The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-07-27
THE MARSEILLES EXPRESS.
HOW A CONFIRMED OLD BACHELOR MET HIS FATE-THE
PASSENGER WHO GOT ON AT LYONS.

Yes, madame
You nave received a telegram from
al have, madame. and have sent on the
"What, sent II on? | am not to nave the
couplet Immediately?
Impossible, madame, we have no car
riages here. You a only get at
Lyons"
AT Lyons-at what time?"
AT 5:45, madame"
.."All day, then. But / can't stay in this
carriage until that time. II is impossible.
/ 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
a perfect rage and did not deign to cast
the smallest glance at me.
As for me / set myself to reading assid-
uously my tenth newspaper.
Shall i confess IL? 1t took me no longer
to read hat tenth paper than il had TO
read the nine other. i read the same line
over twenty times. / believe that half
the time l had the paper upside down.
But then, after all, a Frenchman's "A
Frenchman, n you can't expect a man
ingly pretty woman and not feel some
kind of interest in her. l was dying to
talk to her, but i could not find or invent
any pretext to begin a conversation.
On account of the cold the old-time ex-
pediento 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 Immediately discovered,
with the instinct OF the old Partisan, that
my companion was a woman of position.
To suddenly address her without an in
PRODUCTION, in any such fashion would
nave set me down i'm her eyes as the most
contemplate of commercial travellers.
The only way to n Ii was to find
something magnificently original to say
to her. But what? What? I searched
i'm vain.
was still searching when the train sud-
denly stopped with that new patent brake
SO good for accidents and so bad for pas
sengers.
"Tognerre. Twenty fiv minutes for
refreshments" sang out the conductor as
he opened the door.
Ny neighbor got up freed herself from
her rugs, which she had left in the ear
rage with her three little bags, and got
out. II was noon. She was beginning "a
get hungry. She tool her way To the buf
fet at the left on b other side of the
track.
followed her, admiring at my ease her
charming figure. well set of in a long
cloak which fitted her to perfection.
noticed also the pretty little dark curls
under the knot of hair at the back, a hat
OF gray felt and a pair Of very little feet
The proprietor of the restaurant, ar
rayed in a velvet cap, and who bore 9
wonderful resemblance To Napoleon Ill.
stood and pointed out with much dignity
and a wave of his napkin the long table
which the travellers were to take by as
sault.
l was hustled along with a throng Of dis
typical crowd of n fast express, essential,
grotesque and utterly impossible from ths
standpoint OF beauty-rushing to be fed.
/ sat down and hastily devoured th,
succession of courses which were pu
before me. As for as my fellow traveller
she took a cup Of bouillon at a table b,
herself.
was one of tie first To finish, and wen
cut To smoke IA cigarette on the platform
The % minutes reduced TO 20 as usual
would soon be up. The travellers in group
were leaving the restaurant n taking
their places i'm the train. I had resettlet
myself in miEe. My little traveller hat
not appeared. could see her at the littl,
book stand on the other side OF the track
looking at tine books spread out In a row
Her hair seemed a little lighter to M
thar before, but hat was doubtless III,
effects of the distance. Everybody wal
on the board the guards were slamminI
the doors.
as she going to stay here?"I thought
'sbe is mad"
Mauafne. lcaileu Ottt %
the door. A shrek of a whistle-the trail
was going!
What was TO he done? A thought strucl
my brain like a flash of lightning. Sh'
was going to be left behind In thisf fright
fully cold weather.. without baggage o
her wraps. She might at least have he
own belongings, the poor little thing.
tool up i'm one armful her three bag
aud her rugs. and throwing them at til,
baggageman, who happened to be stand
ing on the track next 10 the train,
"To that lady over there!" | cried.
The baggageman took the things an,
started OIL toward the lady at the book
stand.
Al the same instant. in the other end o
the carriage. the side next the platform
the door opened and my fellow travele
appeared frightened and hustled aloni
by n cross conductor-threw herself int
rors! ! had mistaken the woman. TIN
lady Of the bookstand was not she. afte
all-same cloak, same hat, same way o
holding her head-but il was not she.
IL was a traveller who was not travelling
How absurd that two women should loo
so alike. / had made a fine mess of IL.
She hardly entered the carriage befor
she uttered "A cry-"My bags-my bag
have beer stolen.'' And for the first tim
she looked at me, but, good heavens, witt
what a lookl I'll never forget that look
you may be sure.
"No madame" l stammered, your bag
are not stolen-they-thcy are left at Toa
nerrel'
"At Tonnerre? How"
Iaxnlatuad IA all 90 har IarIf won