The Delta independent., 1912-06-28
rurneo Dack. hopeless ana nelp.ess.
CHAPTER XIII.
HostilItIes Begin,


had met with little adventure OF
her own. Ira Lathrop finished his re-
encounter with Anne Cattle shortly
after Mallory set out stalking clergy
men. In the mingled confusion OF
finding his one romantic flame still
glowing on q vestal altar, and OF
shocking her with an escape OF pro-
family, he backed away from her pres.
ence, and sank into his own berth.
He realized that he was not alone.
Somebody was alongside. He turned
to find the great tear-spent eyes OF
Marjorie staring at him. He rose
with a recrudescence Of his woman
hating wrath, and dashing up the
aisle, found the porter Just returning
from the baggage car. He seized the
black factotum and growled:
Say. porter, there's woman in
my berth"
The porter chuckled, incredulous:
woman in yo' berth!"
"Yes-get her out"
"Yassah," the porter nodded, and
advanced on Marjorie with gentle
"'Scuse me, missus-yo' berth is num-
ba one"
81 don't care" snapped Marjorie
"I won't take it,
But this un belongs to that gentle
man."
"He can have mine-ours-Mr. NAL
lory's," cried Marjorie. pointing to
the white-ribboned tent in the farther
end of the car. Then she gripped the
arms of the seat, as II defying evic
ton. The porter stared at her in
helpless chagrin. Then he shutiied
back and murmured: Il reckon you'd
beta put her out
Lathrop withered the coward with
one contemptuous look, and strobe
down the aisle with a determined
grimness. He took his ticket from
his pocket as clinching proof OF his
title, and thrust 1t out at Marjorie
She gave it one Indifferent glance, and
then her eyes and mouth puckered, as
If she had munched green persim'
mon, and a long low wall like dis
tant engine-whistle, stole from her
lips. Ira Lathrop stared at her in
blank wrath, doddered irresolutely
and roared:
"Agh, let her have it,"
The porter smiled triumphantly, and
said: "She says you kin have her
berth" He pointed at the bridal ar
Dor. Lathrop almost exploded at the
idea.
Now he felt hand on his shoulder
and turned to see Little Jimmie Well
ington emerging from his berth with
an enormous smile:
Say, Pop. have you seen lovely
cha hnnS
But Lathrop flung away to the
smoking room. Little Jimmie turned
to the jovial negro:
Porter, porter"
I'm right by you"
What time d'you say we get tc
Reno?"
'Mawnin' of the fo'th day, sab"
"WelI. call me just before we roll
in"
And he rolled in. His last words
loated down the aisle and net Mrs.
Little Jimmie Wellington just return
ing from the Women's Room, where
she had sought nepenthe in more than
one of her exquisite little cigars. The
familiar voice, iamiliarly bibulous.
smote her ear with amazement. She
beckoned the porter to her an1iously.
PORTER! Porter! Do you know
the name of the man who Just hurN
ried in?"
"Nom," said the porter. II reckon
he's 80 broken up he amt got any
name left"
"It couldn't be-" Mrs. Jimmie unused.
Things can be sometimes said
the porter.
You may make up my berth now,
said Mrs. Wellington, forgetting that
Anne Cattle was still there. Mrs.
Wellington hastened to apologize. and
begged her to stay, but the spinster
wanted to be far away from the dis
turbing atmosphere of divorce. She
was dreaming already with her eyes
omen. and she sank into number SIX
in a lotus-eater's reverie.
Mrs. Wellington gathered certain
things together and took up her hand
bag. to return to the Women's Room,
Just as Mrs. Whitcomb came forth
from the curtains OF her own berth,
where she had made certain prelim-
inaries to disrobing. and put on
light, decidedly negligee negligee.
The two women collided in the
aisle. whirled on one another, as wom-
en- do when they jostle, recognized
each other with wild stares OF amaze
ment. set their teeth. and made q
simultaneous dash along the corridog.
shoulder wrestling with shoulder
They reached the door marked
women" at the same instant, and az
neither would have dreamed OF offer
Ing the other courtesy, they
squeezed through together In . k1k
kenny tumble.