The morning call., 1893-04-18
STRANGERS.

favor about 1t. We liked the rame, so
BoDper and l lounged YEARLY in at the di-
lapidated coach entrance. ..1..
"Do the gentlemen wish 10 sleep here?"
asked a female antique. who evidently went
with the building. Yes. the gentlemen
had thought of such a thing"
She regretted that the hotel no longer put
up travellers. One could dIink there. but
not sleep. Doubtless the gentlemen can
read?"
Then. il the gentlemen will have the
goodness to leave by this door. and take the
first turning to the left, they viii see before
them a very suitable hotel, and not too
dear"
The first turning to the left brought US to
the Three Travellers, good third-rate hotel
We knew from tile size OF Glen that there
was bound TO be a Hotel de France some
where, but too tired TO move a step further
we dropped our knap>ack-it was BOpper's
turn to carry it tnat day-and clamored for
food
Dinner-our tramp supplied the sauce
put new life into US. We strolled out to see
the town.
Up on the hill behind the houses was a
very fue old chateau-a sort of compound
If the Norman castle and the old Scotch
barouial,
stopping passerby. I asked whose the
castle was. The man seemed astOnished at
our ignorance.
But TO Mr.. the Commandant," was the
reply.
hopper never liked to be outdone in hunt
ing for Information. He stopped a gendarme
and asked if we could get in to see the
chateau.
But yes, perfectly, IL the COmmandaut
orders"
From his grim smile we inferred that the
order was not likely to be given. But gen.
darmes' jokes are hard to comprehend.
When we got TO our hotel we tried to find
= fba oI,a oF,fr ha
by gruff and evaslve answers.
The crnwning insult came. Never be-
fore In France, and never since, have we
been asked TO pay our bill in advance. Bop
per stormed; my milder counseis prevailed.
We paid. Then we saw our bedroom. 1t
contained fifty square feet and two beds.
There was a fourteen-inch lane between the
two beds. l thought of the last scene in the
Sentimental Journey; Bopper thought
of going to the Hotel de France, BOpper
was right.
Once we passed a worse night. But our
night with he Three Travellers was bad
enough 10 encourage early rising We shook
the dust Of Glen from our feet al $3.50 A. NJ.
Oh, the delight of that fresh morning walk
along the Loire to BriaTe. The ten kilO-
meters spun past without our oticing them.
Our morning coffeel But | have promised
Bopper to use no exclamation points in any
thing that he is concerned in, and be had
coffee.
After a delightful mornings walk Of
nearly fourteen miles, we came to the dainty
little village of Bonny at about 10 O'clock.
II you happen To be passing that way don't
forget to have breakfast at the Green Oak.
The last house in the village toward the
south Is a long, one-stOried building with
little, double-stoTied portion at the end
nearest the village 1t is particularly clean.
At the time we saw it the whitewash was
quite fresh. a trcolor, which was war
Tanted always to wave in the breeze by the
simple expedient of being made Of iron,
gave hint, which long signboard made
explicit with the word "Gendarmerle.
AS we approached the postern of the
courtyard gate was thrown open and q
little man sprang out He had pair of
dark-blue trousers, with darker stripe of
blue down the side, pair Of spurs, huge
white apron, his shirtsleeVes and bald
head.
HALT thereP
We halted there. For though the little
man looked Insignificant enough he spoke
authoritatiYely. and we noticed at The same
time that two burly gendarmes in full uni
form Except that they had the peaked cap
Instead of the genuine full-dress cooked
hat stepped out Of the postern after him.
You are English, aren't your"
"As you say, sir"
"You come from Gienp
Perfectly"
VIII you have the goodness to enter?'
We had the goodness TO enter.
We passed through the court to stone
~
door was shut behind US and the thud of a
musket butt limited that one of the two out
side had been told of to mount guard over
US.
"Your papers," The little man held out
his hand.
Up till now Bopper had been delighted.
1t was his first arrest had gone through
It twice before, and dare say had crOwed
just little more than l ought to over his
lnexperlence. He thought we were getting
mat af 1acf hstfd n Ia 70 ha iaA
by man in an apron. Besides, the gen.
dsrmes we're outside now.
Permit me to ask by what right yOu stop
travellers on the high roadP" Thus Bopper
with much dignity.
Your papers," repeated the little man
sternly.
May l ask whom l have the honor of
addressing" Bopper was severely suave
BUT the Bligadier Dupont, sir" The
genuine astonishment of the good brigadier
was enough to make US laugh. Bopper only
added sarcastically:
You haven't much the air Of it,
Stung by the sneer. the officer vanished
through an inner door, TO reappear a moment
after In full uniform. Taking his seat at
the desk, he began:
without papers, presume?"
Bopper was busy looking for a seat. He
did not relish standing while the examiner
sat. We had to pocket the affront, how
ever, through lack of even a FORM Bonner
angrilY retOrted that papers" were no
longer required, that we hadn't papers ani
that he would like to know what this de-
tention meant. Dupont merely took up a
huge yellow paper form and solemnly
asked:
Your surnames and Christian names ?"
We gave these. and great many more
items as he asked them and graveIy wrote
them down. Suddenly he turned upon us
with ''Now I've got you" air and asked:
Your resources, if you please ?'
st this veritable stand. and deliver"
Bopper, with some pride. produced his purse,
containing some 700 francs.
You didn't look like it, you kn Ow," MUIR
INJURED the thunderstruck brigadier.
When l fOurished over 1000 francs before
him he could only add
Nor you, either"
Pleased AZ the favorable impression onr