The Press., 1915-09-22
l. THE CUPID
 EXPRESS A Comedy of Love
By CLARlSSA MACKIE

Trentham people always called the 6:3s train "the Cupid express" be- cause it invariably carried one or more bridal couples.
 It was the close of March day, ex- actly 6:36 p. m., and the Cupid express had just snorted away cityward with two of Trentham's fair brides and in cidentally the newly made husbands.
 The Faber twins had just been mar. ried. It was a double wedding, and all the town had turned out to send them off with suitable merrymaking.
 "Where Is Edith?" inquired Mrs. Will liam Blake, craning her neck around the carriage. Where is Edith?' she repeated sternly as her niece took her place in the surrey. Cora Morris voice was guilty.
 "Edith is walking home," she said. Mrs. Blake drew a sharp breath.
 "Walking?" she interrogated.
 Cora nodded, but her face beneath the white hood of her cloak was serious.
 Mot alone?' declared Mrs. Blake in the decisive tone of one who knew.
 "With Harley Lane," confessed Cora.
 "Ahr' Mrs. Blake's tone was freez- ing. She sank back in her seat and was silent. Bitter thoughts crowded her mind. .-..., -. ,, It was like an unkind fate to decree that her only child, Edith, should fall in love with Judge Lanes son.
 She had always tried to keep them apart and was openly rude to young Lane. And Harley was disconcerting- ly polite to her.
 "Mrs. Blake would be the jolliest woman in the world if she would only forget her grouch against the world, ? said her would be son-in-law to his ia. ther one day.
 But the judge had drowned and look. ed very uncomfortable.
 "I wonder why your mother is SC set against me-" remarked Harley as he tucked Edith's hand under his arm and marched down the street.
 Edith's eyelashes f1ickered as the surrey passed them at corner where a street lamp shonc brightly.
 'I don't believe she really hates you Harley" she said, "but some one has whispered a bit of ancient history to me. Years ago mother was engaged to marry your father. They quarreled and neither forgave the other. Both married. There you are, sir!' L. "The deuce" whist!el Harley; then he added hastily: ''They've both been widowed for fifteen years. Why didn't they marry each other?"
 "I don't know" sighed Edith. ''They couldn't really have cared"
 Dear, do you know l was wishing that you and had courage to throw conventions to the four winds and elope on the Cupid express some day!
 "They would never forgive us, dear,' murmured Edith, "and we couldn't really be happy if they didn't"
 'I know it. There's only one thing to do, thcn-to convert them to our way of thinking"
 "How can We do that?"
 "I didn't have an idea until you told me that once they had been sweet hearts. Listen to this scheme.''
 Mrs. Blake saw them lingering at the front gate. Her handsome face grew sterner, and her lips strengthened into thin line.
 Her hands smote sharply together in a passion of wounded pride.
 His son-of all menw she moaned softly.
 One April afternoon Mrs. Blake re- turned from her euchre club to find the house strangely silent.
 Miss Edith?" repeated Jane, the maid. "Why, Miss Edith left the house an hour ago. She carried a suit case and'-
 "A suit case?" interrupted Mrs. Blake. Did she say where she was going?'
 "No, ma'amn l wouldn't have known about it only heard the front door close, and looked and saw Miss Edith running down the walk. A cab was there. She jumped in and was off"
 "Very likely she has been called over to her cousins in South Trentham. She will telephone to nc no doubt"
 The clock in the hall chimed the quarter after 6, and mingled with it was the sharp. insistent tinkle of the telephone bell
 Winona Blal.e's voice shook little as she lifted the receiver from its hook.
 "Yes?" she inquired
 It was Edith's voice. speaking in tremulous excitement.
 Mother, dear." she Quavered would you consent to my-my marrying Har- leyY"
 All instant's silence, then the moth CTS voice. cold and terrible:
 "No daughter of mine ever will mar ry hiEHy'
 Mother" Edith's voice was stricken. Where are you?" asked Mrs. Blake.
 "The railroad station.''
 "Vait until come!' ordered Mrs. Blake, and. hanging up the receiver, she rushed from the house, still wear ing her hat and Her most becoming afternoon gown
 There was no time to call Thomas. Before he could harness one of the lazy blacks into the runabout the Cupid ex- press would be away from the station! As Mrs. Blake hurried up the stairs she heard the thunder of the approach ing train Her liDs frightened
 "I will go along, toow she thought 'Edith is minor, and''-
 "Here, madamv' A. conductor almost lifted her to the steps, and as she stag gered across the platform into the coach shower of small particles fell stingingly upon her face.
 Rice" called somebody from the coach behind.
 "NVhere's the bridegroom?' some one asked in loud whisper.
 1.-The old party in the gray overcOat. See the confetti on his hat?'' And at this moment Mrs. Blake col lided with some one in the aisle. They grasped each other and swayed with the moving train. Your glared Mrs. Blake.
 "YouY' glared Judge Lane. , Yourynnp r0n fhpOuuh tho |