Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-04-04
NO.. 8.

too mucn agltated to rebuke the impu.
dence. She merely sighed: "Oh, por-
ter, I'm so anxious"
I'm not-now," he muttered, for
she handed him a coin.
forter, have you seen anybody on
board that looks suspicious?"
'Evvabody looks suspicious to me.
Missy. But what was you expecting
-especial?"
"Oh, porter, have you seen ANYBODY
that looks like a detective in dis.
guise?"
We'll, they's one man looks g If he
was disguised as balloon, but don't
believe he's no slooch-hound,"
We'll. If you see anybody that looks
Ike detective and he asks for Mrs.
Fosdick-"
Mrs. What-dick?"
Mrs. Fosdick! You tell him I'm not
on board" And she gave him another
coin.
"Yassum," said the porter, Iinger.
Ing willingly on such fertile soil. "IIl
tell him Mrs. Fosdick done give me
her word she wasn't on bode."
"Yes!-and il woman should ask
you"
What kind Of woman?"
The hideous kind that men call
handsome"
"Oh, amt they hideous, them hand
some women?"
well, If such woman asks for
Mrs. Fosdick-she's my husbands
first wife-but of course that doesn't
interest you"
"No'm-yes M"
IF she comes-tell her-tell her
oh, what shall We tell herr"
The porter rubbed his thick skull:
"Lemme see-we might say you'll
tell you what We'll tell her: we'll tell
her you took the train for New York;
and If she runs mighty fast she can
just about ketch it."
Fine, fne." And she rewarded
his genius with another coin. And,
porter" He had not budged. "Por-
ter, If a very handsome man with
luscious eyes and a soulful smile asks
for me-"
"I'll th'ow him off the train!"
"Oh, no-no!-that's my husband
my present husband You may let
him in. Now is it all perfectly clear.
porter?"
"Oh, yassum, clear as clear" Thus
guaranteed she entered the stateroom.
leaving the porter alone with his prob
lem. He tried to work 1t out in a
semi-audible humble: "Lemme see!
II your present husbands absent wife
gifts on bode disguised as handsome
hideous woman I'm to throw him
her-off the train and let her-him-
come in-oh, yassum, you may rely on
me-" He bowed and held out hia
hand. But she was. gone. He shut
fed on into the car.
He had hardly left the little space
before the stateroom when a hand
some man with luscious eyes, but
without any smile at all, came slink-
ing along the corridor and tapped
cautiously on the door. Silence alone
answered him at first, then when he
had raped again, he heard q muf-
fed:
"Go away. I'm not in"
He put his lips close and softly
called: Edith"
At this Sesame the door opened q
trifle, but when he tried to enter, q
hand thrust him back and a voice
again warned him of. You musn't
come in"
'But I'm your husband"
That's just why you mustn't come
In" The door opened little wider
to give him a view Of a down-cast
beauty moaning:
"Oh, Arthur, I'm so afraid"
"Afraid?" he shifted. with your
husband here?"
That's the trouble, Arthur. What
If your former wife should ind us to-
gether?"
But she and l are divorced"
"In some states, yes-but other
states don't acknowledge the divorce.
That former wife of yours is a fiend
to pursue us this way"
"Shes no worse than your former
husband. He's pursuing us, too. My
divorce was as good as yours. my
dear"
"Yes, and no better"
The angels looking on might have
Judged from the ready tempers OF the
newly married and not entirely un-
married twain that their new alliance
promised to be as exciting as their
previous estates. Perhaps the man
subtly felt the presence of those eter'
nal eavesdroppers, for he tried to end
the love-duel in the corridor with an
appeasing caress and tender ap-
peal: But let's not start our honey
moon with quarrel"
His partial wife returned the caress
and tried to explain: "I'm not quar-
reling with you, dear heart, but with
the horrid divorce laws. Why, ohi
why did we ever interfere with
them?"
He made q brave effort with: I'VE
ended two unhappy marriages, Edith.
to make one happy one."
"But I'm so unhappy, Arthur, and
SO afraid"
He seemed a trife afraid himself
and his gaze was askance as he
urged: "But the train will start soon.
Edith-and then we shall be safe"
Mrs Fosdicls had g. MUS fer in
venting unpleasant possibilities. But
what If your former wife or Iy for
mer husband should nave a detective
on board?"
To BE Continued