The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1891-04-04

not; and as some Of the men cheered
this gallant little speech he followed
the conductor downstairs.
The passengers downstairs, in the
meantime, had been growing restless
at the conductors long absence on top;
they were all wishing, 1 suppose, that
they had the power to be in two places
at once. How their faces did brighten
when his legs first appeared in view
And as they saw the stylishly attired
young man who was following in his
wake, they looked at me as much as to
say; Now something interesting is
surely going to happen"
Instead of the conductor leading this
man before me, the latter stood in the
open doorway, and raising his glass to
his eye inquired of the conductor;
(which is the lady?"
"The little one in the blue dress, with
the red cheeks, monsieur" replied the
conductor; and before l could protest
against this new form OF insult, the
young Frenchman had taken off his
hat and with n profound bow said:
ut would afford me the greatest happi-
ness in the world to be allowed the
honor of paying mademoiselles fare"
and turning to the conductor handed
him six sous. With. another profound
bow, and broad grin playing over his
face, he was off upstairs, while cries of
"BraU0! braUoi Tres 6ieni tres 6ien!"
went after him.
tried to set the conductor to listen
to me as | told him that he must return
the money at once, as the young man
was stranger and had no business to
pay my fare, and that l could see no
reason why he should refuse to take
my fve-franc piece. But he only shook
his head, and said he was fatigue and
was very happy to have at last found a
man who was jaunty enough to pay for
me; he did not care any longer whether
it was the husband CT madame or not;
the fare was paid, and that ended it
"ceSt .tiRt' and he shrugged his shout
ders.
We had just two more streets to go
before reaching our destination, the
Louvre, and as | gathered up my para
sol and hand satchel could see that the
passengers were again on the qut 0tre
AS soon as l caught the very first
glimpse of J.s long legs on the top
step | rushed out to the back platform;
and when he had reached the bottom |
grasped him firmly by the arm, de-
manding to know what he meant by de-
nying | was his wife and refusing to
pay my car fare.
The most startled expression came
over his face as he stammered out:
''Were you the woman they were hunt
ing for man to pay her fare? o good
Lordy!" And he commenced to laugh
quite foolishly.
The conductor looked as if he was
going to faint as he feebly walled: II
demanded of every monsieur but this
one, and he was reading. Mon Dt6u! l
was 6ete."
Joseph Livingstone Il always say
Joseph when L am very angry, you
pay my fare at oncel-it will probably
be for the last time-and take me
away from this dreadful bus as quick
ly as you can, or shall die" By this
time / could hear peals of laughter
both from the inside and on top, as
lnduy Ol Ule pdSSeuSeTS from dpoNe hdIa
crowded to the stairs to see what was
going on below.
j., as if in dream, slowly pulled the
six sous out of his pocket and gave
them to the conductor, who was look-
ing very crestfallen. AS we jumped off
the bus, followed by the gaze of every
passenger, l know they sympathized
with me, for they must have thought L
had for husband sun hOmme IN peI
t0que."
1t is needless to say that we did not
go to the Louvre to see the pictures
that morning, but took a cab and drove
straight home instead, where l COM
forted myself with good fit of crying,
between my sobs insisting that l was
going right home to mother on the next
steamer.
J.'s miserably detected air, and his
real penitence, had softened my heart
by night, SO l did not go; only ever
after, when out sightseeing, l never
allowed him to become separated from
me for minute, as one funny expert
ence, l thought, was quite enough in
Paris.-Anne G. Goater, in Demorest's
Monthly.