The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1875-08-19
MY TWO PEARLS.
by JULIA @. r. DoRR.


aboard !" shouted voice in the station
at Rochester, at II o'clock at night.
l stepped on board the train, choosing
a palace and restaurant car, Through
to Chicago"
"Section ?" said the conductor, with
a rising infection. "Ought to have tel
egraphed, sir. Only one berth left, and
that's a mere accident. Here it is-No.
.. Gentleman who engaged it missed
connection at Syracuse"
Congratulating myself on my good
fortune, 1 speedily crept into No.
., lower berth, and fell fast asleep.
When opened my eyes the gray dawn
of an October mOrning-the October of
lS6S-was stealing IN through the cur
tanned window.
lay some minutes in a half dream,
listening to the multitudinous noises of
the train, with scarcely a thought of
where L was. Then, as the light grew
stronger, raised myself upon my elbow
and looked about me, only to fall back
moment after with a start of surprise
that was almost dismay.
Right before my eyes hung a white,
shapely hand, with a dark seal ring upon
the third f1ger. It took me a minute or
two to collect my scattered senses
enough to discover that it belonged to
the occupant of the upper berth,
dropped carelessly from his quarters to
my Own, in the heavy abandonment of
sleep.
1 lay and looked at it-a white,
shapely hand, as have saba hand
unmarried or unglorifed-choose the
word for yourself-by the seams and cal
lousesof manual labor. The fingers were
long and tapering, the nails oval and
we'll cared for. The wrist was not large,
but well-knit and sinewy; and half
buried in the fine linen of the shirt
sleeve l caught the sparkle of a dia-
mond.
The hand had strange fascination
for me, half uncanny though it looked
in the weird, struggling light OF early
morning. / watched it, vaguely won
dering what kind of face would assert
with it, till there was a stir overhead,
and it vanished. Then / made my toilet
as l best might, and went out on the
platform for breath of fresh air.
When, after the lapse of half an hour,
l leisurely stole back to my place again,
all vestiges of the night were removed,
and gentleman in plain gray travelling
suit occupied one seat in the compart-
ment allotted to me. He held q newspa-
per IN the hand. L recognized it at
once.
He lifted his eyes long enough to sa-
lutte me with a courteous bow as I took
the opposite seat, and then resumed his
reading. l opened my paper also; but
the attempt to eugross myself with its
contents was vain one-my eyes and
my thoughts continually wandered to
my Wis a yis.
Describe him? Not an easy matter.
Neither ID 1T easy to account for the
fascination that he wore as an invisible
mantle. 1 might tell you that he was
tall and slight; that his complexion
was clear and dark, that his black,
crisp locks curled closely around a we'll
shaped head; that his mus,ache was a
light and graceful penciling on the
firm, thin lip; and that his imperial
was above reproach. But, having told
you this, 1 should expect you to say
with glance of ineffable meaning that
you could find his counterpart in any
BARRIERS shop on Broadway or, il not
there, IN your sisters French dancing
master.
You think so? Perhaps it is not
strange. You see 1 cannot put into
words the individuality of the man
the certain indt Unable something that
at once set him apart from the crowd.
and made him notable.
lie dropped his paper presently, and
turned to me with some remark upon
current events made with Il slight
foreign accent. Thus we fell into con
vsrsation.
'Breakfast served whenever YOU
please, gentlemen" said the porter
passing through the car.
My companion bowed, smiling,
AS we are to be second mates for q
day or two" he said, sit ia well We
should know each other. Shall I dc
myself the honor to present you with
my card ?"
"Hippolyte L'Estrange, Strashourp. >
read from the little white paralleio
gram. So 1 had not been mistaken il
supposing him Frenchman. may as
well tell you here what he read from
the card l gave him in return edward
Ripon, New York"
We breakfasted together at his re
quest. 1 found mJH "chance acquaint
ance' TO be most intelligent anC
cultivated man, and a great traveller
So much of the world had he seen. gC
wide was his knowledge of men anG
things, that to my comparative mex
perience, 1t seemed little less thar
marvellous. He was years older thar
myself was just twenty-three-or a
least lie seemed so. A Frenchman il
older than an American of the same
age, always. But, allowing for all that
M. l. Estrange was, doubtless, ten OF
twelve years my senior. He was a
once retcent and communicative as Il
his plans and projects. 1 coon discov
cred that he was on his way to SaI
F,rancisco-ao much further off ther
than now.
But what circuitous route !"
exclaimed. "You are going round
Robin Hoods barn"
Robin Hoods barn ?" he repeated
with halflaugh, his eyes lighting o!
he caught my mean. "But, my friend
had just come from Panama. wa.
tired of the ship, the sea, the monotony
so l go this way"
Overland the whole distance ?" ]
asked.
ooh, moi Look here, shall have
the honor to show you, +" and he drew q
folded map from his breast pocket. 81
leave you here at Calumet'-noting the
point with his penoil-''you see? There
take the lighting train for Cairo
thence by express this way pointing
TO Memphis and Jackson-"down 10
New Orleans. That is right eh p"
Yes but you will have to 90 TO
Vera Cruz. How about n steamer across
the gulfP"
"Ah there go round Your Robin
Hoods barn !" he said, laughing. "Seel
l go ACROSS to Havana, and thence to
Vera Cruz"
Aud then-?" my eyes followed bis
pencil.
Then I go by diligence to the CITY
of Mexico, where take the saddle for
Mauzanilla. There, if the good fates
hefriend me, I catch a steamer ahead of
the one that left New York when 1 did.
So, lose no time; see your great
country; and escape the dull, ronoto-
nous sea, Of which have had too much
already"
The hours few on silver wings. All
day long we foated on tide of talk,
sometimes sparkling with wit and
huEor; sometimes taking a deeper
tone as we touched upon themes that
gave to each brief, passing glimpses of
the soul of the other. 1t seemed TO me
that there was little worth knowing that
nv companion did not know; little