The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-09-28
A PRETTY WIDOW.
now SHE BROUGHT ABOUT 4 BACHELORS FALL,


TRANSLATED EhOA 1aE II
There was general establishment in our
| little circle of friends when we learned OF
the coming marriage of Valentin Sancerre.
What! He, that hardened old bachelor;
that Partisan sceptic, who scofed at every
suggestion of matrimony; that jolly high
/, liver, who had sworn hundred times that
he s'would never be caughtv' Yes, Valentin
was going to enter the great fraternity, and
whom was he to marry? A widow. More
than that a provincial.
We could not understand it. So the first
! time met him took him by the arm and
demanded an explanation.
II have but little time" he said. land
have a great many things to do. have
iust come from the mayors and am going
TO the printers for the invitations. II you
oare to come with me that far"
.Hov did it come about?" asked him,
aud We started down the boulevard, arm in
arm.
1.-THE story is quite BRIEF" Valentin said,
land very commonplace. but since You in
sist upon knowing IL, here it il"
In the month of February went to Nice
for the carnival. I haye horror of trav-
cling by night, SO took the 8:55 train in
! the morning, which should land me in Mar
settles five minutes after midnight.
would pass day in Marseilles, where my
good friends, the Rombauds, of the Rue
Saint Ferreol, expected me to breakfast.
The following day would leave for Nice,
where would arrive about two o'clock in
the afternoon.
At the Lyons depot was great crowd,
was able to find place in compartment.
! I was alone with another traveler-deco-
rated, of severe bearing, with an official air
whose only baggage was portfolio.
Certainly he would not go far with that
| equipment. and soon I should be alone
journey supportable. Everybody was set
tied; the train was aboutto start. Suddenly
there were sounds of a dispute at the door.
'No, monsieur, no" said fresh feminine
ern accent. Il ordered sleeping-berth;
must have a sleeping berth!'
"But, madame, we have none."
"You should have paid attention to my
letter.
" 1--WE received no letter madame
every we'll. shall not Co."
Gas you please; the train is going to start.
I have given the signal" i.
.Stop stop! absolutely must 70. And
there is this carriage only? Well, they will
give me sleeping berth at the first sta
ton"
"Yes, madame, yes"
you will telegraph"
eyes, yes, madame"
The door opened; in plunged the little
brown head, surrounded by halo of pack
ages and rugs; shrill whistle cut the air;
We we're off.
The official gentleman CALAMITY seated
himself near me, SO as to leave one whole
side free to the new arrival. Without SO
much as glance toward US, all Hurried
land rosy with haste. she arranged her
packages in the rack and about herself,
with the haste common to persons who
y4have many long hours to pass in
q car. Out of the corner of nv eye fol-
lowed her little maneuvres, and ascer-
ling. 1 say with pleasures; for however
proper Lne's intentions may be it is always
more agreeable to travel with pretty wo-
man than with an old man in spectacles.
Il The cold was intense; the country, COW
cred with snow, lighted by pale sun,
seemed to fly rapidly by the two sides of
the coach. The fair traveller, enveloped to
the chin in her rugs, gazed obstinately
from the window on the left. I attacked
the pile of newspapers bought at the sta
ton to pass the time.
At 1i:2l, Laroche. The train stopped.
The official gentlemen arranged his papers,
rose, bowed and got out. Barely had he
stepped down when he was received by the
.plnspecteur.'
The lady traveller came to the door.
s'Stationmaster she called.
"Madame?''
"Yoq have been tesleeraphed from Paris
"Yes, madame; 1 have forwarded the dis
| patch.''
"What, forwarded it! Am not to be given
Guthat sleeping-berth immediately"
"Impcssible. madame; we have no coaches
ySn s1n A b gS xsn S Sna g.
Five forty-fve, madame
s. 1.-The whole day, then! l cannot remain
in this coach unit! that hour. It's impos-
asible. I will not"
"Take care, madame, the train il start
ing" And the train drew out. She flung
herself in her corner, furious, without
throwing single glance in my direction.
plunged into the perusal of my tenth
| newspaper.
One does not find ones self alone with a
pretty woman during long journey with
have liked very much to engage in CONVEX
station with her; but the pretext, the open
ing subject, where was it to be found? Con-
sidering the temperature, the threadbare
pretext of windows to open or close was
mot to be thought OF. What, then, was to
My neighbor, had discovered immedi-
ately, with the scent of an old Partisan,
twas a woman of the world, and of the best
To speak to her in that way, roughly. with
out knowing her, would have made me ap-
pear in her eyes as the lowest of CONNER
cial travellers. The only way to solve the
difficulty was for me to find something
strikingly original to say to her. But what?
VI cudRelled my brain in vain. was still
searching pretext for opening CONVEX
sation when the train stopped.
''Tonnere! Twenty live minutes for re-
ffreshments!' cried the porter, opening the
door.
4 My neighbor arose, relieved herself of her
rugs, which she left in the coach with her
three little bags and descended. She went
in the direction of the buffet, to the left, on
the other side of the track. followed her.
could then admire at my ease her elegant
figure, we'll outlined in a long sealekin
cloak also remarked the pretty black
qringlets at the nape of her neck, her gray
felt hat and her tiny little feet.
At the entrance to the hall stood the
steward. Bedecked with velvet skull-cap,
| he indicated with his hand and a napkin
long table to be stormed. entered with
the tide of unkempt, ungloved, Hurried
jewellers, and hastily swallowed the sue
cession Of dishes served to me; the lady
traveller took some broth at q separate
table. %
~ got up among the first and went out to
W l. A. A. I'M