The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1885-09-16

near the wharf; the door opened and INV
lady traveller, Hurried and hurried along by
q cross conductor, sprang into the car and
mistake. The traveller at the book store
was not the real one. TIT same cloak, hat
and figure, hut it was not she. 1t is absurd
to think that there are woman who resem-
BILE each other like that-in their backs.
All, / had done a fine thing.
"My lady had hardly entered the car than
she gave a scream.
my bundles-some one has stolen my
bundles and for the first time she looked
at me, but with what an expression in her
eyes. My God! that look, do you know, !
shall never forget.
.".No, madam I said, your bundles are
not stolen. They are-they are at Tou-
nerre.'
".At Tounerre! What do you say?
~ explained all to her. All, my friend,
will not describe the second Ook she darted
at me, but l believe l shall remember it
longer than the first.
al am distressed, madam, truly dis
tressed,' l added, ~stammering, but my
motive was good. 1 thought o would
miss the train-that you would take cold,
and I did not wish you to take cold. In
deed, You must pardon me. Have no fear
about your effects. They are in safe hands
~ OuSSd8C"ulN6VCAs ~ SAS oPA
at the next station. I will telegraph we
will telegraph-and they will be sent at
once. All, you will nave them! Ipromise
you. even il I return to Tounerre for them
myself
"'Enough, sir! she said to me. Il know
what is for me to do and she drew back
in her corner, twisting her gloves in her
anger.
"But, alas! poor little woman. She had
not counted on the cold. She no longer
had her nice warm rugs, and in a few mo-
ments she was shivering. In vain she
drew herself together and wrapped her
beaver cloak around her pretty figure; she
| positively shivered.
MADAM I said, 4 beg you on my
knees, accept my rug: You will suffer
and it will be my fault-and 1 shall never
console myself
al do not wish to talk to you, sir she
said, CURLY.
II wa very nervous and excited. In the
first place l thought her charming; then l
was furious at my ridiculous blunder; in
short, l was in a mode for great resolutions.
"'Madam,'I said, accept this rug or
swear to you that l will throw myself on
the track And, finging the rug between
herself and me, l raised the glass and placed
my hand on the outer handle of the door.
"Was l resolved? between ourselves. not
quite, l think. But it seemed that I ap-
peared so, for she Immediately cried out:
"'Whv, you are crazy sir; you are crazy
1.-The rug-or l shall jump
"She took the rug and said in a otter
tone: But you shall die of the cold"
"tDo not disturb yourself about me,
Madam, 1 am not chilly, and even if l were
cold, it would be only a just punishment
for my objectionable stupidity
"'Say for our too great haste for you
are right, yourintention was good, but how
could you take that lady for me?'
"'Because she appeared to me charming
She smiled; the ice was broken; the ice Of
the conversation, it must be understood,
for otherwise l was shivering.'
But l soon forgot the cold, the journey, |
and everything. She was delightful, ex-
q%uisite, adorable. She had a distinguished
mind-refined, lively, original. She liked
to travel, like myself; she had been to Italy, |
like myself; to Spain, like myself; and she,
like myself, dreame OF going to Egypt. In
literature, music-in everything, in short
she had the same taste as mine. And then,
imagine, We had numerous acquaintance
in common. She was intimate with the
Saint Chamas, the Lavenoys, and above
all the Martbazons. To think that l had
perhaps met her twenty times in those
salons and had not observed her! Where
we're my eyes? Great heaven! Where were
my eyes? :,
with that distinguished simplicity which
like SO much. She had a slight, very slight,
almost imperceptible provincial accent-a
warbling rather-giving her words the chirp-
ing OF a bird. She said 'tete,' which is
chateau which is spiritual, instead of
Chateau which is stupid. 1t was fasci-
mating.
"But although / tried every way in the
world not to show it, good heavens, how
cold [ was.
"At Dion (2h. 2Om.) my right foot was
nearly frozen. We telegraph to Tounerre
for the bundles left behind.
AT Macon (4h. 45m.) it was turn for my
left loot. We receive the dispatch from
Tounerre that the baggage will arrive at
Marseilles the next day.
Lyon-Perrache (5h. 4Om.) my left
hand becomes insensible. She forgets to
ask for her sleeping compartment.
Eat Valence (Sh. 2m.) my right hand fol-
lows the example of the left learn that
she is a widow without children.
Eat Avignon (9h. 49m.) my nose becomes
purple, l believe I understand her that
she never loved her first husband.
cat Marseilles finally (5m. past midnight)
sneeze violently three times. She holds
out my rug n says to me, graciously,
'Au revOir.'
"Ah! her au revOir turns my head.
II spent the night at the Hotel Norvilles
agitated night, filled with her memory.
1.-THE next morning when | awoke l had
the most frightful cold in my head a human
being ever had.
"Could l venture in this state to call on
my friends. the Rombeauds? Well, | must
make the best of a bad matter. A traveller
must be excused for mishaps. They must
take me as am. and tO-mOrrOw tn, SIM of
Nice will cure me.
ooh, my friend! What a surprise l had!
That excellent Rombeaud had invited sew
eral friends in my honor, and among them
she was there-my traveller, my charmer.
"When l was presented to her an imper-
ceptible smile fitted across her lips. l
bowed very low.
"'Have you heard from Tounerreo!'
asked.
81 nave them,' she answered.
The company seated themselves at the
table. ]
"'What a cold you have!!' cried the ex- {
cellent Rombeaud. where the devil did !
you get it? In the cars, perhaps a
Possibly, / answered; but truly, l do t
regret it, q
mo one understood this answer, but l :
the kind, gentle look of my travelling :
reach me through the fragrant :
steam rising from a superb soup cooling on
the table.
"What more can l tell you, dear friend?
The next laV did not Oh to Nicp and IA.