The Sauk Centre herald., 1912-04-25


Mallory appealed to him for help in
the matter of linen. Wellington ef-
fusively offered him everything he
had. and Mallory selected from his
store half a dozen collars, any one OF
which would have gone round his
neck nearly twice.
Wellington also proffered his safety
razor. and made him present OF
virgin wafer of steel for his very own.
With this assistance, Mallory was
enabled to make himself fairly pre-
sentable. When he returned to his
seat, the three curtained rooms had
been whisked away by the porter.
There was no place now to hide from
the passengers.
He sat down facing the feminine
end of the car, watching for Marjorie.
The passengers were watching for
her, too, hoping to learn what un-
heard-of incident could have pro-
voked the quarrel that separated q
bride and groom at this time, of all
times.
To the general bewilderment, when
Marjorie appeared, Mallory and she
rushed together and clasped hands
with an ardor that suggested a desire
for even more ardent greeting. The
passengers almost sprained their ears
to hear how they would make up such
a dreadful feud. But all they hearo
was: Well have to hurry, Marjorie.
II we want to get any breakfast"
"All right, honey. Come along"
Then the inscrutable couple sour
ried up the aisle. and disappeared in
the corridor, leaving behind them a
mighty riddle. They kissed in the
corridor of that car, kissed in the ves-
tibule, kissed in the two corridors OF
the next car, and were caught kiss
ing in the next vestihule by the new
conductor.
The dining car conductor. who fat
tered himself that he knew a bride
and groom when he saw them, es-
corted them grandly to a table for
two; and the waiter fiuttered about
them with extraordinary considera-
ton.
They had plenty to talk of in pros
pect and retrospect. They both felt
sure that minister lurked among the
cars somewhere, and they ate with
zest to prepare for the ceremony, ar
guing the best place for it, and quar-
reling amorously over details. NAL
lory was for one of the vestibules as
the scene of their union. but Marjorie
was for the baggage car, till she real
azed that Snoozleums might be unwill-
ing to attend. Then she swung round
TO the vestibule, but Mallory shifted
to the observation platform.
Marjorie had left Snoozleums with
Mrs. Temple. who promised to hide
him when the new conductor passed
through the car, and she reminded
Harry to get the waiter to bring them
o package OF bones for their only
"child," so far.
On the way back from the dining
car they kissed each other goodbye
again at all the trysting places they
had sanctified before. The sun was
radiant, the world good, and the very
train ran with jubilant rejoicing. They
would see them legally man and wife.
Mallory restored Marjorie to her
place in their car, and with smiles OF
assurance, left her for another par
eon-hunt through the train. She wait
ed for him in a bridal agitation. He
ransacked the train forward in vain.
and returned, passing Marjorie with
q shake of the head, and a sour
countenance. He went out to the OBJ
eervation platform where he stumbled
on Ira Lathrop and Anne Cattle, en-
gagged in a conversation of evident
intimacy, for they jumped when he
opened the door, as II they were guilty
OF some plot.
Mallory mumbled his usual, Eek.
cuse me-" whirled on his heel, and
dragged his discouraged steps back
through the Observation Room, where
various women and few men of evi.
dent unclericality were draped across
arm chairs and absorbed in lazy con.
versation or bobbing their heads over
magazines that trembled with the mo-
kion Of the train.
Mrs. Wellington was bus1ly writing
at the desk, but he did not know who
she was, and he did not care whom
she was writing to. He did not OBJ
serve the baleful glare of Mrs. Whit.
comb, who sat watching Mrs. Yelling
ton, knowing all too we'll who she
was, and suspecting the correspond
ent-Mrs. Whitcomb was tempted to
spell the word with one "r."
Mallory stumbled into the mems
portion of the composite car Here
he nodded with sickly cheer to the
sole occupant, DR.. Temple, who was
looking less ministerial than ever in
an embroidered skull cap. The old
rascal was sitting far back on his
lumbar yertebrae. One of his hands
clasped q long glass filled with a
liquid of hue that resembled some
thing stronger than what it was
mere ginger ale. The other hand
&nvsd with q long black cigar. The
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