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

ODlglnSnCSS Oh Cne SCAIlOu HScuC, NJ. EIcl
noul, l managed to find a corner in a coup'
I was alone with another traveller, VIII
wore decoration and had q severe admir-
istrative bearing, and his sole baggage
portfolio. Assuredly he was not going ia
with such an equipment, and should 500
be alone. Alone!-the only thing that ren
ders travelling on a railroad endurable.
Everyone was in his place and the trail
was about to leave when WI heard disput
ing voices at the car door.
"'No, sir, no. said some oma with
clear, fresh voice, with ar imperceptibl
Southern accent. 4 have ordered a sleep
"'But, madam, we have nome
"'You ought to have paid attention tt
my letter
ave have received no letter, madam
"'Put on a car, them
Impossible. We nave on the full mum
Der. Come, come, be quick. The train is
startling"
"'But I must nave Il seat
"'Well, l offer you two in this car.
"'In thera?'
"'ies, there
ga little brunette face wasthrust into
the door and Immediately withdrawn, as il
| startled.
"'Why, there are two gentlemen in there.
".But, madam, l cannot give you Il cal
| all alone to yourself
"'Very we'll; l will not 60 them
Gas you please. The train will go. l
am about to give the signal -.
"'Stop, sir, stop, | really must go, and
since there is only this car | shall have a
sleeping compartment at the next station;
shall l not?'
"'Yes, madam; yes, madam
"'Do you promise me"
"'Oh, yes.
"'Surely?'
"The door opened, the little brown face
was lost in a pile OF packages and rugs; a
shrek from the engine pierced the air.
We had started.
"The administrative gentleman had
seated himself near me to leave a place
free to the new conner.
"Without even casting a look at us,
out of breath and red with anger, she ar
ranged her bundles in the strap and round
her, with that haste common to all who
have many hours to spend in the car.
There were one, two, three bags and rugs.
From the corner Of my eye Watched her
movements, and found to my delight that
she was charming. A say delight, for
really it is always more agreeable to travel
with q pretty woman than with an old
Englishman with spectacles.
1.-The air was sharp and cold. The coun-
try, covered with snow and lighted by a
pale sun. seemed to be flying rapidly away
on both sides of the car. The fair traveller,
wrapped up to the chin in her rugs. looked
steadily and rather sullenly out of the win
dow on the left; the official gentleman drew
out large yellow. green and blue papers
from his portfolio and read them most
carefully, and as for myself, being comfort
oh1o oor%oJ I 1oa1oI 0xyor tho milo nf no no1.c
l had bought at the station.
at was twenty-one minutes past IL. and
the train stopped at Laroche. The official
gentleman arranged his papers, rose, bowed
and left the train. He had hardly alighted
than the station agent addressed him by
the title OF inspector, which he pronounced
as if the word were almost too big for his
mouth. Here one lady traveller looked out
of the car door and called out:
""Station AGENT
'"Madam.'
'"Did you receive a telegram from Paris
for a sleeping compartment"
''Yes, madam, and sent on a dispatch
for one.'
"Sent on a dispatch! Can't have one
at once"
"~"Impossible, madam. We have no cars
here. You can't ave one until we
reach Lyons
"Lyons! At what hour
'"At 5:45, madam
""All day to wait, then. Why, sir, l can
not remain in this car until that hour. It
is impossible. l will not
""Take care, madam. the train is start
ing;r ,o.
self in her corner in a rage, without casting
a look at me, while l buried myself in my
tenth journal.
'Shall l confess that it took me longerto
read hat one journal than all the other
nine? l read the same line twenty times;
l even believe that l held it upside down.
Devil take it, it couldn't be helped. You
know what a Freedman il. He can't be
alone with a woman on a long journey
without feeling some emotion.
II longed to enter into conversation with
her, but what pretext, what subject could
l find? Owing to the temperature, the
classic resource of windows to raise or
do, then? Attempt a commonplace re-
mark? It was a hundred times better to
be silent. With the keen perception of an
old Partisan, l saw at once that my neigh
Dor was a woman of the best society. To
speak to her thus abruptly, without know
ing her, would have made me pass in her
eyes for a common travelling clerk. The
only thing to do was to find something
supremely original to say to her. But
what? What? 1 racked my brains in vain
and / a still racking them when the train
suddenly stopped, thanks to the modern
so good in case OF occidents, but
so bad for travellers.
""Tounerre; stop twenty-five minutes for
cried the conductor, opening
the car door.
"My neighbOr arose; threw aside her rugs,
she left in the car with her three little
bags, annalighted. It was moo ~and2hunger
itself felt. She vent to the refresh
ment room in the station on the other side
of the track.
II followed her. l could admire at my
an elegant figure well defined by a long
cloak. l also remarked that she
had pretty black ~frizzles at the back of her
neck, a gay felt hat and very small feet.
lat the entrance Of the room stood the
waiter, in a velvet cap, and highly ia |
by bearing a striking resemblance to
III. With a flourish of the hand
and napkin, he pointed out a long table |
for an attack.
Il entered the stream OF hatless breath |
less, rumpled travellers. In short, l was
one of that file essentially g%rotesque and
as regards human grace and
that pours out from an express
train to feed itself in a hurry.
81 seated myself and hastily swallowed
the courses served me and my lady traveller
took some soup at a separate table.
II was one of the first to rise and 90 and
a cigar on the wharf. The twenty |
Ave minutes, as usual reduced to twenty,
would soon be consumed, and the passen-
gers were leaving the station in groups and
returning 20 the cars, and l entered mine. |
The lady had not yet returned.
II saw her looking at books at the little
at the depot, on the other side
Df the track. Although her back was
to me 1 easily recognized her by her
figure, beaver cloak and gray hat.
hair did not seem to me quite 80 dark,
but it was the effect of distance, no doubt. |
Everybody had entered the cars, and the
were noisily closing the doors.
"'Why, she is going to remain here,' 1
she is crazy and I shouted:
Madam! madam but l was too far away; !
The did not hear me. The engine whistled
the train was about to start. What
vas to be done? An idea, swift as light
hing, flashed through my brain. She is CO.
ng to remain there, in that horrible cold,
her baggage. She must at least
ave some OF her small packages, poor little
So | made an armfnl 0f the three