Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-07-17
A Wedding
Tour
II Was In an ImprOvised
Conveyance
By JOHN TURNLEH


Billy Nudge at thirteen went to work
in the freight house Of the Il. r. and
L. railroad Billy was good boy, did
his work well-when the circus was
not in town-and was advanced from
time to time till at the age OF seven
teen he was quite valuable to the
agent in charge of the station. He was
often commissioned to attend to the
loading and unloading Of freight and
frequently gave orders as to the dis
position of cars.
About this time-when Billy was sew.
enteen-he and Molly Burnes fell In
love with each other. Whether Billy
first fell In love with Molly or Molly
first fell In love with Billy doesn't mat
ter, and there was probably no first
about II on either side, but natural
mating, just like pair of doves. How
ever, since Molly was but fifteen she
knew, as Billy knew, that any sugges-
ton Of marriage would result In her
removal to distant boarding school,
where she would see her youthful lover
only at vacation time, and then only
clandestinely. So she said never q
word to any one about her affair" and
cautioned Billy not to do 80 either
These two youngsters had all the
freedom they could have wished for,
since no one dreamed that, not having
quite emerged from childhood, they
would plot marriage. Yet that is ex-
actly what they did
Lets get married." said Billy one
day.
"What'll we live on2" asked the pru-
dent Molly.
81 have $40 a month"
do you have all Of that2"
Eyes, l do, and next year I'll get an
other raise"
"But when people get married the
bride must have rousseau, and they
go on wedding tour, and all that"
81 can't do anything about a trous-
seau, but | think can get passes on
the road for the tour"
"But to ask for passes would give us
away, wouldn't itT
II don't know but 1t would" Billy
admitted doubtfully Then an idea
came into his head. 1t wasn't much of
an idea when he conceived 1t, but 1t de-
veloped with mushroom growth, espe-
cially when he communicated 1t to
Molly.
what are you thinking aboutr she
asked
"Why, l was thinking that there are
idle freight cars in the railroad yard,
and we might contrive to get wed
ding journey I'm one Of them"
How In the world could we do
that?"
while the car Is standing in the
yard we might at It up, and then I
could get 1t coupled on to a train
what kind of tramp
"A freight train, of course. We
couldn't aspire to going on passenger
train"
"Ohp
I'VE could settle before starting
where we would go, and could make
out the ticket for the car and put IT.
"We'll go TO Wharton. Lucy Carter
is there. We can see her. Maybe
she'll show us some attention-give us
a tea party or something like that"
what will we need for the journey
In the way of furniture2 There's moth
ing at all In the car, you know"
shall we have to get our meals
initf"
Certainly. We can't leave 1t till we
get to the end OF the route. We'd be
discovered"
80 we would. Well, we'll need a
cook stove. There's one in the wood
house mother discarded when we got
the new range"
"All right. can take 1t away at
night"
"And the serving table with folding
legs would be handy. Old crockery
will do, won't ltf There's plenty In
the kitchen pantry"
well need something to sleep on"
"There are old bedsteads IN the gar
ret"
II expect well have TO be cJntent
with something easier carried than
bedsiead."
How would a hammock dor One
with az
"a cot would be better. There's one
at the station-unclalmed freight. III
only have TO carry 1t to the car"
'Slnce It's summer time we will
need very little covering. How about
provlsionsf ! suppose must provide
them"
Bring what you can I'll buy some
meat and things that can't be kept
long There's one important thing In
the way that I'm afraid will block U.S.
Who's going to marry usT
"oh, goody graciousI Inever thought
OF that"
Wen have to 90 to some parson
who doesn't know us. I'll fool him with
a false beard, and you wear dress
reaching to the floor. You look old for
your age"
Maybe can pass for eighteen"
After this preliminary dialogue both
set to work slyly to make the neces
Bary preparations. Bllly's mind being
on his matrimonial scheme, his EN-
ployer found II hard TO get much work
out Of him, and, as for Molly, she ap
peared 30 innocent, was 80 quiet and
so sweet TO every one that It seemed