Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-17


| tell us when this train will So?'
| Mr.. Hastings was. in bis way. an artfuI
dodSer, and here was his opportunity. Two
pretty girls, with an insatintc desire to talk: a
deaf chaperon; nobody else in the compart-
ment. and long ride to Paris. That was n,
much rs any man need have to enjoy himself
with, and Mr. Hastings living just then
with that commendable object in view. He
looked like a Frenchman, he certainly had the
manner OF one, and why should he not be one?
] That was the proposition which formulated it
self in his mental chamber, and on that he
acted, with promptness and dispatch, the
| advertisements say.
| When the Young woman addressed him. there
fore, he made his ro!itest bow shook his head
| vouminousfy. shrugged his shoulders pathetic
ally and Replied
'Jc he vous comprend pass. mademoisele."
adding very fetching smIc to that made
| moiseIle"
The girls face Redeemed visibiv She had to
| explain to the chaperon. The other girl laughed
| and Mr.. H,stiIS, shrugged his shoulders some
more. and politely became unconscious OF the
presence of the ladies'.
| You might have known he was n French
| man." said the other girl. He certainly doesn't
look like an Engishman, and nobody would
| take him for an American"
swell, you didn't know it," was the petulan.
| answer.
| If DID or did no. l did not ask him what
| time the train left, and the other girl laughed
! teasingly.
| The irst girl shook her head
81 guess | don't care" she said. defiantly.
He + gooG-looking. whether he's Ftenchman
| or TimbuctoOer, and good-lookins men can't
| be spoken to every day.
Mr.. Hastings wanted to thank her 90. that.
but he gave no sign. only he felt his right ear
growing warmer.
Wei. You q better De careful how you talk"
suggested the other girl. for be may think he
il the subject of c0aver,e ion aui get at the
meaning by intuition. these Foreigners can
guess shrewdly as n Yankee"
The train had started by this time and Hast
lngs changed his position slightly, so that he
could hear better.
The first girl looked at him cautiously. but
with interest Il say. Clara" he vontured
''he has pretty ewes, hasn't he-for a man?
Blue Is n dangerous color, they say. but he looks
Us safe as n lite preserNer, doesn hep"
MIR. Hastings became very much interested
in his novel.
For goodness sake, don't let him see vcu
looking ut him. warned the other girl. as she
Gazed intensely upon the uphoIs iering of the
seat in from. OF her "If we want to Ia k aboa;
him-and there isn't anything el,c to talk
nbout-wero got tn appear absorbed in some
thing else. Now, wait. and Ill look oat OF the
window beyond him, and while gaze at the
scenery | II take kim nv
The first girl concluded she woald look at
the scenery also. and Hastings concluded he
would look ut the girls. He dbl So and on the
instant three pairs of conscious eye, looked
elsewhere.
My" exclaimed the first giri. what did he
ever look around for2'
Wanted to see u.s. of course" WIS the logi-
cal reply. HE has probably seen this scenery
until he is tired of looking mt it."
III venture lie hasn't seen himself until he
Is tired of looking at himself" said the first
girl. Did YOU notice what little feet he has
Pretty patent feathers. too. Do you know"
thut IL -,,r,,r
feet and vice versa?''
Mr.. Hastings wished heartily that he wore n
No. IA, large. He was about to drag his feet in
ont Of sight but be.honght himself IN time
aud let tine patent feathers lie there helpless
before the criticism OF his companions.
II suppose there EXCEPTIONS" said the
other girl apologe,icaly.
"Oh, of course. but whcther.he is one o. not
l haven't any means OF judging. See if you
can find on. wha. book he Is reading"
In spite % himself Mr.. Hastings moved and
in the moving the book was turned SO the girls
could not see the title
They looked at each other qucstonabfv.
MIR. Hastings was absolutely unconscious of
their existence.
"Pshaw, exclaimed the first girl; what did
he do that for? He wears n diamond ring on
his third finger See? Kind of a cluster. too
What wretched taste. Men in France have
such horrid taste In dress. anyway. Now. look
at that cravat. Maroon. Whoever heard OF
maroon cravat to match blue eyes?"
Mr. Hastings wondered what lie was there
Tor, blu: didn't dare anything.
They ought to have their Clothes made in
America suggested the other girl. 4
Or marry American wiyes," amended the
first girl
Not any for me-" contended the other girl
Its bad enough to have American for a
husband, and foreigner is simply past con-
sidering."
But what if he has ti;le?"
quite the same; quite the same. What
money have can be expended much more to
my satisfaction than buying title with it; I'm
less 1t Ia title to productive real estate"
Mr.. Hastings ventured glance a: the pro-
mulgator OF such unexpected sentiments. She
was undeniably handsome and he wanted to
look longer. but me dared not
The other girl gave a slight sniff.
"Pshaw, she said. "he smokes cigarettes
lhatsa misfortune rather than a fault,"
explained the first girl, and Mr.. Hastings sub
sided INTO the corner. at is a weakness th,
we should pity as strongly as we condemn the
men who sell the cigarettes
III not discuss the question" said the other
girl. what interests me more is how he can |
keep those whiskers shnrpened down to such a
point without jabbing holes in his shirt front. |
as he sits there scrouched down like that pic |
ture OF his ilustrious countryman, n. Bona |
parte, esq.,"
Mr.. Hastings was forced to smile but he kept |
his ewes on his book
The mean thing" exclaimed the first girl. |
ne s laughing at something in that book. II. |
bet cookie he wouldn't dare to read it 20 US.
those French novels are holrid."
1T 6 all right for men to read them. though"
moraliZed the other girl. 1T doesn't hurt tho !
men. no matter how bad they are. but it would |
De dreadful Tor us girls to read them, and still
II doesn't seem to make the men any less fit
companions and friends for u.s. does it?''
MIR. Hastings ventured another peep. shut up
the book. dropped it on the seat next to him
and fixed himsel: for a nap
The first girl took o quick glance at the
volume. 1t was one of Jules Vernes.
why, she exclaimed. ''look Mt that. It's
as harmless as spoonful of paregoric. guess
ne must be regular mamma's boy"
Evidently she was disappointed in either Nj.
Hastings moral tone, or her own lack OF judg-
ment In her original conclusion regarding his
tastes.
1T is pity" condoled the other girl "that
he isn't quite up to your standard. But don't
be hasty. He's fixed himself for a uap and
we'll see If he snores. Goodness gracious q
snore from that classic nose would be a sacri-
iege."
IF he snores," said the first girl. stamping
her foot, In lose all respect for him. The
idea OF man snoring, and young man. too.
is simply preposterous. just look at that
lovely mustache, Clara: he is SO proud of it that
he can't even hide it under that newspaper
when he is asleep"