The morning call., 1892-07-17

the other. dryly. "What rogues many of
those cigar-dealers are! How they impose
upon any Que whom they have reason to
think at all inexperienced! But | notice
that your weed Is nearly done. VIII you
oblige me by trying one of mine?"
He held out his case as he spoke and o.
wald. finging away the stump of the cigar
he had been smoking took the first that
came to his hand of those proffered him. lie
thanked the stranger with a smile ana
little bow, but at the same time he wished
most heartily that he had bestowed himself
In another compartment.
"How does the cigar suit youo Is the
flavor to your liking?" asked his travelling
companion presently, emitting long spiral
OF smoke from his lips as he did SO.
Oswald was fain to admit what was no
more than the truth, that never before had
he smoked cigar its equal either In flavor
! or aroma 1t was milder than the one he
| had been smoking, or so it seemed to him.
| and vet there was seductlveneSS ABOUT IL
| which made him feel as If he had never
! known the true luxury of smoking till now.
| But preseE tly he became conscious of a pc
| culiar sensation in his head. 1t was a sense
| of lightness, OF buoyancy; it was as though
his brain were bring gradually inflated with
some subtle gas. the effect OF which was at
once stimulating ana agreeable. oswald,
in fact, felt somewhat as he might have felt
had he drunk a couple of glasses OF cham
payne quickly one after the other. The ex-
| perience, strange though 1t was. was by no
! means an unpleasant one.
81 presume that. ike myself, you ara
| bound for London" said his companion,
| after a time.
Oswald intimated that London was his
| destination.
! "Ah, grand place, Londony' was the re-
| ply. For my part, | prefer it either 10
| Paris or Berlin or st. Petersburg; and
think that, without flattery, | may say that
! l am acquainted with all three. Do you
purpose making much of a stay there, may
l ash? But. perhaps London is your
| home ?"
! "My home is at Nunwood," answered OS-
! wald. who, owing either to the influence of
! the cigar, or something else, began to feel
! in laxative mood and to be conscious that
| his shyness was leaving him. 81 am going
TO town on visit TO my grandmother, Lady
| Pym."
He blushed again as he mentioned her
| ladyShip's name. Ii was only bit Of boy
ish brag. OF which he was half ashamed,
that had caused him TO speak of her at all.
LADY Pym," said the other, musingy !;
81 seem TO know the name. and yet i cannot
call to mind that l have ever had the honor
! of being introduced TO her iadyship."
A quarter of An hours chat about moth
! ing 10 especial followed, and then the
| stronger said:
lyon have smoked that cigar quite far
enough; permit me to offer you another. l
can see that you appreciate them, which is
a proof that your palate has not yet been
vitiated. You are at a happy age, sir-a
! happy age"
Oswald would fain have refused the sec
! Ond cigar, or at least to have put il away to
| smoke at another time but he was too shy
! to do so. Had a preSentiment that for the
! present he had smoked quite as much as
! was good for him. But next moment he
called to mind that he was now p years and
| 3 months old, and that. cons .quentiy, he
! ought to be able TO DO as other men lid.
| He took another cigar and proceeded to
| light il.
When, subsequently. be endeayored to go
over In memGry all that had passed between
| himself and his fellow-traveler he found
that he retained but very vague and con-
fused recollection of anything that was
said or done by him after he had lighted
that fatal second cigar. He felt nearly sure
that he had SO far given way to the laxative
mood which had so strangely overcome him
as To tell his companion all there was 10 tell
about himself and his affairs, even 10 the
extent of revealing that he had elS75 stand
ing TO bis credit in one of the London banks.
! His new-found acquaintance as ii seemed
to him, had listened to his story with the
most courteous attention, even going so far
now and again, as TO lnteTpoate an apropos
question or two, which was really very nice
on the part of a man more than double his
age, although, on the other hand, he had
failed to reeiprOeate the confidence and had
told Oswald nothing, absolutely nothing,
personal to himself. Still, Oswald failed 10
recall anything very clearly till he found
! himself standing on the platform of the
London terminus, with his Dortmanteau at
! his feet and a visiting card in his hand, on
which were engraved the words, CAPTAIN
Demetrius." with the address written in
minute characters below, mo. ga Mintsrn
place W. c."
The card had been pressed upon him at
parting. and at the same time a promise had
been extracted from him that on the next
day but one he would call on Captain De-
metrlus and his daughter. Yes, he certainly
said on me and my daughter murmured
Oswald, as hanson drew up in front of
him,