The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-05-29
A Wedding
Tour
II Was In an lmprovised
Conveyance
By JOHN TURNLEE

In the freight house of the r. 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 it on either side, but a 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 a
word to any one about her affair" and
cautioned Billy not to do so 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.
Sc, -
day.
"What'll we live on" asked the pru.
dent Molly.
81 have $40 a month
do you have all Of ttat?''
Eyes. do. and next year I'll get an
other raise
but when people get married tn.
bride must have a trousseau, and they
go on wedding tour. and all that"
II can't do anything about a trous.
, seau, but ! think l can get passes on
the road for the tour"
But to ask for passes would give us
away, wouldn't it,"
81 don't know but it would" Billy
admitted doubtfully. Then an idea
came into his head. 1t wasn't much of
an idea when be conceived it. but it de-
veloped with mushroom growth, espe-
ciaily when he communicated it to,
Molly. ~"
what are you thinking about?" she
asked i- a
"Why. ! was thinking that there are
idle freight cars in the railroad yard.
and we might contrive to get a we'd
ding journey in one of them"
slow in the world could we do
that?"
while the car Is standing In the
yard we might fit it up. and then l
could get it coupled on to train
"What kind of train?"
"a freight train. of course. We
couldn't aspire to going on passenger
train"
"Oh."
1--WE could settle before starting
where we would go. and could make
out the ticket for the car and put it,
We'll so to Wharton. Lucy Carter
is there. We can see her. Maybe
she'll show us some attent!on-give us
a tea party or something like that"
what will we need for the journey
in the way of furniture? There's moth
ing at all In the car, you know"
"Shall we have to get our meals
in it:"
Certainly. We can't leave it till we
get to the end Of the route. We'd be
discovered"
$50 we would Well, We'll need q
cook stove There's one in the wood
house mother discarded when we got
the new range"
"All right. can take it away at
night"
"And the serving table with folding
legs would be handy. Old crockery
will do. won't it? There's plenty In
the kitchen pantry"
well need something to sleep on"
"There are old bedsteads In the gar
ret"
II expect We'll have to be content
with something easier carried than a
bedstead."
"How would hammock do? One
with az
"a cot would be better. There's one
at the station-unclaimed freight. I'll
only have to carry it TO the car"
'Since it's summer time I'VE will
need very little covering. How about
provisions? ! suppose 1 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 us.
Who's going to marry us?"
"Oh, goody gracious! never thought
Of that
"We'll have to go to some parson
who doesn't know us. I'll fool him with
q 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-
sary preparations. Billy's mind being
on his matrimonial scheme. his EN-
pioyer found II hard to get much work
out of him, and. as for Molly. she ap.
peared so innocent. was so quiet and
90 sweet to every one that It seemed
butter wouldn't melt In her mouth.