St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-03-02

ON THE EXPRESS TRAIN.

IN the cOmpaTtIHeht win "
mas a stern, oficial-looking person
aoe, and as he had nothing with him
h h a portfolio, l knew that he
uould not travel far, and | should
soon have the compartment all 10
But alas, | made too sure! Just
a. the train was going to start,
heard a discussion going on outside.
mo. no., | engaged a private com.
nartment, and must have it," said
q silvery feminine voice.
81 cannot give it to you, madame,
for there is not one on the train"
replied the guard. ,..,
nBut | wrote and ordered it!'
"Your letter was o received
put on another carriage then
That is impossible; we are just
going to start-be quick. There are
two seats here"
I'm there? I"
Eyes, madame"
A small dark head appeared Tor an
instant i in the doorway of the com
partment, and was suddenly with
drawn. Then a startled voice ex-
claimed:
There are two gentlemen in
there!'
every we'll, madame, / cannot give
YOU a whole carriage to Yourself
Then l shall not 60 at ALL"
LAS you please. The train is just
going"
Wait, wait, am obliged to go
now. As there is absolutely no
other place, I-but can | have a pri-
yate compartment when / get to the
next station I"
Certainly, madame"
You will telegraph for it,?
Yes, madame!"
You promise?"
Yes"
The door opened again, and the
same head appeared, surrounded by
a halo of parcels, wraps, etc; a LADY
stepped into the compartment,
whistle blew and we were of. Th'
other gentlemen politely rose an'
took the place next to me, so as t'
leave the whole side opposite us to
the new conner.
She did not v%ouchsate a glance t.
either of us, however, tor she wa
b~reathless and flushed with indigna
ton, and she was no sooner seate'
than she began to arrange her satct
els and parcels with all the hast
usually displayed by people VIII
have a long journey before then
She had a satchel, another satche
and still another. and a bundle
railway-rugs.
watched her proceedings out
the corner of my eye, and a sing
glance at her face told me that 81
was young and extremely prett.
The discovery pleased me not alittl'
tits much more agreeable to trav
sitting opposite a pretty woma
than an ugly one!"
1t was very cold, and the fair ira
eler wrapped a rug round her al
gazed out obstinately at the whit
landscape; the other passenger too
some oficial-looking documents O.
of his portfolio and examined thei
while | pretended to be absorbed
my newspapers.
At halfpast eleven WI reach
Laroche, and as, soon is the ira
stopped, the gentleman gathered
his papers, rose, bowed, and left
The lady went to the door a
asked the station master in
anxious tone:
, "Have%you been telegraphed ire
Paris for a private compartment
Yes, madame, and have alrea
sent the order on"
"On! What do you mean? wa
it now"
Impossible, madame. We he
no carriages here, but you can
one at Lyons."
What time will that be?"
Five forty-6ve."
"The whole day! / cannot stay
this carriage until them cam
and l will not"
BE careful, madame, the trail
starting"
And the train started. She w
back to her seat indignant, and Wi
out looking at me. l began read
my paper again, but could not
my thoughts upon the news. n
the same line over twenty til
without knowing whatit contain
have no doubt that | held
paper upside down most of the tt
My fellow-traveller was distract
~ pretty, and longed to enter /
conversation with her, but did
know how to manage the mat
She was a lady, knew, and rae
my brain for some appropriate
original remark with which to br
the ice. 1t was all in vain. Moth
occurred to me except the weatI
and that | scorned.
vas still wondering, when
train came to a sudden halt, an
guard called out:
"Tonnerre! Twenty-Five min,
for lunch!"
My vis-a-vis rose, put off her r,
laid them on the seat, and got
tha A~o:. aaI che