The women were so concerned about Mr. and "Mrs." Mallory, that they hardly noticed the uncomfortable plight of the Wellingtons, or the curious behavior of the lady from the stateroom who seemed to be afraid of something and never spoke to anybody. The strange behavior of Anne Gattle and Ira Lathrop even escaped much comment, though they were forever being stumbled on when anybody went out to the observation platform. When they were dislodged from there, they sat playing checkers and talking very little, but making eyes at one another and sighing like furnaces. They had evidently concocted some secret of their own, for Ira, looking at his watch, murmured sentimentally to Anne: "Only a few hours more, Annie." And Anne turned geranium-color and dropped a handful of checkers. "I don't know how I can face it." Ira growled like a lovesick lion: "Aw, what do you care?" "But I was never married before, Ira," Anne protested, "and on a train, too." "Why, all the bridal couples take to the railroads." "I should think it would be the last place they'd go," said Anne--a sensible woman, Anne! "Look at the Mallories--how miserable they are." "I thought they were happy," said Ira, whose great virtue it was to pay little heed to what was none of his business. "Oh, Ira," cried Anne, "I hope we shan't begin to quarrel as soon as we are married." "As if anybody could quarrel with you, Anne," he said. "Do you think I'll be so monotonous as that?" she retorted. Her spunk delighted him beyond words. He whispered: "Anne, you're so gol-darned sweet if I don't get a chance to kiss you, I'll bust." "Why, Ira--we're on the train." "Da--darn the train! Who ever heard of a fellow proposing and getting engaged to a girl and not even kissing her." "But our engagement is so short." "Well, I'm not going to marry you till I get a kiss." Perhaps innocent old Anne really believed this blood-curdling threat. It brought her instantly to terms, though she blushed: "But everybody's always looking." "Come out on the observation platform." "Oh, Ira, again?" "I dare you." "I take you--but" seeing that Mrs. Whitcomb was trying to overhear, she whispered: "let's pretend it's the scenery." So Ira rose, pushed the checkers aside, and said in an unusually positive tone: "Ah, Miss Gattle, won't you have a look at the landscape?" "Oh, thank you, Mr. Lathrop," said Anne, "I just love scenery." They wandered forth like the Sleeping Beauty and her princely awakener, and never dreamed what gigglings and nudgings and wise head-noddings went on back of them. Mrs. Wellington laughed loudest of all at the lovers whose heads had grown gray while their hearts were still so green. It was shortly after this that the Wellingtons themselves came into prominence in the train life.