The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1895-11-23

pocket a newspaper, and, pressing his
finger against a paragraph. held it mp
for us to read. AS it was in the Scan
dfnavian tongue, and as our education
had been neglecteddn that department,
we were none of us much the wiser.
So we asked him to interpret it; and
he read this statement, which copied
at the time:
I'VE learn that a company of American mil
lionaires will leave Copenhagen on Tuesday
next in private train, on their way to Stock
holm After visiting that city they intend 10
spe nd some time in Russia 1t would be dim
cult to estimate what the aggregate wealth OF
these gentlemen would represent
Here, then, was the cause of this un-
usual excitement We were million
aires, and these people had come from
all the country roundabout, either on
foot or in any conveyance which they
could and, that they might feast their
eyes on us favored children of fortune.
AS soon as our financial standing be-
came known to us each one of us, in
stantly, intuitively and individually,
found himself sitting at a window
where he could be easily seen.
We We're ''millionaircs," and on ex-
hibition-the observed, and the envied
of all observers. We felt we had
reputation to sustain. What though it
was a hollow reputation? