Part 5 (1/2)
”Nothing could make me angry.” This was said ten seconds later, when they were inside the cab and a nervous, smiling young woman at his side was squeezing his arm expressively. ”Driver!” he called out, ”go uptown--anywhere--through the park until I tell you to stop!” and turning to her, added: ”We'll have a bit of dinner somewhere and then go aboard. Now, what did you do?”
”Well,” she went on, ”I actually tossed up a quarter in the compartment to see whether I should go on or turn back.”
”You did? Really? Who won?”
”I did,” she answered navely.
”No; I did. I am beginning to feel too lucky to be awake. And would you have turned back if you had lost? Would you have left me here with all this antic.i.p.ation to dispose of?” he cried.
”If it came tails, I was to turn back. It came tails.”
”What! And you came anyhow?”
”Well, you see, after the first flip I concluded to make it two out of three trials. So I flipped again, Hugh, and it came tails. Then I made it three out of five. That was only fair, wasn't it?”
”Certainly. Seven out of thirteen or eleven out of twenty, just so you won.”
”I tossed that coin seventeen times, and the final count was nine for New York and eight for Chicago. The train had started, so I didn't flip again. Wasn't it a narrow majority, dear?”
”If it were not for appearing ridiculous, I would kiss you seventeen times right here. Oh, how about your baggage--luggage, I mean?”
he cried.
”The transfer man will take them to the dock. I have ten big ones--new steamer trunks. You'll never know how much trouble I had in getting them packed and out of the house.”
”Ten! Great Scott! I have but two!”
”Don't worry, dear. You can pack some of your things in mine--coming home, of course,” she said laughingly.
”Great, isn't it?” he chuckled. ”n.o.body on earth ever did anything like it. But before I forget it, how did you leave your aunt?”
”Poor Aunt Elizabeth! She will be so disappointed. I promised to do a lot of shopping for her. But she's well and can endure the delay, I fancy. To prepare her for the shock, I told her that I might stay East for a couple of weeks, perhaps longer. She does not suspect a thing, but she was awfully cut up about my leaving at this time.”
”I'm glad you quieted Aunt Elizabeth, for it would be just like her to send detectives after us.” Both laughed as he whispered this to her. As the cab whirled away she said:
”What happy fools we are!”
”Sit back, quick! Cover your face,” he suddenly cried.
”What--who is it?” she giggled.
”We just pa.s.sed a policeman, and he looked rather hard at the windows,”
he cried, with a broad grin.
”Oh, you ninny!”
”Well, we must elope with fear and trembling or it won't count,” he cried. ”Is there anything you have to buy before we sail? If there is, we must attend to it now, because we leave at a most outlandish hour in the morning.”
Miss Vernon looked alarmed for a moment, the real enormity of the escapade striking her with full force. But she smiled in the next and said that she could make a few necessary purchases in a few minutes if he would direct the cabman. ”It's a long way to Manila, you know,” she said. ”Hugh, I noticed in the paper the other day that this is the season for typhoons, or whatever you call them, in the Indian Ocean. I looked them up in the dictionary. There's a picture of one in action, and they must be dreadful things. One of them could tear our s.h.i.+p to pieces in a minute, I should judge. Wouldn't it be awful--if--if--”