The Prescott daily news., 1912-04-12
CHAPTER X.
Excess Baggage.

Excess Baggage.
 Never was a young soldier so stumped by a problem in tactics as Lieutenant Harry Mallory, safely aboard his train, and not daring to leave it. yet hopelessly unaware of how he was to dispose of his lovely but unlabelled baggage.
 Hudson and Shaw had erected white satin temple to Hymen in berth number one, had created such commo- tion, and departed in such confusion, that there had been no opportunity to proclaim that he and Marjorie were mot married-just friends.
 And now the passengers had ac- cepted them as that enormous fund of amusement to any train. a newly we'd ded pair. To explain the mistake would have been difficult, even among friends But among strangers-well. perhaps a wiser and a colder brain than Harry Mallory's could have stood there and delivered brief ora ton restoring truth to her pedestal. Bat Mallory was in no condition for such a stoic delivery. He mopped his brow in agony, lest in a blizzard of bewilderment. lie drifted back toward Marjorie half to protect and half for companionship. He found Mrs Temple cuddling her close and mothering her as if she Were a baby instead of a bride.
 Did the poor child run away and get married?"
 Marjorie's frantic "Boo-hoo-hoo" might have meant anything. Mrs. Temple took it for assent and mur- mured with glowing reminiscence:
 Just the way Doctor Temple and did"
 She could not see the leaping flash of wild hope that lighted up Mallory face. She only heard his voice across her shoulder:
 Doctor? Doctor Temple? Is your husband a reverend doctor?"
 "A reverend doctor?" the little old ladr repeated weakly.
 "Yes-a--a preacher?"
 The poor old congregation-weary soul was abruptly confronted with the ruination of all the delight in her lit tie escap3de with her pulpit-tagged husband If she had ever dreamed that the glrl who was weeping in her arms was weeping from any other fright than the usual fright of young brides, fresh from the preachers hen ediction, she would have cast every other consideration aside, and tOIG the truth.
 But her husbands last behest be. fore he left her had been to keep their precious pretend-secret. She felt-1ust tho-l-that a woman's trst duty is to obey her husband. Beside, what business was it of this young husbands what her old husband business was? Before she had fairly begun to debate her duty, almost auto matically, with the instantaneous i1- stinCt of protection, her lips had uttered the denial:
 "Oh-hes-just a--plain doctor. There he is now"
 Mallory cast one miserable glance down the aisle at Dr Temple coming back from the smoking room. AS the old man paused to stare at the bridal berth. whose preparation he had not seen, he was just enough befuddled by his first cigar for thirty years to look tritle tipsy. The motion of the train and the rakish tilt of his un- wonted crimson tie confirmed the suspicion and annihilated Mallory's newborn hope, that perhaps repentant fate had dropped parson at their very feet.
 He sank Into the seat opposite Marjorie, who gave him one terrified glance. and burst into fresh sobs:
 Oh-oh-boo-hoo-Im so unhap- happy"
 Perhaps Mrs. Temple was little unified at the couple that had led her astray and opened her own honey moon with wanton fib. In any case, the best consolation she could offer Marjorie was a perfunctory pat, and a cynicism:
 There, there, dear, You Gon't know what real unhappiness is yet Wait till you've been married . while.'
 And then she noted a startling lack of completeness in the brides hand.
 "Why-my dear!-where's your wedding ring?"