The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-02-17

ewes was AT once accounted loT' "o"'" ~
il had been my happy lot to cohi'orl ne''
,rbore was q camp stool near by. Presently
venture to draw it u little nearer anu W -,
down ON II. Flushing al my temcriy rs VI"
c, She dld not seem al III oHenueu' anu ~
we're presently in the midst oi an ah'na'''
and Interesting conversation. lhere WAS u"
Ioute,r about madam ON The contrary, she
r,oo capdor itself She had only been three
daus in London, she told me. She had been
stavinr with Sir Henry Fiz Evans, who had
CHARGE of her late husbands interests in Eng
land She was now going back into sec!usioh
I-goinp back TO the little cottage IN which she
had dwelt ever since her dear husbands dealh
She would not be able to 60 forward by tue
tidal tram, she told me, having business
call 10 make in CALAIS. She would go LOT
ward by the evening train,
All this was told me with charming frank
ress. There was no reason why shouiu ho'
wait and 90 forward with her by the evening
train-if she would only allow me to a. So
| When | threw out hint to that effect she
offered no objection. She admitted at once
that she was fond of society, and then she
looked at me and--well, / could almost nave
sworn that she blushed. | had already toid
| her that was bound for Paris on special
errand for my father; but had not sara
woid about the ring, nor mad she even seen II
I had put on my gloves before leaving ,he
train at Dover, and still wore them. III
tie while longer and we found ourselves az
Calais When we landed madame admit'ed
that she was hungry, and that luhcheoh
would be a desirable feature Of the pro
cramme. Accordingly, willis she went about
her business, took a u0tture and drove to the
| Hotel Dessin. There, In the course OF hall
| ~ bonr obamc ioiDpd
| Now one can't very well partake OF lunch
con in kid gloves. The question was wheth'
er should partakc of mine with the ring on
| nv finger or whether | shonld put II care
| fully away IN the box and hide 1t out OF sight
| If YOU have any knowledge of what human
nature is at 81, especially when theresa pref
| " woman In the case you will know the de-
cisiOn arrived at
Madam pecked a little at this and that, bu'
hardly ate more than sparrow might nave
done. How swiftly the minutes seemed to
| fyi cuu,d have fingered on in that coy
little room ior year. When the cloth was
drawn and we were left to ourselves, with q
bottle of hook on the table between US, some
| how our chairs seemed to gravitate toward
each other Or perhaps II was the stove tha'
attracted US, for the afternoon was chilly. In
any case, we found ourselves in closer prox
unity. Then said madame:
"Do you not smoke, monsieur"
"Yes considerably more than Is good toi
me, I'm afraid"
"Then smoke now. Obligc me. ike &c
see gentleman smoke"
| | rose IN order to get my cigar case OUT OF
the pocket of my overcoat. Madame laid hei
hand lightly on my ARMAND what charm
ing hand it was, "1enez. | am going tc
make n confession" said she. 81 smoke, too
moi. Cigarettes. | lived for several years
| in Spain, where nearly all the ladies smoke
You are not shocked, hope, at the idea OF
lady smoking cigarette"
SHOCKED, madame"
"No, Of course not You are too much q
man OF the world You are above such lnsu
lar prejudices Eli Jien, you shall smoke one
of my CT garettes" From the satchel at her side
she took an embroidered case, which she op
cned and babe me choose cigarette. did
50, and she took another. Then with her own
| fair fingers she took an allumc,te, and held i
while | lighted the weed. Then she lighted
her own. She could not fail to see my ring
as she lighted the mach.
81 dare say you find the flavor n little pecu
| liar" said madame, a minute or two later
"These cigarettes are made OF perfumed To
bac o. | never smoke any others. | hope
you uOn u lhu JouiS Nclg ui0oEiS'"S'N'
"On the contrary, madame, am quite II
love with il. AS you say, the flavor is slight
ly peculiar, but aromatic and pleasant-very
pleasant To tell the truth, didn't like
at all, but then | wouldn't have SAID so to-
worlds
| We smoked on in silence. What would
this superb creature say to me, wondered, !
were TO tell her how madly had fallen II
love with her? Would she reject me will
scorn or would She | gave start, ant
was shocked to find that | had been falling
asleep. Fortunately madame had not no
,iced me. Her large melancholy eyes wer'
1ent upon the stove. There was certainl!
something very soothing, something that in
ciined to sumbcr and happy dreams abou
madames peculiar cigarettes. If had bu
two thousand year now, and this sweet crea
ture to share 1t with me, how happy | coul'
: be- Certainly she must have been some 81
or seven years older than myself, but nevc
} was one to care tor your chits OF schoolgirls
who set up for beng women before they ar
out of their teens. Here was N angel VIII
had been left desolate, who had been cast o
a bleak and unfeeling world, who had pine
for n heart and hOme--for a heart that Driu
med over with love Gracious goodness!
|, had a heart that yearned toward her-that-
THAT. Why-eh-how was this? And whcr
was |?
| awokc with shiver. But for the lam
in the courtyard the room would have bee
, quite dark My head was aching trightfull,
, got up and staggered TO the window. Whe
/, | looked out and saw the familiar courtyard
| everything came back to me like flash {
! light. Where was madame? Why had
slept so long? What boor she must tax
, me TO be? CROPPED for the bell and rang
violently. Up came the waiter with candl
where is madame?' demanded.
{ MADAME" he answered, event out near
a three hours ago, saying that she wanted
D make few purchases, and would be bac
4 in n little while. On no account, she sal
c was her brother, who had suffered terrib
from NAL dS mer IN crossing, to be disturbe
e Madame he added, has not yet returned"
, Gone three hours ago! Her brother. VI
c de mcrl What could it all mean? As | 5
S down, utterly bcwildcrcd, my arm pGesst
l against the little box in my pocket. Mocha