The morning call., 1892-04-11
THE ?. |. NJ. EXPRESS.

the approaching marriage of Valentn
Sincere. What He? - the hardened
celibate the Partisan skeptic. REBEL
ing against all matrimonial ideas! = the
Joyous free-liver who had hundred times
sworn that he would never have anything TO
do with II! Valentin, after all, was gong
20 foin the great brotherhood! And. OF all
women. whom was lie going to marryT-a
,sidowi We were bewlldered.
So, the first time / met him, buttonholed
him and demanded explanations.
.'Pye hardly time to speak to you-a heap
of things TO do. have just come from the
Marie and am on my way TO Storms, the
Passage du Panoramas, to get some invita-
ton letters. If you'll go with me-"
IF III go with your / said.
We were in front Of the Madeleine. We
passed down the boulevards arm in arm.
The story's a very simple one," he said.
Commonplace to the last degree. but. since
Won want so much TO know bout 1t here il Is {:
I'm the month of February last l Ses
going to Nice for the carnival fetes. have
the greatest aversion to travelling by night,
and / therefore took the S:55 morning train.
due at midnight at Marseilies, where l pro-
posed spending the following day with my
friends, the Rrmbauds, who expected me to
breakfast. The next morning / was going
on 10 Nice, where l was TO arrive at 2
O'clock in the afternoon.
sAt the station there was an excited
crowd: but, thanks 10 the pr0verOIal hg-
ingness of NJ. R-gnoui, the statiou-master,
| was able TO secure a place IN the only
coupe in the train. The only other occu-
pant was a gentleman with red roSette in
a buttonh0le of his OvercOat-a gentleman
of severe aspect and with an administrative
air. whose luggage consisted solely OF
portfolio. AssuredIy he was not going far
with that outfit, aud presently | should be
thing
railway journey suppOrtable.
"All the passengers were in their places,
and the train was about starting, when the
sound of dispute arose at the door.
"'No, monsieur, mol said the voice of
woman, fresh in tone, and with an almost
impereeptible southern accent 1 ordered
a sleeping compartment, and sleeping
compartment l must have
but. madam, ! have told you, we
haven't one!
"fYou ought to have carried out the in
structions in MY letter.
1--WE have not received any letter,
madam
Have another carriage put on. then
Impossible we have already the regu-
lation number. Come. come, make haste;
the train is about to start
a. Well, | must have a place found for
me-
al have offered you two. madam. in the
80 There?'
"'Yes, madam-therer
"a little dark haired woman appeared in
the doorway, and instantly started back. as
If IN alarm.
There are two gentlemen in itp
Good heavens. madam lcan't give you
a whole carriage to yourself!
VERY well. then; / will not gop
AS you please. The train is off am
going to give the signal
Stay. monsieur stay. Unjust absolutely
20, and since there is only this coupe-but
you'll let me have a sleeping compartment
at the fist station we come to"
\ es, madam
You'll telegraph for it,?
y es, yes madam
y on promise meY
Yes, madam
on are Sure%
Yes, yes. yes, madam
"Ihe door was thrown omen wide and
the little brown-haired lady, surrounded by
half carriage lead OF parcels and wraps.
entered the coupe; shrill whistle, and we
were of
"Gallantly the administrative gentleman
seated himself by my side, so as to leave
the opposite seat entirely at the service of
the new arrival.
without even turning her eyes toward
US. Mustered ana red with anger. she ar
ranged her parcels around her with the
ordinary haste OF persons who have long
hours TO pass In railway carriage.
She had one bag, two bags, three bags,
dDG-aS 10 wraps!
"Out of the corner of my eyes watched
these little proceedings, and l observed with
pleasure mat she was a charming little per-
sOnage l say with pleasure; for, In truth.
1t is always more agreeable to have pretty
woman Tor travelling companion than an
ugly one
1T was very cold. The country. covered
with snow, and lit up by very pale-faced
sun, flew rapidly by on either side of the
carriage. The little lady. muffled up to her
erin IN rugs ana other wraps. turned her
gaze obStina;ely out of the farther window:
the administrative gentleman put his pa
pers, yellow, green and blue with printed
headings, In order, and read them atten-
lively; as to myself, comfortably installed
in q corner, with my feet on the foot
warmer, ! waded through the file Of news
papers had bought at the station TO pass
the time.
III :21; Laroche. The train stopped.
The administrative gentleman gathered up
from the carriage. His feet had hardly
touched the platform before he was re-
ceived BY the station-master, who called
HIM MI. Inspector The lady leaned out
Of the door:
Mr.. Starion-master!'
Madam
"'They were to telegraph to you from
Paris for sleeping carriage
lhey have done so, madam, and have
sent on the message
Sent it on Am not to have q sleen-
ing-carrlage at once, them?
Impossible. madam; we have no car
riages here They can only furnish you
with one at LYONS
.'At Lyons! At what o'clock?'
AT 5:45. madam
'AI the end of the journeyl But, mon
sieur. can't remain In this coupe until that
time! lmpossiblei l wontP
lake care, madam. the train is start
at started.
she threw herself into her corner again.
In furious pet, without casting a glance al
me. plunged once more Into the contents
Oh my newspapers-into the contents of the
shall 1 confess it? That paper took me-
longer 10 read than its nine predecessors.
Twenty times began the same line: / be-
heve that at least for some time the paper
shut up for long journey with a pretty
woman without feeling some sor. of emo
tionl
II greatly wanted to enter into converse
non win her, but what pretext for doing it
could / find? The classic resources m mt
ting up or down the windows. in such n
state OF the temperature, were non-ayail-
able What was there 10 do-launeh a
commonplace remark Of some kind? Better
hundred times keep silent than do that.
My companion, had seen at a glance with
my Parlsian eyes, was woman of the best
society 10 speak to her brusqnely, with
ONT being known to her, would have made
me appear IN her eyes no better than yul-
gar commercial traveller. The only way of
craving her into conversation would be TO
uhd something strikngly original TO saw to
her; but what-what? l sought labor.
ously, but did not find.
was still continuing that search when
the tram stopped suddenly. thanks to the
powers oil The new brake-so good against
accidents. so bad for passengers.
ionnerre Twenty minutes stoppagep
cried porter, opening the carriage door
My companion rose, threw off her rugs