The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-09-14

young men ana the DundIes. me un-
usual stir attracted the porter's sus-
picions He came forward with look
OF authority:
'"Scuse me, but wha-what's all
this?''
"vanish-get out" said Hudson,
poking a coin at him AS he turned
10 obey, Mrs. Whitcomb checked him
with "Oh. Porter, could you get US
a hammer and some nails"
The porter almost blanched: Good
Lawd, Miss, you amt allowin' to drive
nails in that woodwork, is you?" That
woodwork was TO him what the altar
is TO the priest.
But Hudson, resorting TO heroic
measures, hypnotized him with two
dollar bill: Here, take this and see
nothing, hear nothing, say nothing"
The porter caressed 1t and chuckled:
I'm blind, deaf and speechless." He
turned away, only TO come back at
once with a timid "Scuse me-"
You here YETI" growled Hudson.
Anxiously the porter pleaded: 81
just want TO asst one question. Is you
all fixin' up for a bridal couple"
Foolish question, number eight
million, forty-three," said Shaw. An
swer, no, we are"
The porter's face glistened like
fresh stove polish as he gloated over
the prospect. 81 tell you, it'll be mahty
refreshin' TO have a bridal couple on
bode! This dog-on Reno train don't
carry nothin' much but divorces. I'm
just nachally hongry for a bridal cou-
pie"
"Brile coup-hic-le?" came a voice.
like an echo that had somehow be,
come intoxicated in transit. 1t was
Little Jimmie Wellington looking for
more sympathy. "Whass zis about
brile coupler"
Why, here's Little Buttercup!
sang out young Hudson, looking at
him in amazed amusement.
Did un'stan' somebody say you're
preparing for brile couple"
Lieutenant Shaw grinned. Il don't
know what you understood, but that's
what we're doing"
| Immediately Wellington's great face
began to churn and work like big
eddy in a river. Suddenly he was
weeping. Excuse these tears, zhent
| tlemen, but l once-I was once q
! b-b-bride myself.
He looks like a whole wedding par
| ty,' was Ashton's only comment or
the copious grief. 1t was poor yelling
! fC+ IN
| pathy as Diogenes for honesty. The
decorators either ignored him oil
| shunted him aside. They were inter
ested in a strange contrivance Of rib
bons and box that Shaw produced.
That" Hudson explained, lis lit
tie rice trap. We hang that up there
and when the bridal couple sit dOwr
Diff! a shower of rice all over them
It's bad, eh?"
Everybody agreed that it was {
| happy thought, and even Jimmie Wei
lingtOn, like a great baby, bounding
from tears to laughter on the instant
was chortling: "A rishe trap? That!
abslootly splendid-greates' invensh
modern times. l must stick around
|
then he lurched forward like a too
obliging elephant. Let me help you.
Mrs. Whitcomb, who had nov
mounted step ladder and poised her
self as gracefully as possible, shrieket
with alarm, as she saw Wellington
bulk rolling toward her frail support
II Hudson and Shaw had not beef
football veterans at West Point AM
had not known just what to do whel
the center rush comes bucking tn
line, they could never have blocke,
that flying wedge. But they cheeke,
him and impelled him backwar,
through his own curtains into his owl
berth.
Finding himself on his back, he de
cided to remain there. And there b.
remained, oblivious Of the carniva
preparations going on just outside hi
canopy.