The morning times., 1895-12-08
The UnWelcOme Kiss.

IN OItHh SISOlIkS NISSs
In Russia the expense of travelling by
rail was simply ruinous until January Is
OF the preset year. Even third-class tick
cts cost u deal more than in any other
country in Europe, and offered the passen-
ger little less than the direst discomfort
for his money. Hence people who could
paid the difference and went secOnd-class,
while those who were unable to scrape to
gether even the third-class fare made
private and illegal arrangement with the
conductor, or else hid themselves under
the seat till they came to their journeys
end. Where there is d will there is always
a way-in Russia.
The interior of third-cIass railway car
rage is depressing. Sometimes an army
OF wild, unkempt harvest men, armed
with scythes, sickles aud formidable sticks,
invade tue carriages. endan gering the
features OF the other occupants, offending
their eyes and ears, and surcharging the
atmosphere with heavy, uDbalmy odors.
Bags, milk pals, u1ciean pillows. untanned
boots, vodka bottles, chunks of black bread
and brown cheese rolled up in red handker-
Chiefs lie about loose everywhere The
floor is moist or wet, bestrewn with sun
Flower seeds, cucumber peeis and every
Kind Of garbage and refuse; the windows
are Theoretically closed, and the pungent
;
and impregnates the clothing forever. In
word, the interior of such compartment
differs in few essentials from that of q
Morocco prison.
That was in the old days of expensive
railway travelling, which have only Just
drawn to a close. Things are. If possible.
a trifle worse at present, seeing that tick
cts are, SO to say, to be had for the ask
ing. For sixty who patronized locomo-
ton by rail a tweivemonth ago, at least
hundred make use of it today. The re-
suits are obvious. But nobody who pos
sesses delicate nerves or developed SEN
sitiveness, would dream, under the new
conditions, of raveiins ION the cheap"
Second-class fare is very low and very
well worth the di ffereuce.
But Olga MikhaiioSna Skraghina did not
think so. This lady IS nothing If not
econonhcal-at least In ali matters not
connected with dTess-and she deemed it
an excellent stroke or business TO travel
ti:ird-ciass instead o. second, and save
the difference. She relied upon her sex,
and more especially upon her personal
charms. to secure her such extra atten-
tions from her male fellow passengers
as would surround her with all needful
comfort And she was not Tar out in her
calculations. 'Her cheek was of the
roses dye, Her lips the ruby's hue" and
her manner was simply faseina ting. Mme
Skraghina was yelaig widow on her
way from Petersburg 10 Rostoff to visit
the family of her Intended second hus-
band, and to be led by him to the altar
She had no eed wheeever TO travel third
class, and, as the sequel proved, IL was
penny wise. pound foolish thing for q
respectable tshinovnil's widow 10 do.
Between Voronesh end Rustuff the third
| class carria ges Were ta ken by storm, and the
passengers packed Ike behring's IN bar
Poi Og -f,aI ff,
near the stove, which, OF course, was not
heated. You could hang hatchet in the
atmosphere of the compartment, so thick
and tangible had 1t become from the smoke
of marhorka and the respiration Of human
beings. When the SHADES of night had fallen
and the two dismai candles were lighted all
OF the passengers were silent. sad aud suf-
fering, and nearly all endeavorine to drop
off asleep. Only one kept wide awake and
observant-the ma n beside the stove.
On the hard. wooden seat opposite, but
uncomfurtably near to Mine. Skraghina,
sat comely young man who had been
caught casting furtive glances at his fair
yis-a-vis in the cleaning. But he, too,
was dull and drowsy now, as be sat be-
tween two brawny. snoring mopshiks.
Once he lost his balance and dropped ON tho
floor. Then he and tie lady opposite went
on mid MD nodding'' in unison. Their
mods at last brought their youthful faces
together, with less gentieness than seemed
desirable, for the youth's manly forehead
came into sudden and violent contact with
the lady's pretty chin, wbereupon they both
woke up and exchanged ideas. The ex-
change was rapid and painful; he stam-
mering out disiointed excuses and she ex-
patiatiDg on the need of his conducting him
self with propriety. Then they settled
down to it again, and Doddlng began anew
Shortly afterward they put their heads
together once more, bis face resting on the
very top of her glossy hair. md his weight
almost disturbing her equilibrium. But
few sleepy ren,onstFances and sheepish
apologies closed the contretemps, which
was soon followed by third. This time the
lady woke up and said she would stand>it
no longer: and no wonder. She had re-
ceived such sledge- hammer blow from the
young mans "brazen" forehead, as she
called it, that her exquisitely chiseled little
nose was momentarily flattened like pam
cake, while a river Of tears flowed down
her rosy cheeks. Then there was trouble
The young man was abject in his apologies,
the lady scathing in her reproof The
other passengers snored On in blissful ig-
norance of the alteration going on. Only
the traveller who was standing by the stove
noticed everything carefully and enjoyed 1t.
After this mishap the hero and the hero
Inc suffered from a fit OF sleeplessness.
But nature at last asserted her supremacy
and their eyes began to close as before.
Nine. Skraghina took good care to keep her
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