San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-27

EAn' get piaih "ater' l."
- fizzy never quenches you
thirst"
Not strong on water over here,
Warren leaned from their compart
ment window. This Johnny's 80
nothin' but wine"
Those bottles underneath
persisted Helen, as the refreshmen
wagon came trundling down the plat
form.
water. L'acqua!r called War
rem.
But the attendant was now besieged
Passengers clamoring for fiascos o.
Chant and the dubious sandwiches.
Scurry and confusion! Shouting
guards and vendors. Rambling lug
gage trucks.
And the four soldier-police that pa
troll every Italian station. The twin
comic-opera carabinieri and the two
black-shirted Fascist.
A warning whistle. Louder shouts
A concerted rush for the train.
Here you are" Warren swung in
with a bottle. SCOT an opener?"
From a suitcase. Helen produced the
opener and a collapsible cup.
"Oh, dear, it's fizzy," as it bubbled
out. Didn't he have
"Now, you saw that mobl Darn
lucky to get anything"
another tunnel! Close the win
dow-quick
UNPLEASANT TUNNELS.
The interminable tunnels through
the mountains between Florence and
Bologna! Every few miles they
plunged into smoke-stifling darkness.
wouldn't you think they'd have
electric engines with all these tun-
nels?"
Huh, not spendin' any money cleo
trifyin' roads. Takes all they can
scrape TO keep these tin soldiers strut
tin around. Holy Smoke, what'm L
sittin' in? WATER! Pool of it"
THAT bottlel told you to put 1t
in the rack. It's all over everything .
Wait till We can SEE
Again out in the sunlight, Helen
mopped the wet upholstery with
newspapfr.
Here, that'll never soak it up. Got
towel?"
"Yes, but / hate to use it-this
dirty seat No, in the other suitcase.
Even first-class carriages lack much
in cleanliness, and the towel was black
after rubbing the dingy gray cloth:
"NOw, dear. sit over here and let
it dry. Oh, l hope no one comes in
here"
"Not likely-after that fat tip l
slipped that guard"
Another stretch Of choking black
ness.
"Dear. how awful If they'd have an
accident in these tunnels Didn't they
last winter? l read something about
If. The train caught fire and
CHEERFUL THOUGHT.
Huh, nice cheerful thought"
Helen subsidized, but the darkness
was conducive to disquieting reflec-
ton.
Dear. that wardrobe drawerl I'm
afraid I forgot to look there-did
you?" go,
"No. I DIDN'T! I pay the bills,
see to the luggage, and tip everybody
in the place. That's enough. Col
lectin' the traps is your job"
II always look everywhere-but
can't remember about that drawer"
"Never got out Of hotel yet Win
out you leavin' somethin' !"
Warren, haven't left Q thing TINS
trip-except that hair brush in Pans.
And needed a new one, anyway. On,
now we're out-you can open the WIN
dow. And, dear, get down that big
suitcase"
"What forT' savagely. "What d'you
want out of itY'
81 KNOW, / didn't leave my silk
slip in that drawer-but / want to be
sure"
"Well, I'm not luggin' down any
heavy bags for you to frisk. If it's
there-it's there. You'll know when
we get to Bologna
Then opening the window he LEANED
far out.
HELEN treasured.
"No more tunnels for awhile.
Where's that Paris Mail?"
"Why, you threw it out-we used
it TO wipe up the seat
"By George, so we did. Got some
magazines, haven't your
Eyes, in that big suitcase-but you
wouldn't take it down."
Ignoring this, he dragged down tn
heavy alligator suitcase.
Now, what d'you want to Io0S
FORT" taking out the magazines. We'll
go to it,"
A hasty nervous scramble through
the closely-packed bag. o..
"Oh, I'm afraid i DID leave IL .
No, here it isl" joyously.
"Huh. another Of your false alarms.
That all! Not takin' it down again =
The suitcase returned to the rack,
Warren settled with the magazines.
But Helen, with her eyer-eager inter
est in foreign landscapes, gazed out
the window.
Shawl.headed women in the fields.
Primitive OK carts. Chickens and
goats in the doorways Of the low stone
buts.
Poverty. Dirt. The grim barren
ness Of peasant lives.
Yet all around the inspiration Of
cloud-veiled heights.
They bad stopped again. A small
shabby station. by the platform a tap
cf running MATER