Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-09-03

/ cold sunlight, seemed 20 nee away rap.
idly on either side Of the carriage.
Our little traveller, wrapped to her chin
in her rugs, set herself obstinately tc
looking out of the window 10 her left
The executive goatleman drew from his
| portfolio great state papers with seals In
all colors Of the rainbow-yellow, green
blue. and purple-which he read with
considerable attention.
AS for me, comfortably seated Will
my feet on the hea.er, looked over the
pile of papers b:d bought at the sta
ton TO pass away the time.
Tweniy-one minutes after eleven.
"Lar che!" The train stopped The
executive gentle nan arranged his
papers, got up. took of his hat, and left
the carriage. He had hardly reached
the platform before he was received by
the station master. who addressed him
as N. Piuspecteur in a tone of deep re-
spect Our little passenger rushed to
the door.
us this the station master?"
"Yes, madame, and have sent on the
dispatch"
What, sent it onI am not to have
the coupelet Immediately?
Impossible, madame; we have no
carriages here. You can only get one at
Lyons"
AT Lyons-at what timer"
"At 5.45 madame"
"All day, then. But can't stay in
this carriage until that time. 1t is inn
| possible. don't wish To-"
Take care, madame, the train is leav-
ing!"
And off the train went.
She buried herself in her corner again,
in perfect rage, and did not deign to
cast the smallest glance at me.
AS for me, set myself to reading as.
tiduously my tenth newspaper.
| Shall confess it? 1t took me longer
to read that tenth paper than it had to
read the nine others. read the same
lines over twenty times. / believe that
half the time / held the paper upside
down. But then, after all, French
mans Frenchman, and you can't ex-
pect man to take long journey with
distractingly pretty woman and not
| feel some kind of interest in her. was
dying to talk to her, but could not find
or invent any pretext to begin conver-
sation. On account of the cold the old
time expedient of raising or lowering the
window was of no avail. What was to
be done? Make some idiotic remark.
apropos of nothing? No, a hundred
times rather keep still. had immedi-
ately discovered, with the instinct of the
old Parisian, that my companion was a
woman of position. To suddenly ad-
dress her without an introduction in any
such fashion woul. have set me down in
her eyes as the most contemplate of
commercial travellers.
The only way to manage 1t was to find
something magnificently original to say
to her. But what? What? / searched
in vain.
was sill searching when the train
suddenly stopped with that new patented
brake so good for accidents and so bad
for passengers.
"Tonnerre. Twenty-Five minutes for
refreshments. sang out the conductor
as lie opened the door.
Ny neighbor got up, freed herself from
her rugs, which she left in the carriage
with her three little bags, and got out.
1t was noon. She was beginning to get
hungry. She took her way to the buff
fet at the left on the other side of the
track.
followed her, admiring at my ease
her charming figure. well set off in
long cloak which fitted her to perfection.
I noticed also the pretty little dark curls
under the knot of hair at the back, a hat
of gray felt and pair of very little feet.
The proprietor Of the restaurant, ar
rayed in velvet cap, and who bore a
wonderful resemblance to Napoleon III,
stood at the door and pointed out with
much dignity and wave of his napkin
the long table which the travellers were
to take by assault
was hustled along with throng OF
disheveled and bundled up passengers
the typical crowd of fast express, es-
sentially grotesque and utterly impos-
sible from the standpoint of beauty,
rushing to be fed.
sat down and hastily devoured the
succession of courses which were put
before me. As for my fellow traveller,
she took cup Of bouillon at table by
herself.
was one Of the first to finish. and
went out to smoke cigarette on the
platform. The 25 minutes, reduced to
90 as usual, would soon be up. The
travellers in groups were leaving the res
taurant and taking their places in the
train. / had resettied myself in mine.
My little traveller had not appeared. /
could see her at the little book stand,
on the other side of the track, looking at
the books spread out in q row. Her hair
seemed q little lighter to me than before,
but that was doubtless the effect of the
distance. Everybody was on board;
the guards were slamming the doors
sIs she going to stay herel" thought,
ssl1e is mad"
@Madamel Madamel" called out OF
the door. A shrek of whistle-the
train was goingl