Show copyright im by U K alf SYNOPSIS r ia ary mallory Is ordered to the ite and marjoree Marj orle newton decide to elope but wreck of taxicab pre vents their seeing minister on the way to the train transcontinental train la tak ing on passengers borter has a lively time with an t and ira lath rop a yankee business man the lopera hae an exciting time getting to the train little wellington bound for reno to get a divorce boaras train n maudlin condition later mrs appears she Is also bound for keno with same object likewise sirs sammy whit comb latter blames mrs or her marital troubles classmates of mal loo decorate bridal berth rev and mrs start on a they decide to cut looe and temple removes evidence of his calling marforio Mar jorio decides to let mallory proceed alone but train starts while they are lost in farewell gers join mallory a classmates in riving couple wedding hewing marjoree Marj orle is als ira lathrop woman hatlee bachelor discovers an old sweetheart anne gattle a fellow passenger mal lory almly hunts for a preacher among the passengers mrs wellington hears little s voice later she mets mrs 1 mallory reports to biar borle Us failure to fand a preacher they decide to pretend a quarrel and mallory ands a vacant berth mrs era wellington on the train mallory again makes an unsuccessful hunt tor a preacher dr temple poses aa a phyll clan mrs temple la induced by mrs wellington to smoke a cigar sight of preacher on a station platform raises mallory s hopes but he takes another train missing hand baggage compels the couple to borrow from passengers jim ale gets a cinder in hla eye and mrs gives first aid coolness Is then resumed still no clergyman more borrowing CHAPTER continued lie felt that he was the greatest sin ner on earth but worst ot all was the fact that when he had fallen the for bidden brew was not sweet he was inexperienced enough to alp it and it was like foaming quinine on his pal ate but he kept at it from sheer ebale and his luxurious transgress trans gres blon was its own punishment the doleful mallory was on his way to join the club crossing the ves tubule be had met the conductor and had ventured to him along the old lines excuse he haven t you taken any clergymen on board this train yett devil a one don t you ever carry any preachers on this road usually we get one or two last trip we carried a whole methodist convention A whole convention last kripl just my luck the unenlightened conductor turned to call back say up in the forward car we got a couple of undertakers they be of any use to not yet then mallory dawdled on into the room where be found his own porter who explained that he bad been promoted to the bottlers bott lery do we come to station stop oon mallory asked well not tor a considerable inter tal do you want to get out and walk up and down 1 I don t said mallory taking from ander his coat whom he bad smuggled past the new conductor meanwhile porter could you give him something to eat to distract him the porter grinned and picking up bill of tare held it out 1 I got a it aint written in dog but you can explain it to him what would yo canine desla hsah put out a paw and mal lory read what it indicated he says he d like filet chateaubriand Chateau briand but if you have any old bones be 11 take those the porter gathered ams in and disappeared with him into the buffet mallory calling after him don t let the conductor see him dr temple advanced on the als conrowe youth with an effort at cheer how ie our bridegroom this beautiful afternoon mallory glanced at hla costume 1 I feel like a rainbow gone wrong just my luck to have to borrow from everybody look at me this collar of mr makes me feel like a peanut in a rubber tire he turned to fosdeck 1 I eay mr fosdeck what size col lar do you wear fourteen and a half said fosdeck fourteen and a half why dont fou get a neck you haven t got a plain white shirt have you our english friend lent me this but it i purple and mr socks am ta aroon and this peacock blue tie Is ery unhappy I 1 think I 1 can fit you out said fos falck and I 1 you had an extra pair of bocks mallory pleaded just one pair of unemotional socks HI show you my repertoire all right ill eee you later then he went up to wellington with much hesitance of manner by the way mr wellington do you suppose mrs wellington could lend miss mrs bould lend marjorie bome some i wellington waved him de with J t sal magnificent acorn 1 I am no longer in mrs Welling tons confidence ob excuse me said mallory he lad noted that the Welling tons mccu ailed separate compartments but for ill he knew their reason was as romantic as his own CHAPTER through a tunnel mrs wellington who had graveled raveled much abroad and learned in england the habit of smoking in the corridors of expensive hotels had ac lulled also the habit as travelers do at calling england freer than amer lea she determined to do her snare toward the edu caon of her native country and chose for her talc tobacco as a feminine accomplishment she had groan indifferent to stares and audible comment and she could figh a protesting bead waiter to a standstill if monuments and tablets are ever erected to the first woman who smoked publicly in this place or that mrs wellington will be variously remembered and occupy a larff place in historical record the narrow coencas of the women s room on the car soon palled on her and she objected to smoking there except when sire felt the added luxury of keeping some other oman outside fuming but not smoking and now mrs had staked out i claim on the observation platform she sat there puling like a major general and in one portion of nebraska efto farmers fell oft their aarl cultural vehicles at the sight of her cigar smoke trailing after the train in wyoming three cowboys followed her for a mile andy howling their compliments feeling the smoke mood coming tn airs wellington invited mrs temple to smoke ath her but mrs temple felt a reminiscent at the very thought so mrs sauntered out alone to the great surprise of ira lathrop whose motto was two beads are hotter than one and who was apparently to wait till anne gattle s head grew on his shoulder I 1 