before we roll
in"
And he rolled in. His last words
foated down the aisle and met Mrs.
Little Jimmie Wellington just return
ing from the Women's Room, where
she had sought nepenthe In more than
one Of her exquisite little cigars. Tie
familiar voice, Familiarity bibulous.
smote her ear with amazement. She
beckoned the porter to her anxiously.
Porter! Porter! DO you know
the name of the man who just hur-
ried in?"
Nom" said the porter. II reckon
he's so broken up he amt got any
name left"
1T couldn't be" Mrs. Jimmie mused.
Things can be sometimes" said
the porter.
"You may make up my berth now"
said Mrs. Wellington, forgetting that
Anne Cattle was still there. Mrs.
Wellington fastened to apologize, and
begged her to stay, but the spinster
wanted to be far away from the dis
turbing atmosphere of divorce. She
was dreaming already with her eyes
open, and she sank into number six
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 Suo Hdu Iudu0 CERTAIN pTellIn-
inaries to disrobing. and put on a
light, decidedly negligee negligee.
The two women collided In the
aisle, whirled on one another, as wom-
en- do when they jostle, recognised
each other with wild stares Of amaze
ment, set their teeth, and made a
.'AAeous uasn aiung Lne currmur,
- "cr wrestling with shoulder
. 10y reached tie door marked
Women at the same instant, and az
neither would have dreamed OF offer.
Ing the other courtesy, they
squeezed through together In a XII
kenny tumble.
(TO BE CONTINUED