Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1883-05-23

there ore good many charming ladies'
of my acquaintance who insist on calling
themselves young and yet who will never
see rs again-in this world at least. I
have also said that she was pretty, and
that, too, Notwithstanding subsequent
developments, I will stick to until my
dying day. She was rather tall, and was
dressed IN travelling robe which, though
falling nearly toher feet, did not entirely
conceal the very graceful figure inside
of it. The only coquettish feature in her
toilet was jaunty Partisan bonnet,
perched sauciiy back of wealth of raven
hair, parted at one side and falling par
TALLY over her forehead as if to match it's
blackness with that of her clear flashing
eyes-eyes that flashed all the more
brilliantly by reason of the red cheeks
and rosy lips that kept them constant
company. Though travelling clone, she
seemed not in the least abashed. Be-
fore I could tender assistance she had
put her bag away in the rack above,
seated herself with good -natu.ed smile
midway between the COMMITS V0y0geur
and the old lady, and, after rapid sur
| vey, such as only woman can take Of
any rev company in which she finds
herself, drew book from her pocket
and compose dIy settled herself down to
read.
Since that day I have often in leizure
| moments endeavored to recall the many
trih,ng and then apparently unimportant
details connected with or leading up to
the events that followed. I recollect
that half an hour or so after we started
out from Lamothe The commits voyagta.r
suddenly woke up, yawned, and looked
about him with the air Of man who re-
quired q few moments in order to ascer-
tain where he was and how he had got
there. Apparently he had not before
seen the new conner, but his glance rest
ed on her only for a moment. Then he
sat up straight in bis place, and after
one or two Intellectual attempts to begin
| conversation with me he reIapsed into
silence. 1 didn't particularly like his
looke, remember.
At Monceaux; where we had half an
hour to wait, ali of us except the young
woman got out, the old couple
evidently not to return, for they took all
their traps with them, and great fuss
they made in doing so. I had glass Of
beer and sandwich in my buffet, after
ward smoked cigarette, and then
climbed up again to my place il the
wagon. The commls-voyageur was there
before me, but he had taken one of the
now vacant corners at The further end,
while the JOung woman Il was very glad
of it-had planted herself in seat OF
site mine. She looked pleasantly up
from the book-I recollect it was lola s
"L'Assomoir"-as got in, and then she
went on reading again.
I began to think that, notwithstand-
ing, our new acquisition, the ride babe
fair to be as stupid as before, when sud-
denly my els a, vis looked up and point
ing to the window inquired: "Would
monsieur mind having the glass open,
just little bit?'
mot in the least" answered, and I
let the window pane half way down.
evil that nswer?'
"Perfectly," size said. 81 am very
much obliged indeed" and then with a
bewitching smile she added: "Does mon
sieur travel far %
"Only few hours beyond the from.
tier" answered. "And you mademoi-
selle %
She colored slightly. "Pardon, I
am madam, and not ma1emoiselle ." she
said with smile. II am going to Mad
rid"
Il don't envy you the journey" said
]. 'Do you not dislike to travel such q
distance alone?'
Undoubtedly" she answered with a
shrug. 'M0ss que Voulez voe4s: It can't
be helped. My poor husband has been
taken suddenly i'll there, and his physi-
clans have telegraphed for me to come
Immediately"
could not help looking at her novel
and rejecting that she was taking the
matter very coolly en- route. But then
what philosophers these French women
can be about such things!
II have never travelled alone BEFORE"
she continued. 'Can monsieur tell me
at what hour we pass the frontier %
"About 2 I think. They open the
baggage at Irun."
:" Fortunately I have but little with
me to be examined" she said, ''but l
am SO unused to travel, and dread these
Spanish officials"
"You have no occasion for uneasiness,
madam said. ''It is simple for
mality, an every. day affair: and you will
have no trouble, I imagine"
81 hope not" she said thoughtfully,
for if I did''-and she hesitated, t'I-I
am all alone, and to whom should I
turn ?"
1t was said very innocently, indeed.
Perhaps was too compassionate. What
man can be otherwise to pretty woman
in distress, whether real or pretended. I
recdllect it flashed through my mind
that che had not the look of either an
adventures or asmuggler. At all events
my reply was instantaneous: "You will
have no; trouble, madam; but in case
you should, call on me-" #
She modestly murmured "Mercl,"
and then she fell TO talking about other
things. Did 1 know Arcachon? What
lovely place it was. She had been
stopping there at, the Legallais for q
month to get the seq air, while her hus-
band was away in Spain. Had she any
children? Oh, yes-two, but they were
with their grandma, at Paris. All! that
dear Parish how she had regretted leav-
ing it even for only month or two. If
the bon .Dieu would only. grant that
they might all be back there together by
Toussaint -and so she ratified on in the
prettiest Parisian French, at one minute
going into childish ecstacies over the
heavenly blue of her little Paul's eyes,
the next exclaiming with vehemence
against the en,sui Of life in the prov
inces, then defending her favorite Zola
against the manifold assaults of his crit
iics-in short the woman talked and talk
ed so entertainingly and yet 80 inces-
sanity that ! finally resigned myself q
willing captive to her conversational
charms. What 8 guileless little crea-
tnre sho was. Ny commis-voyageur, I
thought, was acold blooded sert Of chap.
He didn't even listen to what she was
saying; il he did it Vas with his eyes
shut, and with al the outward appear
ance 81 one who, having . large debt ac-
count to settle with The. god Of slumber,
wss doing his level &bestato balance the
books. d. .=s.,,
And 90 s parsed the now fleeing hours
until We reached Irun, where We all
l