Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1912-08-22
oopyrisbt. iOii. b. Il. z. NJ 90

Oopyrt6nt 1911. bY II. u. Wy 90
was excitedly trying to calm the ex.
Gifted girl, who. having eloped with
him, was preparing now to elope back
without him.
Darling. you can't desert me now"
ne pleaded. "and leave me to go on
Iaione?"
{ well, why don't you do some
thing?" she retorted, in equal des-
Iperation. IF l were a man, and l
had the girl loved on a train. I'd
Iget her married IL I had to wreck
the" she caught her breath, paused
a second in intense thought, and
then, with sudden radiance, cried:
Harry, dear!" ..'-...
yes, love!"
II have an idea-an inspiration!"
Yes, pet" rather obviously from
him, but with absolute exultation from
her: Lets wreck the train!"
II don't follow you, sweetheart"
Don't you see?" she began excited
lily. when there are train wrecks a
lot Of people get killed, and things.
A minister always turns up to admin
lister the last something or other
we'll"
"Well?"
well, stupid, don't you see? We
wreck train, minister comes, we
nab him, he marries US, and-there
we are! Everything's lovely"
! He gave her one of those looks
with which man usually greets what
a woman calls an inspiration. He did
not honor her invention with an
Ialysis. He simply put forward an OBJ
lection to 1t, and, man-like, chose the
most hateful of all objections:
tits a lovely idea, but the wreck
would delay us for hours and hours,
land I'd miss my transport"
Harry Mallory, If you mention that
Eodious transport to me again, know
IN have hydrophobia. I'm going
home"
But, darling" he pleaded, you
can't dessert me now, and leave me to
fgo on alone" She had her answer
glib:
IF you really loved me, you'd"
"Oh, know" he cut in. You've
said that before. But I'd be court
martialed. I'd lose my career"
Whats a career to man who
truly loves?" !
Its just as much as it is to any.
body else-and more"
She could hardly controvert this
gracefully, so she sank back with
grim resignation. well, I've pro-
posed my plan, and you don't like it.
Now, suppose you propose something"
The silence was oppressive. They
sat like stoughton bottles. There the
found them some time
later. He gave them careless look,
selected a chair at the end OF the
(car, and began to sort his tickets,
spreading them out on another chair,
making notes with the pencil he took
from atop his ear, and showed back
from time to time.
Ages seemed to pass, and Mallory
had not even a suggestion. BY this
time Marjorie's temper had evaporat.
ed, and when he said: IF we could
IOhiy 5bOp at oOlhC ~" IL III udll Oh
hour" she said: Maybe the conduc-
tor would hold the train for u.s."
81 hardly think he would"
HE looks like an awfully nice man.
You ask him"
"Oh, what's the use?"
Marjorie was getting tired OF de-
tpending on this charming young man
with the very bad luck. She decided
to assume command herself. She
took recourse naturally to the orig
inaI feminine methods: 'I'll take care
of him." she said, with resolution. "A
woman can get man to do almost
anything If she fiirts a little with
HIM"
"Marjorie!"
"Now, don't you mind anything 1
do. Remember, It's all for love OF
you-even II l have to kiss him."
Marjorie, won't permit"
: you have no right to boss me
yet. You subside." She gave. him the
.Iaerest touch, but he fell backward
iAto a chair, utterly aghast at the
shameless siren into which despera-
ton had altered the timid little thing
he thought he had chosen to love. He
was being rapidly initiated into the
complex and versatile and fearfully
wonderful thing woman really is,
and he was saying to himself, What
have I married?" forgetting, for the
moment, that he had not married her
yet, and that therein lay the whole
trouble.
CHAPTER XVI.
rr.f
peIIIah and tho Conductor.