The Red Cloud chief., 1879-07-10

back Of her head, and large earrings,
drops . pile Of cushions, and pauses 70
replace them in . scarlet rug, with good
humOred laughter. An anxious mother
escorts her darling boy, who il collapsed
over the shoulder Of a painting facchino,
and demands wildly her coupe, engaged
Tor Paris. An ambassador Of Morocco,
in o crimson gown and white turban.
passes with digniied repose Of manner,
surrounded by his suite, enveloped in
snowy ~burnouses, each wearing yellow
slippers. A group Of young soldiers
lean on their muskets, and criticise the
ihrong; porters skurry along, and
guards g~esticulate; but the quick, mock.
ing Italian eye has ample leisure TO scan
the laughing negress with her gorgeous
wraps, the tall old gentlemen, the tod
ding old ladies round as balls, the am
bassador in his turban.
Miss Norfolk Stanley gazed out on the
hurrying thropg with that selfish COM
placency peculiar TO the traveller who
has already secured a good seat in a
Continental railway carriage. She had
an old-fashioned theory that, deprived Of
the escort Of Nephew Dick, q ladies'
carriage was the safest place for herself.
That she was alone in this opinion was
speedily revealed by the fact OF every
other woman in the crowd bes'Owing
her person in the conveyances adjacent,
rather than submit To the awful posi-
bility of q troop of children for hours.
Bijou's mistress was an old traveller;
experience had made her timid and sus.
picious. She read all the robberies in
English and foreign newspapers. and
looked obviously at mankind of the
tourist species. Who were these men2
Why did they observe her? A ladies'
carriage for her, If you please, and not
one where each man in the corner may
prove an assassin and a thief il a favor
able opportunity offers. She had learn.
ed the words Help!" and "Thicves!"
in six languages, for emergencies.
Two ladies paused at the door Of the
carriage. The smiling official, in re-
membrance of Miss Norfolk Stanley's
bride, resisted their efforts to enter,
and led them elsewhere. They we're
both women of medium height, in long
water proof cloaks, their heads envelop-
ed in blue wells, which concealed their
faces. Miss Norfolk Stanley saw a long
yellow hand, with thin fingers peculiar
" talon-like, stretched forth to turn the
handle of her carriage door. The hand
belonged to the first woman, and she ex-
perienced a strange Of relief when
it was again withdrawn, and the owner
passed on. Whyp Because Bijou could
caper about at liberty il she retained the
carriage alone. She assured herself this
was the sole reason for dreading the
yellow hand and the shiver which crept
over her at sight of it.
This danger surmounted, there re-
NAMED one more to be overcome before
Bijou and his mistress could breathe
freely. The surly guard jumped on the
step, demanding tickets. The surly
guard gave and received no quarter.
His expression of countenance was sat-
%urnine, his gray mustache curled up
ward in q truly savage manner, and his
cap was pressed down over a deeply
wrinkled forehead. sHe was always in
a hurry, and his life was rendered bur-
densome by the questions of nervous
travellers. He eyed Miss Norfolk STAN
ley sharply-sOle occupant of the la
dies carriage, sitting with a leather bag
carefully held upright on her knee.
"You have no dogP" demanded the
surly guard, peering about on the floor
suspiciously.
"Certainly not" said Miss Norfolk
Stanley, blushing at the fb which she
uftarod in alarm for her net.
Then the surly guard banged the
door, departed, and the train actually
started at last. Bijou skipped out OF
his prison, executed a wild but barkless
dance over the seats, stood Of his hind
legs with great apparent enjoyment.
ate a biscuit, and was refreshed with
water from the cup of his own tiny
travelling flask.
The train wen6ed its way toward the
Alps; one by One 10 peaks detached
themselves from the mountain rampant
dividing France ard Italy, and stood
out boldly against the blue sky; the at
mosphere grew keen. Down in the
valleys weather-beaten little hamlets
were huddled together in a cluster of
steep roofs; the river foamed in silvery
ripples; the peasants worked in the
blooming fields. Within the railway
carriage Miss Norfolk-Stanley INDUCED
in her own ~meditatiOns, and Bijou Ca
pered about at pleasure. The lady
made her plans, with slightly COM
pressed lips. She would 90 to Paris,
and thence direct to London. Nephew
Dick might well look to himself!
The train paused. Hi, Bijou! Miss
Norfolk Stanley had scarcely time to
restore her pet to the bag pocket when
the opposite door flew open, and the
surly guard thrust in his head. Her
heart failed her. If the surly guard
had seen Bijou, he had the right to car
~ the dog off in triumph to the baggage
van, and impose on herself the ignO-
miny of a fine. Instead, he explained
that two ladies must be admitted, as the
cigar smoke of their carriage made them
i'll. Again that long yellow hand CROPPED
upward for the door handle, and the
two women in cloaks invaded Miss Nor.
folk.Stanley's territory. She resigned
herself, with q sigh, to the inevitable.
After all, these ladies were only q trile
peculiar and foreign-looking, mere
harmless fellow-creatures, and Bijou
had already enjoyed two hours of free.
dom. Miss Norfolk Stanley's first i'm.
pulse was to throw herself on their mer-
CT to the extent of releasing her dog.
In travel she had never yet encountered
another woman who did not assist in
smuggling Bijou with the delight in
c~ontraband warfare of any kind peculiar
to the sex. A second glance at those
yelled and muffied figures deferred her.
The strangers, with . murmured apollo
~ in French for the intrusion, sank
into their places ut the other extremity
Of the carriage, and remained as silen,
as statues. They carried no bags OF
parcels of any kind. The yellow hand
produced . smelling bottle Of cut steel,