The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-07-10


loose in the hold Of ship. He fum-
bled with the handles on a basin, and
made crazy toilet, trying to find
some abatement of his fever by filling
a glass at the tce-water tank and
emptying it over his head.
These drastic measures restored
him to some sort of coherency. and
Mallory appealed TO him for help in
the matter Of linen. Wellington eff.
fusive!y offered him everything he
had, and Mallory selected from his
store half dozen collars. any one OF
which would have gone round his.
neck nearly twice.
Wellington also proffered his safety
razor, and made him a present of a
virgin wafer of steel for his very own.
With this assistance, Mallory was
enabled to make himself fairly pre-
sentable. When he returned to his
seat, the three curtained rooms had
been whisked away by the porter.
There was no place now to hide from
the passengers.
He sat down facing the feminine
end of the car, watching for Marjorie.
The passengers were watching for
her, too, hoping to learn what un.
heard-of incident could have pro-
voked the quarrel that separated q
bride and groom at this time, of al.
times.
To the general bewilderment. when
Marjorie appeared, Mallory and she
rushed together and clasped hands
with an ardor that suggested desire
for even more ardent greeting. The
passengers almost s2rained their ears
to hear how they would make up such
a dreadful feud. But all they heard
was: We'll have to hurry, Marjorie.
II we want to get any breakfast"
"All right, honey. Come along"
Then the inscrutable couple scur-
ried up the aisle. and disappeared In
the corridor, leaving behind them a
mighty riddle. They kissed in the
corridor of that car, kissed in the ves-
ubule. kissed in the two corridors of
the next car, and were caught kiss
ing in the next vestihule by the new
conductor.
The dining car conductor, who fat
tered himself that he knew q bride
and groom when he saw them. es-
corted them grandly to a table for
two; and the waiter fluttered about
them with extraordinary considera-
tion.
They had plenty to talk OF in pros
pect and retrospect. They both felt
sure that minister lurked among the
cars somewhere. and they ate with q
zest to prepare for the ceremony, ar
guing the best place for it, and quar-
reling amorously over details. NAL
lory was for one of the vestibules as
the scene Of their union, but Marjorie
was for the baggage car, till she real
lied that SnOozleums might be unwilI-
ing to attend. Then she swung round
to the vestibule, but Mallory shifted
to the observation platform.
Marjorie had left Snoozleums with
Mrs. Temple, who promised to hide
him when the new conductor passed
through the car, and she reminded
Harry to get the waiter to bring them
a package of bones for their only
child" so far
On the way back from the dining
car they kissed each other goodbye
again at all the trysting places they
had sanctified before. The sun was
radiant, the world good, and the very
train ran with jubilant rejoicing They
could not doubt that few more hours
would see them legally man and wife.
Mallory restored Marjorie to her
place in their car, and with smiles OF
son-hunt through the train. She wait
ed for him in bridal agitation. He
ransacked the train forward In vain,
and returned, passing Marjorie with
a shake of the head, and a sour
countenance. He went out to the OBJ
servation platform where he stumbled
on Ira Lathrop and Anne Cattle, en-
gagged in conversation of evident
intimacy, for they jumped when he
opened the door, as If they were guilty
Of some plot
Mallory mumbled his usual, "Ex-
cuse me-" whirled on his heel, and
dragged his discouraged steps back
through the Observation Room, where
various women and few men of evi-
dent unclericality were draped across
arm chairs and absorbed in lazy con.
versation or bobbing their heads over
magazines that trembled with the mo-
ton Of the train
Mrs. Wellington was busily writing
at the desk, but he did not know who
she was, and he did not care whom
she was writing to. He did not OBJ
serve the baleful glare Of Mrs. Whit
comb, who sat watching Mrs. yelling
ton, knowing all too we'll who she
was. and suspecdng the correspond
ent-Mrs. Whitcomb was tempted to