The morning call., 1892-04-12
THE P. |. NJ. EXPRESS.
TCONCLUDED.l

ing striking resemblance 10 NapOIeOn III,
he pointed out with his hand and with
napkin long table TO be taken by assault.
81 entered with a crowd of trayelers-ruf-
fed, hurried; in short, that stream OF per-
sons essentially grotesque aud derogatory
to human beauty. of an express TRAM Deht
all on devouring food of some sort.
~ seated myself and hastily swallowed
the succession of dishes set before me; my
lady traveller took some soup at separate
table
out upon the platform to smoke cigarette.
The % minutes-reduced 10 20. according to
Tule-were quickly spent. The passengers
came in groups from the refectory and re-
turned 10 their places in the carriages. l re-
Installed myself in mine. My fellow-trav-
eler did not appear.
The opposite side Of the line, looking over
the volumes displayed. Although | could
see nothing of her but her back, l easily
recognized her by her pretty figure, her otter
skin mantle and her gray hat, Her hair
seemed to be little less dark than had
imagined ii TO be: but this was the effect OF
distance no doubt.
"All the passengers had resumed their
seats, and the porteTs were banging to the
doors.
":SheIl be left behindr thought. She's
madv Madam madam! l called to her
out of the window.
''She was too far of. and did not hear me.
1.-THE whistle sounded; the train was
going TO start. What was to be done?
Prompt as flash Of lightning an idea shot
through my brain. She would be left
there i'll the horrible cold without her lug
gagel Let her, poor woman, at least, have
her small belongings.
Il gathered up in an armful her three
bags and her rugs, and threw the whole TO
man in the uniform OF the railway, who
was on the line near the carriage.
For that lady over there | cried.
1.-THE man in the uniform carried the
articles in the direction OF the lady at the
bOokstall. At the same moment the car
rage door on the opposite sIGe-the side
next the platform-waS opened and my
travelling com paniOn, grumbled at by Sta
tion porter, hurried into the carriage, and
the train started. Horrori | had mistaken
the traveller The lady at the bOokstall
was not the right one; the mantle, same
hat, same fgure-but not she! II is per-
pecty absurd how much women resemble
one another-the back view Of them. /
had made pretty mess Of II!
she had hardly entered the carriage be-
fore she uttered a Shrek.
MY parcels. Somebody has stolen MY
parcelsr
And for the first time she turned her
eyes on me, with look-good heavens =
with look never to be forgotten.
No, madam L stamDered, your par
GELS have not been stolen; they-they have
been left behind at Tonnerre.'
AT Tonnerrel How?'
81 explained i. all to her. By Jove! nv
dear fellow, | can't describe the second look
she darted at me; but, ! assure you, |
firmly believe / shall remember il even
longer than the first
q" L am distressed, madam | further
stammered, distressed exceedingly; but
the motive was good one; thought that
you were going to miss the train-that you
would be eold-and-and | did not wish that
you should be cold; in short-forgive me.
and do not be uneasy in regard to your
property, which is In safe hands-a man in
uniform. At the next station YOU can teIe-
graph-we VIII telegrap h-and your things
will be Immediately sent Oh. Ah!-you
shall have them, vow, even though | have
myself TO 60 back TO Tonnerre to fetch
them
Enough, monsieur! I know what 1
have 10 do
''Stormily she rearranged herself in her
corner, Juggling petti5hly at her gloves
But. alas. poor little thing, she had
counted without the c0id-she no longer had
her warm rugs and wraps about her At
the end of ten minutes she began TO shiyer,
1t was in vain that she tried to huddle her
self up-to draw her otter-Skin mantle
closer to her form. She positively shiyered
with the cold.
Madam I said. 4 beg of you on my
knees TO accept my rug You will catch
cold and it will be my fault, and l should
never to the end Of my days forgive myself
dld not speak to you, monsieur she
said sharply.
81 was nervous, excited. In the first
place she was charming, in the next place /
was furously annoyed with myself for the
stupid bunder l had made; in short, /
found myself In one of those predieaments
that call for the taking of strong resolu-
tions.
q" Madam l said, accept this rug, or l
swear to you will throw myself out on to
the iinep
"And flinging the rug between her and
me, L opened the window and seized the
outer handle Of the dOOrlock
"Was determined ?-between ourselves.
not altogether, | think; but 1t appeared
that had the air of being so, for she in
stantIy cried out:
You are mad, monsieur, you are mad 7
TIE rug-Or L throw myself outv
'''She took the covering, and in a softened
tone said:
But you, monsieur-you will catch your
death of cold
"'Do not lie uneasy on my account.
madam; | am not in the least chilly-and.
even if | should feel cold, it will be only a
Just punishment for my objectionable stu.
pidity.'
Say your over-hastiness; for, as you
have said, your motive was good one
But how came you to mistake another lady
for me?
because she appeared to me charmingp
She smiled. The ice was broken-the
Ice OF conversation, that is to say; for ia
other respects, was shiyerng with cold.
But now quickly forgot the cold, the
journey-everything! She was delicious.
exquisite, adorable! She possessed a cult
waited MIND. keen, gay. originali She loved
travel, like myself. In literature in music.
In everything in fact We had the same tastes
AND then-only imagine we found we had
heap OF acquaintance in common: she
was Intimate with the Saint Chamas. with
the SaVenols, above all with the Montba-
IONS! Only to think that l had perhaps
met her twenty times in their drawing
rooms without having noticed herl Good
heavens! where had my eyes been?
"She spoke simply, amiably, with the
frankness l so much love. A slight, yerv
slight. provincial accent, almost impercepti-
Die, cblrp rather. giving to her pronunci-
atom something OIL the singing Of bird. 1t
was intoxicating.
But though l would have given all the
how cold was!
"At Dion eco my right foot was half
frozen. We teegraphed to Tonnerre for
the articles left behind.
AT Macon (4:3W it was the turn of nv
LETT foot. We received a message from
Ionnerre, saying that the luggage would
arrive In Marseilles next day.
AT Lyon-Herranche (5:48) my left hand
pecane insensIble; she forgot to demand
her sleeping carriage.
AT Talence Is :o9 my right hand followed
the example OIL the left; learned that she
was widow and childless.
AT Ayignon 9:59) my nose became yio
her first husband. '' '''ou
AT Marseilles (i2:o5 A. NJ sneezed three
times Violently; she handed me hack INV
rug, and said graciously, .Au revoirV
-" .Au revoir? Oh, ] was mad with de-
light. "''n ue-
i spent the night at the Hotel de Noalles
:. -an agitated night, filled with remem brance
OF ner. Inc next morning, when | awoke,
imaginable. A'"U
Gould !, In such a state. present myself
to mY frienla the Ranah o IT, -. oeIA