The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-27
~HERE was general establishment In
our little circle Of friends when we

~HEkE wal general astonisnnenti III
our little circle of friends when We
heard Of the approaching marriage
of Valentin Sancere. What! He-the
confirmed old bachelor, the skeptic OF the
b~oulevards, the scoffer at marriage, the
gayest of the men about town, he who had
sworn a hundred times that he would have
none of it-valentin, i'm short, going over
to the enemy? And who is he going to
marry? A widow! And, what's more,
from the country! We couldn't maxi It
out"
So the first time l met him l gra bbed
him by the collar and demanded an expla-
nation.
~ haven't a minute," he said; ''such n
lot of things to do. / 4 ave justc come from
the Marie, and am going TO Storms, the
engraver, Passage DIES Panoramas, for the
announcement cards. Come along, won't
YOU"
"Of course / will.'' said I.
We were Just in front of the Madeline,
and we walked down TO the boulevards
arm i'm arm.
ats q short story" said valentin, "and
commonplace to a degree, but since you
are bent on knowing il, the fact is j am
going TO take the fatal plunge"
In February l wa on my way to Nice
for the carnival. I hate TO travel at night.
SO I took the s:45 train in the morning,
arriving at Marseilles at five n after
midnight. | was to spend the day at Mar
settles with my friends, the Rombauds,
who we're expecting me to luncheon, and
the next morning l vas to leave for Nice,
TO arrive there about 2 o'clock in the after
At the station at Lyons there was a ter
rifle crush. Thanks to The well Known
p~oliteness of NJ. Fregnoul, the station
master, / got a carriage facing the en-
CINE. l found myself alone except for
one other traveller, who had a severe ex-
ecutive manner, a decoration n a port
folio, and of course he couldn't Dc going
far and / should soon be left to myself
alone-the only condition which makes a
railway journey endurable.
Everybody was on board and the train
was on The point Of departure. There was
a noise of vehement discussion just out
side our door.
"No Monsieur! No!' said a woman's
voice. very sweet and fresh, with an al
most im~perceptible Southern accent.
~ ordered a coupelet, and a coupelet l
must have"
.But, madame, IL we haven't anyr'
why didn't you pay some attention to
my letteI?"
1--WE didn't receive any letter, ma
damet"
Put on another carriage, them"
'Impossible! We a already put ON
all we are allowed. Come, come. hurry
train is going!"
II must have "A place at least"
but have just offered You two in the
carriage"
There"
"Yes, there"
A little dark mead peeped in at the door
and Immediately disappeared as II in
fright.
"Well. madame, l can't give you a car
riage all TO yourself"
Every well, then, l won't CO."
"As you please-the train is going.
must give the signal,
stop, sir, stop. absolutely must go,
and as there is only the carriage. will
they give me q coupelet at the next sta
ton
"Yes, madame! Yes, madame"
"You promise me ;"
'Certainly."
"You are sure 2"
"Yes. Yes. Yes"
The doors opened. the little brown cad
tumbled in, surrounded by n halo of pack
ages and u a whistle shrieked N we
were off.
The executive gentleman politely seated
niIuselI utAt uit, SO us 70 itdNe All oit
side free for the new arrival. She was
flushed and excited. and did not deign to
give us a glance, but set to work TO ar
range her packages i'm the net above and
in the seats about her with the haste chat
people usually manifest when they have
hours before them In a railway carriage
There was n bag-two bags-three bags
and a number of rugs.
watched her arrangements from the
corner Of my y and came to the de
cided conclusion that she was charming
In fact. IL is always pleasanter to rave
with a pretty woman than with an old
Englishman with spectacles. It.was bit
terly cold. The country covered will
snow and illumined with a pale cold sun
light, seemed to flee away rapidly or
either side of the carriage.
Our little traveller. wrapped to her chir
I'm her rugs, set herself obstinately TO look
ing out Of the window at her left. The
executive gentleman drew from his port
folio great state papers with seals in al
colors of the AUTHORIZATIONS. green, blu,
and ~purple-which lie read with consid
cradle attention.
AS for me. comfortably seated with my
feet on the heater, | looked over the pill,
of papers | had bought AT the station e
pass away the time.
Twenty-one minutes after III. "Laro
chel' The train stopped. The executive
gentleman arranged his papers. got up
took off his hat u left the carriage. HI
had hardly reached the platform befor'
addressed him as Monsieur f~Inspecteu
in a tone of deep respect. Our little pas
senger rushed Ia the door.
sIa thfG fha affnnmAGtgF ~