Mexico Missouri message., 1912-07-04

II your present husbands absent Wits
gifts on bode disguised as a 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" lie bowed and held out his
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 stink
ing along the corridor and tapped
cautiously on the door. silence alone
answered him at first, then when he
had raped again, he heard a NUT
/ fed:
Go away. I'm not In"
lie put his lips close and softly
called. Edith"
At this Sesame the door opened
trife, but when he tried TO enter,
hand thrust him back and voice
again warned him OF. You mustn't
come In"
but I'm your husband"
That's Just why you mustn't come
in" The door opened a little wider
to give him a view OF a down.cast
beauty moaning:
oh Arthur. I'm so afraid
"Afraid?" he smiled. With your
husband here"
That's the trouble. Arthur. What
II your former wife should md us to-
gether?"
But she and are divorced"
In some states. yes-but other
states don't acknowledge the divorce.
That former wife OF yours is a iiend
TO pursue US this way"
She's 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 I'M
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 loye-duel in the corridor with an
appeasing caress and a tender ap-
peal: But let's not start our honey
moon with a 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, oh,
why did We ever interfere with
| them?"
He made a brave effort with: We
/ ended two unhappy marriages, Edith,
| to make one happy one"
But I'm so unhappy, Arthur, and
so afraid
He seemed a tritie afraid himself
and his gaze was askance as he
urged: But the train will start soon.
/ Edith-and then We shall be safe"
Mrs. Fosdick had a genius for in
venting unpleasant possibilities. But
| what II your former wife or my for
| mer husband should nave detective
on board?"
"A detective?-poof!" He snapped
his fingers in bravado. You are with
your husband. aren't you?"
In Illinois, yes" she admitted
very Golefully. But when We come
to Iowa. I'm a bigamist, and wher
We come TO Nebraska, you're a biga
mist, and when We come to Wyoming
we're not married at all"
II was certainly tangled web theJ
had woven, but ray OF light sho
through II into his bewildered soul
But we're all right in Utah. Come
dearest"
He took her by the elbow TO escor
her into their sanctuary, but still sh'
hung back.
"On one condition, Arthur-tha
you leave me as soon as we cross tn
Iowa state line. and not come bacl
till We get TO Utah. Remember. tn
Iowa state line,"
oh. all right" he smiled. And see
ing the porter, beckoned him clos
ahd asked with careless indifference
oh. porter. what time do We reac
the Iowa state lne?"
= Two ffty-tive in the mawnins
sab"
Two fifty-tve a. m? the Wretc
exclaimed.
Two ffty-fye a. m, yassah," tn
5 porter repeated. and wondered VIII
!. this excerpt from the time-tabI
should exert such a dramatic erec
on the luscious-eyed Fosdick
I lie had small time TO mediate IN
= puzzle, for the train was about TO b
launched upon its long voyage. II
= went out to the platform, and watche
Il a coS.ple making that way. As thei
e only luggage was dog-basket ne SUI
posed that they were simply come
k bid some OF his passengers good-by'
No tips were TO be expected frol
such transients. so he allowed them
II help themselves up the steps.
Mallory and his Marjorie had trie
+ 10 kiss the farewell or farewells ha
a dozen times. but she could not Il
IT him go at the gate. She asked n
s guard 10 let her through, and ht
I beauty was bride enough.
Again and again. she and MallOf