The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-06-26
MY TWO PEARLS.


Rochester at eleven O'CLOCK tlat night
| stepped on board the train, choosing
palace and restaurant car, Through 70 Oh
cago."
section ?" said the conductor, with ri
ing infection Ought to have telegraphet
sir. Only one berth left, and that's mel
accident Here il is No nine. Gent.ema
who engaged it missed connection at Syr;
lcuse.'
Congratulating myself on my good fortune
speedily crept INTO No "a lower berth
and fell fast asleep. When | opened n
eyes the gray dawn of an October morning
the October of 1SGS-was stealing in througl
the curtalned window.
| lay for some minutes IN hall cream
listening TO the multudinous noises OF N
train, with scarcely thought OF where was
Then, as the light grew stronger, | raised
myself upon my elbow and looked about me
only TO fall back a moment after WIN star
of surprise that was almost Gismay.
Right before my eyes hung white, shapeIJ
hand, with dark sealring upon the thirc
finger. II took me minute or two 10 coIlec
my scattered senses enough 70 discover thai
it belonged to the occupant OF the upper berth
dropped careessly from hls quarters TO my
own in the heavy abandonment OF sleep.
| Law and looked al ia white, shapely
hand as have saba hand unmarried and
glorfed-choose the word for yourself
by the seams and Calluses OF manual labor
The fingers were long and taper, the nails
oval and well cared for. The wrist was not
large, but well knit and sinewy; and half
buried in the fine linen Of the shirtsleeve /
caught the sparkle Of diamond.
The hand had q strange fascination for ne,
, half uncanny though it looked in the weird,
struggling light Of early morning, as watch
ed il, vaguely wondering what manner OF man
| its owner might be, and what Kind Of face
would assert with It, till there was stir over
head, and it vanished, Then | made my
toilet as | best might, and went out on the
platform for breath of frcsher air.
When, after the lapse OF half an hour /
leisurely strolled back to my place again, all
ves.iges of the night before were removed
and gentleman in a plain gray travelling
suit occupied one seat in the compartment
allotted to me. He held a newspaper II tie
hand. | recognized ii at once.
lie lifted his eyes long enough to salute
me with a courteous bow as took the oppo.
site seat and then resumed his reading. /
opened my paper also; but the attempt TO
engross myself with its contents was vain
one. My eyes and my thoughts continually
wandered to my rtS.a-ri.
Describe him? Not an easy matter. Meth
er is it easy 10 account for the fascination
he wore as an invisible mantle. | might tell
you that he was tall and slight; that his com
plexion was clear and dark; that his black,
crisp locks curled closely round well shap-
cd head that his eyes were large and liquid
that his mustache was a light and graceful
penciling upon the firm thin lip; and that
his imperial was above reproach But, hav-
ing told you this, should expectyyou TO say
with glance of inetfabe meaning that you
could find his counterpart in any BARRIERS
shop on Broadway, or, if not there, in your
sisters French dancing.mastef
You think so? Perhaps il is not strange
You sec | cannot put into words the indiyid.
uaity of the mantle certain indetinable,
something that at once set him apart from the
crowd and made him notable. ..-
He dropped his paper presently and tarned
10 me with some remark upon current events,
made with slight foreign accent Thus we
fell into conversation.
breakfast served whenever you please,
gentlemen SAID the porter, passing through
the car.
My companion bowed, smiling
"As we are to be sectiOn.mates for Gay or
two" he said, at is well we should know
each other. Shall | do myself the honor to
present you with my card?'
"IIippolyte LEstrange, Srasbourg," |
read from the little white parallelogram. SO
| had not been mistaken in supposing him TO
be q Frenchman. | may as well tell you
here what he read from the card | gave him
in return; Edward Ripon, New York"
We brcakfasted together at his request. |
found my chance acquaintance" to be most
intelligent and cultivated man and a great
traveller SO much of the world had he seen,
80 wide was his knowledge of men and
things, that to my comparative inexptrence
il seemed little less than marvellous. He was
years older than myself was just twenty
sevcn-or at least lie seemed so. \ French.
man is older than an American OF the same
age, always. But, allowing for all that, NJ.
i 'Estrange was doubtless eight or ten years
my senior. He was al once reticient and
Neutrality-suspicious. in all that was
purely personal and related 10 his inner self;
as to his plans and projects.
! soon discovered that he was on his way to
san Francisco much farther of then
than now.
But what crcuitous routen l exciaim-
I'd. Your are going round Robin HOODS
barn"
robin Hoods barn ?" he repeated, with
halt laugh his eyes lighting as he caught
my meaning. But, my friend, ! had Just
come from Panama. | was tired of the ship
the sea, the monO,ony, so ! want to 80 this
way
Overland the whole Of the distance" |,
asked. II
"Oh no. Look here, shall have The hon.
or 70 show YOU, and he drew folded map
from his brcastpocket. ~ leave you here at
Calumet" noting the point with his pencil
''you see? There | take the lightning train
for Cairo; thence by express this way -.
pointing to Memphis and Jackson-"down to
New Orleans That is right, chg
"Yes; but you will hlreto go TO Vera Cruz
How about steamer across the gulff'
All there | go round your Robin Hoods
barnr' lie said, laughing, See! 20 across
20 Havana, and thence 10 Vera Cruz
And ,hen--:' my eyes followed his
pencil.
Then 60 by diligence to the City Of
Mexico, where take the saddle for Mama
nilla. There, if the good fates betriend me,
catch a steamer ahead OF the one that left
New York when | did So | lose no iime.|