Louisiana capitolian., 1881-11-05
THE BLUE SATIN SLIPPER.

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Leon and his bride were seated in o
compartment by themselves. They had
| given the conductor fec and promised
themselves solitude on their wedding
journey.
just as the train was about to move all
elderly man sprang on the step, and en-
tered the compartment. The door,slam.
ned the bell struck and the train NOV
ed away. Although annoyed by the in
trusion, the young people continued
their conversation in English, when they
were interrupted by their fellow-traveler
in much better English than their
own.
Monsieur" said he dryly, 'if you
have any secrets to relate, ] would ad-
wise you not to do so before me in En-
glish, as am conversant with that Ian
guage. am sorry to intrude upon you,
but this is the only compartment could
find place in. However, will try to
go to sleep"
And he faithfully tried to do so but
his efforts were in vain, and finally he
drew q book from his valse and began to
read When he plunged into his sack he
drew therefrom u large roll of Bank Of
England notes, and showing them to
Leon asked if he could change them at
the next town. Leon replied that it was
probable that he could do so, as the
road was much frequented by English
travellers.
When they reached the next town the
Englshman descended first. After him
came Leon. Suddenly there darted from
the group of loungers on the. platform a
young man of peculiar appearance. He
was sallow and unshaven his eyes were
bleared and bloodshot; his clothing was
shabby to the last degree. His once
black coat was buttoned closely to the
chin probably to conceal the black of u
shirt. He advanced toward the elderly
Englishman.
"Uncle,.. he said, humbly.
as that YOU" said the other, angrily !;
''be off! ! don't want to have anything
to do with YOU"
"Come, uncle" said the other, with q
mixture of menace and humility, "don't
be SO hard on q man.
He seized tho elders arm, and led him
aside. After some moments converse
tion the uncle seemed to soften, and
opening his valiso gave the other some
bank notes. The nephew devoured the
remaining roll with his eyes, and after a
curt word of thanks, disappeared in the
crowd.
Leon and his bride entered the hotel,
and were shown to the best room in it.
Their status as q newly married couple
procured them that honor.
Leon ordered dinner to be served in
their room. The difficulty in procuring
it excited his wonder, and on inquiring
be found that officers ofthe Fifty-second
Hussars were giving dinner to their
comrades of the Sixty-first Chasseurs
that very evening, hence the confusion.
To his horror he found that the banquet
was spread in the room Immediately adj
joining the blue chamber. However,
there was no help for it. The host
swore by all the gods that the officers
were the qnietest men he ever saw in
his life; that-excepting the Chasseurs
there were no more lamb-like indi-
viduals in the service than the Hussars
and besides, they always rose from the
table before midni ght.
As Leon, somewhat troubled in mind,
returned to the blue chamber, he no
ticed that his English fellow traveller
occupied the room on the other side.
The door was open, and through it he
saw the Briton seated before q bottle
and glass, and contemplating the cell
ing.
"Well, it makes no difference, after
ALL" said he to himself, "the English
man will soon be tipsy, and the officers
will be gone by midnight"
When he entered the blue chamber,
Leon looked to bolts and bars. On the
officers side there was no door, but a
very thin partition.
The young couple had mediocre din
ner, which they would have enjoyed
more had it not been for the talk of their
military neighbors. The conversation of
those gentlemen had nothing whatever
to do with tactics, stragegy, OF the art
of war in any way. On the contrary, it
consisted of highly seasoned stories.
And such stories They were followed