St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-04
THE Bridal COUPLE.


She was looking over my head into the crowd
evidently seeking somebody. She made no
movement to permit me to enter the car, but
on the contrary she said, blocking up the
door, that all seats were taken. begged her
pardon, and once more applied to the con-
ductor. He was somewhat impatient. lie
told me, angrily, to go right in and pay no
attention to what any other passenger said.
did so, much to the annoyance OF the young
lady, who said that there would be y gentle
man passenger in the coupe.
understood the situation at once. The
lady was bride and the gentleman was
probably her husband. Hence her prevari-
cation and the unwillingness that anybody
else should occupy seat in the compart-
ment. II is very IN pleasant to force your
self upon people, and if there had been room
in any other coupe should have allowed the
young couple all the privacy they desired
As it was, / determined to withdraw into the
most distant corner and be blind and deaf to
whatever might occur. The young bride
looked over at me and asked me If lived In
Cologne, to which 1 rep led that did not.
''Are you going very fars" she asked,
hesitatingly.
''All the way to Paris"
She heaved little sigh, and then asked
me, rather abruptly:
''Can you stand tobacco smoker
''The gentleman smokes very strong
CIGARS was her next remark.
l responded that if the smoke was dis
agreeable to me presumed the gentleman
would give up his cigar.
She shook her head doubtingly, but just at
that moment the signal for startin was given,
and 'the gentleman" sprang to the coupe.
He was sturdy, well-built man, somewhat
older than his young wife. He had rather
coarse features, was not particularly refined
in his manners, and he made no attempt
whatever to conceal his chagrin at seeing an
other passenger in the coupe.
The conversation between myself and the
bride had been carried on in German, hence
was somewhat surprised to hear the young
couple converse in English, with which
language they imagined was not familiar.
Said the bride, looking straight at me:
81 tried my best to keep her out, but she
would come in" The young husband grunt-
ed somewhat in reply.
II told her all the seats were taken, but she
UOL DGllGNG Iuc. ue uldu
Il told her that you smoked, hut she said
that she liked it.' The man laughed and
threw his cigar stump through the window,
remarking:
maybe she is not going very far?''
sob, yes, she is. She told me she was
g DING to Paris. l asked her,"
'Well, l guess we'll have to stand It the
best we can, but it's pretty tough" he re-
pied with resignation, taking seat along
side of her ami gently squeezing her hand.
II was not fattcring to me to hear them
sigh alternately. l was not accustomed to
be looked upon as an altogether repulsve OBJ
iect Moreover, their conversation annoyed
NE little. For the first time in my life my
mother tongue appeared to be in the way.
Pretty soon they began again.
lis she young or old?"
The gentleman glanced over at me and
replied carelessly:
''She is not any too young"
"Rather pretty, isn't sheep
mot pretty TO hurt"
81 wonder II she is marredF'
POSSIBLY she is" he remarked, placing his
arm caressingly around her waist.
1t was time for me to say something, so /
spoke up and said in English:
81 am very sorry, but am compelled to
tell you that am an American ="
They were both somewhat startled. The
little woman said: sob, beg your PARDON"
And for about ten minutes there was an i'm
prAssive silence in the car, during which
time they fonded each others hands and ex
changed loving glances. Presently the bride
said in rather imperfect French: ''She
German"
O'What blue eyes she has got" replied the
husband.
REMARKED placidly in French: ext is un-
fortunate, madam, but speak French"
The situation was really painful. The
Young bride was not without tact. Once more
she begged pardon. and during the converse
ton which ensued she informed me that they
had only been married week. Her hus-
band was a German by birth, but had Travelled
a great deal in Canada, Mexico, and the
United States. where he had lived so long
that he had become completely Americanized.
As she said this she cast a most admiring
glance at her broad-shouldered husband.
She herself was a German, but she had been
to Wisconsin on a visit to an uncle, and there
she made the acquaintance of Der said
husband. She returned to Germany. They
corresponded, aud now he had come over to
Germany, married her, and they were on
their way back TO Wisconsin via Havre and
New York, etc. She was only IS, etc.
They seemed to be so much devoted TO each
other that dropped the conversation as soon
as possible. 1t was evidently great strain
upon them to desist from conversing with
each other, and at last the husband whispered
audibly: "AIS concentido.'' But i'm
mediately an expression of apprehension
came over lis features, and, turning To me,
he said:
"Do you understand Spanish also?'
repllrd, laughiugly, that | lived three
years in Guatemala. AS l said this the faces
of both appeared to grow longer. Their last
hope was gone.
Just at this moment the train stopped.
There was delay of half an hour. got out
Of the coupe and beckoned TO the fat 9nduc
tor / Was determined not to prolong the
misery of the bridal couple.
A few francs made him amenable to rea-
son. He found vacant place for me in an
other coupe. l went back to the coupe of
tne bridal couple to get my valise and shawl.
"What! Are you going to leave usf'' tx
claimed the little hypocrite, shaking me very
warmly hy the hand. l told her that |
thought it was best to do so, as there were
several other languages with which | was
fam liar. Her face was fairly radiant with
JOY as turneu 10 take II seat III tue oIueE
coupe.
] returned week afterward over the same
road and on the same train. The fat con-
ductor held out tortoise-shell comb, such as
ladies wear in their hair, saying he had found
it in the car. He thought it might be mine.
As had seen that Identical comb in the hair.
of the bride inferred that her hair had be-
come disarranged after they bad gotten rid of
me.
AS entered the car, I started back, for
there was another couple there, but they had
no objection to my taking a seat. They had