The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1879-12-18

| I"fAueHIly spoken.
1t was the same gentleman whom,
Eliza had referred to and pointed ont ms
Ghe one she imagined had overheard
James hagrant remark few moments
before; and at him Eliza stared--pIarod
almost--as though he had been guilty of
| address them "
She "hated" that man on the instant. =.
not so much on account of his overbear.
ing James incidental allusion to her legs
II, indeed, he did overhear it, as that he
should presume to correct her statement
IN regard to what the balloon was filed
with. '''''N u
She hated that man; and could her
eyes have annihilated him on the spot be
had perished then and therel
jane had acknowledged her obIiea.
tiisua t@ tlie am szaaa F 5ss me- Al ~
thanking him. eliza expressed her feel-
ings in the premises, not only in the
manner stated, but by tossing her head
contemptuously, and derisively saving:
"Gas, ehY sh'd like to know what
kind Of gas. Hm, faint house gas |
know"
She didn't say this directly to, but at
the gentleman, switching her dress and
curling her lips as she spoke.
Understanding your meaning, maa-
anne, in respect to house gas as you
term it, said the gentleman, smiling, II
would say that that is the kind of gas
ordinarily employed in balloops-tcoal
gas" TIA
"Cold gas-hal hal hal wen, tain't
likely they'd use hot gas, mister, and
have the balloon on fire! Can't you tell
us something elseP
Jane looked at her appealingly, but
the look might as well have been di-
rected at the balloon. Eliza was in
belligerent mood.
"You misunderstood me, madame.
Coal and not cold gas--gas evolved from
COAL and the gentleman pronounced the
two words very distinctly. 8 EE
+ "Gas reyolved from coal!S You can
tell real funny stories, can't you, mis-
ter ?"- confident that the gentleman was
"rs,nniHg a saw" on her and Jane, so to
speak, or, as she would have Expressed it,
Crying TO stuff them up she was de-
ternined to let him know that she was
'up to snuff" as it were, and not to be.
fooled" " hence her derisive and ironical
utJerance. .,as.r
"You are in i'll hhmor, Eliza. Tho
gentleman was very kind, Pm sure, to
give ils tho information he did. Pm.
thankful, myself, and Jane glanced her
thanks to the gentleman -s w
cob, you are, ehf Well, let him tell
how coal gas If there Is any such
stuff makes E balloon go up, and i be
thankful too"
Tue speaker tossed her head and
showed very plainly no fear Of being
compelled to pay tribute to the gentle
man in the shape Of thanks.
"-inlplg madame, because the gas is.
lighter than air." the gentleman re-
sponded.
Lighter than airl" 10 Jane: ~
s'pose youre thanful for that most ridic-
uIous piece Of nonsenscw Very tarcas-
tic she was, but turned at once upon the
gentleman: Now, ain't you smart,
mister Coal gas lighter than air. Hal
Eai hel-- the ideaP
"Most assuredly it is, madame" ."
aTain't no such thing, now. know
you. You're trying to stuff lis up, but
you can do it-not me you can'tP' and
she looked superior to the vain arts Of
the astufer"
II am not trying to stuff you, madame,
/ assure you. | simply state fact, that
is all, in saying that gas is lighter than
air.
You get out; you can't fool me, |
tell you. Nothing Is lighter than air,
nothing the ideal How can Il be? Air
don't weigh nothing, and what can be
lighterp
"Some things that you can see, mad.
amc, arc lighter than air--clouds and
smoke, for rinstance."
Eliza was tethered, as it were, but
Kicked, nevertheless.
Well, them things ! spose is. Any
how, clouds stay up in the air, and
snoke'lI so up. But balloons, baskets,
and people in 'em amt lighter'n air,
anyhow, if gas Is. guess you can't git
over that, now" and Eliza felt conscious
Of victory, If looks went for anything.
q You are right. there, madame - her
ewes sparkled and flashed with satisfac-
tion ID but gas is so much lighter than
air that it will lift q weight in proper
tion 20 tho amount confined. A larger
balloon than that, filed, would take up
n larger number Of persons or greater
weight of anything understandf
Jane nodded aiIirmatiyely, while Eliza
looked incredulously and defiant.
"H'm!n she sneered, then, / s'paseI
you'd tell us that balloon big enough
could carry up this big h5tel and all the
people in it"'
Most assuredly, madame" "
An inoredulous and derisiYe smile
played ON Eliza's lips.
What d whopperl The most ridicu-
lous thing ever heard of In al my born
daysis 10 Jane: suppose you are
thankful for that, toe h MP To the
gentleman: Why, you must take us
Tor fools, misterl Biemby you'll be tell
ing us how heavy air is, gas being SO
very lightl Dol Be funny, now, and
tellus."
/" | will, macaHes air Is 2 coulpalA7
lively heavy iluid, and its weight can be
increased within certain space or de-
creased. You can rarity or expand,
compress. or squeeze it, SO 70 speak"
@fhere. mister, that's too funny for
ANYTHING. Squeeze airl Hal hal hal
Wen, il you ain't the funniest man !
eve, saw. 4wouldn't say sol Amt you
thankful, Jane, to him for telling us that
air can be squeezed? How III make the
Hackensaek peoples eyes stick ont when
tell 'em how heavy air i, md how II
can be squeezed. Myl won't they think
me scientific, thouehT
Jane, as little informed as Eliza Ia re-
gard To the subject exponnded BY the
gentleman bnt WHO felt that be was
honestly stating The facts for the In
fap.,e8ion oF hprseIf and Eliza again 4