The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-10-27
A Kiss In the
Dark
By ARNOLD BARTON

1Soi6S AOSkWOOU. young AmeTl-
can. was travelling from Milan. Italy.
to Lucerne, Switzerland From Lu-
gano northwnrd the railroad ascends a
valley till 1t reaches a tunnel through
which trains go under the st. Go
thard pass. entering Switzerland at the
northern opening of the tunnel The
time of passage Is fifteen minutes-as
long time underground rs in any 9TH
er such passage IN the world
On entering his compartment at Lu-
gano George took u seat opposite a
party Of Iadies who were evidently
travelling together. One was appar-
emily about thirty, while the other two
We're young girls. The elder had chest
nut hair, fair complexion and brown
eyes. One of the girls was of north
ern type. very fair, while the third.
evidently the youngest of the three,
was certainly Italian. with the dark
hair, eyes and complexion Of Italy.
| AS for George he was not only very
handsome, but had one OF those smiles
/ that are SO winning in either man or
woman-a smile through which Iowa
BILE soul speaks to all who look at it.
He was twenty-five years old, an age
when q mans attractiveness Is usual
" at Its best.
All the morning George Lockwood
sat opposite these three ladies'. who
were evidently tourists and chatting
with one another, now In French, now
IN Italian. and once he heard the fair
haired girls speak few words that
sounded to him SO like English that he
put her down as Il Swede. Since he
did not speak any but his native
tongue be did not understand what
they said but saw they were evidently
bent on enjoying themse' res. One of
them during their chat clusped her
hands and looked up toward heaven.
smiling. as though describing something
extremely engaging If he had been
more conceited he would have inferred
that the ladies were talking about him.
The train stopped few minutes at
the mouth of the long tunnel. and
George got out to stretch his legs Then
he resumed his seat, and the train, pull
Ing out from the station entered the
black hole In the mountain There was
lamp In the compartment, but through
some oversight 1t had not been lighted
George drew forth match from his
pocket, struck 1t and held It aloft to
see II the omission could not be reme-
died. But, there appearing no feasible
way of doing so, he sat down to pass
quarter of an hour In the dark.
Above the rumble OF the train he
could hear whisperings between the
ladies opposite. but they were not
loud enough to be understood even ii
he knew the tongue In which they were
spoken. When about half the distance
In darkness had been trayersed, sud
denly he felt a pair Of arms clasped
about him and lips pressed against his.
So taken by surprise was be that he
did not on the instant think to hold
the kisser When he did make the
effort he felt pair of sleeves of some
fine material passing through his hands
There were about seven minutes left
cover her self possession before merg-
ing into the light OF day. George pre-
pared himself to scrutinize each face,
believing that she would In some way
betray herself. But seven minutes is
good deal of time on occasion. Be
sides. when the train shot out of the
tunnel it stopped at station only
few hundred yards from the mouth.
Instead of being able to scrudnize the
ladies' opposite him be found them pre-
pairing to alight at the station.
Bafiied, he determined to get out also
and If they remained ut the station he
would do likewise. but when he saw
that they left their hand baggage in
the racks he felt easier and remained
in his seat. The ladies' evidently got
out that the kisser might have time to
collect her faculties. for the train stop
ped but short time and they were
soon In their seats again. Each one
seemed to have good deal to do to
get settled. and the train was well un.
der way before any Of them gave
George an opportunity to look her over
BY that time 1t was too late; the kiss
er. whoever she was. had completely
recovered her composure.
The ladies' on arrival at Fluelen. a
station Gu Lake of the Four Cantons,
took the boat for Lucerne. George
passed the ladies occasionally while
he walked on the deck, hut refrained
from giving any evidence that anything
unusual had happened The trio In
turn never cooked at him. ignoring him
as thoroughly us if they had never
seen him before Nevertheless he re-.
solved to shadow them and stop Mt the
same hotel rs they at Lucerne. On go
ing ashore he followed them at a dis.
lance and settled himself under the
same roof with them
They remained in Lucerne week.
making all the excursions to be made
in its environs. One morning George.
walking along the lake shore. saw them
all going on to the boat that had
brought them from FlueIen. AS 1t /
left the dock when he could not fol.
low fhem-fhe vnunoocf ne tbo .,...,