trust I 1 don t intrude mrs well ington said oh no ga yes anne gasped in fiery confusion as she fled into the car followed by the purple faced ira who slammed the door with a growl that wellington woman would break up anything the prim iltha missionary toppled into the nearest chair oh ira what will she think she cant think I 1 ira grumbled in a little while shell know don t you think we d better tell everybody before they begin to talk ira glowed with pride at the thought and murmured with all the ardor of a senile romeo I 1 suppose so ducky darling III break it 1 mean tell it to abe men and you tell the women all right dear obey you she answered meekly obey me ira laughed with boy swagger and you a mission ary well ive converted one heathen anyway said anne as she darted down the corridor followed by ira who announced bis intention 0 go to the baggage car and dig up bis old prince albert in their flight forward they passed the mysterious woman in the stateroom they were too full of their own mystery to give thought to hers mrs fosdeck went timidly prowling toward the observation car suspect ing everybody to be a spy as mallory suspected everybody to be a clergyman in disguise As she stole along the corridor past abe men s clubroom she saw her husband her here and there husband wearily counting the telegraph posts and summing them up into miles she tapped on the glass and signalled signal led to him then passed on he answered with a look then pretended not to have noticed and wait ed a few moments before he rose with an elaborate air of carelessness he beckoned the porter and said let me know the moment we en ter utah will you bassah we 11 be colln along right soon now we got to pass through the big aspen tunnel after that beto long we sp lounce into old utah don t forget said fosdeck as be sauntered out ashton perked up his ears at the promise of a tunnel and kept bis eye on his watch fosdeck entered the observation room with a hungry look in his luscious eyes his now and then wife put up a warning finger to indicate mrs whitcombe presence at the writing desk smile froze into a smirk of formality and he tried to chill bis tone as if be were speaking to a total stranger good afternoon mrs fosdeck answered with equal ice good afternoon won t you sit down thanks very picturesque seen cry it it fosdeck seated himself looked about cautiously noted that mrs whitcomb was apparently absorbed in her letter then lowered his voice confidentially his face kept up a strained pretense of indifference but bis whisper was passionate with longing has my poor little altey missed her poor old hubby ob so much I 1 she whispered has poor little hubby missed his poor old wife horribly was she lonesome in that dismal stateroom all by her ob BO miserable I 1 I 1 cant stand it much longer face blazed with good news in just a little ahn we com 0 the utah line then we re bate god bless utah the rapture died from her face a she caught eight of dr temple who happened to stroll in and go to the bookshelves and taking out a book happened to glance near her way be careful of tact man dearie mrs fosdeck hissed out of one side of her mouth hes a very strang character brer husband was infected with her own terror he asked huskily what do you think he A detective 1 im sure hes catchi ing us he followed you right in here we 11 be very cautious till we get 0 utah the old clergyman a fuzzy in brain from his debut in beer continued innocently to conform the appears ance of a detective by drifting alai lessly about he was looking for his wife but he kept glancing at the un easy he went to the door opened it saw mrs wellington finish ing a cigar and retreated precipitately seeing mrs temple wandering in the corridor he motioned her to a chair near the and she sat by his side wondering at bis fellmy eyes the glancing ably at dr temple rose and selected other chairs further away then roger ashton sauntered in his eyes searching for a proper companion through the tunnel he saw mrs wellington returning from the platform just tossing away her cigar and blowing out ane last ot its grateful vapor alth an effort at sarcasm he went to her and offered her one of his own cigars smiling have another sho took it looked it over and parried his irony with a formula she had heard men use when they hate to refuse a gift cigar thanks smoke it after dinner it you dont mind oh I 1 don t mind he laughed then bending closer he murmured they tell me we are coming to a tunnel a nice long dark dismal tunnel mrs wellington would not take a dare she felt herself already eman from jimmie sa she answered ashton s hint with a laughing abal lenge how nice of the conductor to arrange it ashton smacked his lips over the prospect and now the porter having noted ashton s impatience to reach the tunnel thought to curry favor and a quarter by announcing its approach he bustled in and made straight for ashton just as the tunnel announced itself with a sudden swoop of gloom a great increase of the train noises and a far off clang of the locomotive bell out of the egyptian darkness came the unmistakable sounds of osculation in various parts of the room doubtless it was repeated in other parts of the train there were numerous cooing sounds too but nobody spoke ex capt mrs temple who was heard to murmur oh walter dear what makes your breath so funny next came a little yowl of pain in mrs voice and then daylight flooded the car with a rush as it time had made an instant lean from midnight to noon there estling disclosures mrs temple was caught her arms round the doctors neck and she blushed like a girl mrs fosdeck was trying to disengage her hair from mr fosdeck s scarf pin mrs whitcomb alone was deserted mr ashton was gazing devotion at mrs wellington and trying to tell her with bis eyes how velvet he had found her cheek but she was looking reproachfully at him from a chair and saying not without regret I 1 beard everybody kissing everybody but I 1 was cruelly neglected ashton s eyes widened with unbelief he heard a snicker at his elbow and whirled to find the porter rubbing his black velvet cheek and writhing with pent up laughter TO BE CONTINUED |