The Portland daily press., 1892-11-12
A TRANSFER TICKFT.

wife, spirited little blond OF six and
twenty years, was in very bad humor,
as was also Toinette, the bonnie, who had
looked In three times already to an
nounce that the dinner would be done to
q chip.
What in the world had happened to
himf Some accident of course, for. &C
customed to leave the Office at an estab-
lished hour, Phillipe's arrival could
usually be foretold to the minute. Real
ly it was frightfull PHILIPPE had surely
been run overt That Montmartre cross
ing doubtless! He was so reckless al
ways, with an absolute mania for cross
ing street when it was filled with
pack of vehiclesl Hark! no, a key CRATES
in the lock!
"Toinette. monsieur comes; quick,
bring in dtnnsrt"
The door opened; Marieval entered;
his wife few to him.
sThere was an accident then, Phillipee
You are hurt, crushed at last! l knew
it; told you sol 1t doesn't astonish me
the least in the world"
'sHurt? Cl1ashedf What the deuce,
Jeanette, are you talking about How
could be crushed I'd like to known
.sBut-such late return
"Oh, / see; but come, let us have din
ner; I'm dying of hunger. I'll tell you
about 1t at table,"
Gas you please, but everythings dried
up now. No matter, though, since you've
no bones broken
And while his wife placed the screen,
turned up the gas and ran her eye over
the silver to see that nothing was lack
ing, Marjevai drew off his topcoat and
mopped his brow-for he had clearly
been on the run to reach home.
Unfortunately, as he drew out his
handkerchief he pulled out with 1T an
omnibus transfer ticket, which fell on
the floor unseen.
The edge of his hunger blunted, and
while attacking the remains of pate de
foie gras PHILIPPE became communica-
tive, and told his wife that passing the
bourse coming home some one had
clapped him on the shoulder, and that
"some one" was no other than Proudine.
Madame tiptilted her nose with an air
that said plainly;
"And who, pray, is Proudine?'
"Proudine, you know" continued
her husband. whom I've told you Of q
thousand times, and whom l met at
Vincennes. A regular character, that
fellow-a journalist, practical joker and
out and out Bohemian! It's five years
since | saw him; Judge then of my
amazement and pleasure, for Proudine
and were always great chums. Brief
ly, we entered Beron's to take an alb
sinthe together; Preudine was joking
and talking and time passed before l
knew it.
And dinner finished Marjeyal got up,
whistling cheerfully, and passed to his
room to don his slippers and smoking
jacket.
Meanwhile his wife assisted Toinette
to clear the table; they sat in the salle-a-
manger instead of the salon-beeause it
was warmer and made 1t NECESSARY to
keep but one fire going. In STOPPING to
pick up a napkin, she suddenly per-
ceived the "transfer" on the carpet. and
mentally asked herself, "How did that
scrap of pasteboard come there% add
ing, naturally enough, PHILIPPE dropped
it of course"
Marjeval just then returned with the
last new novel
.'You walked home, think you told
me, PHILIPPE, did you notr' Jeanette
asked carelessly, as he came in. "Or
did you take an omnibusf"
.sNo, walked, as said"
you are sure you walked? Think
wellr
Certainly, I'm sure; and what should
think about? The Office is only some
twenty minutes from here!'
,'You are positive then, PHILIPPE, you
did mott
''See here, Jeanette, this is bore!
Why should 1 say I'd walked If I'd
taken bus2 And why do you ask thisP
"Why? Oh, only to know whether
you are fatigued."
"What an ideal'
And Marjeval installed himself i'll an
easy chair by the fire, book on his knee
and paper knife in hand, while Jean
nette took her seat opposite. Nine.
Marjeval, however, closely watching
him, was mentally discoursing with her
self.
There's something under all this,
thought she. al haven't been out of the
house today, no more has Toinette.
This transfer couldn't have got here
alone, therefore my husband brought it.
He has taken an omnibus today and did
not wish me to know it; therefore he
has been in some place that he seeks to
conceal from me. His delay at dinner,
too-ah-h! begin to see-that tale Of
an old friend at the cafe was pure inven-
ton. PHILIPPE is deceiving me, and i
am determined to know why"
And rising quietly she thrust the
famous ticket behind candelabra OF
the mantelpiece, PHILIPPE, absorbed in
his book, seeing nothing.
81 am going for my work, y said she,
and left the room.
Five minutes passed and PHILIPPE, still
reading, took long pulls at his pipe.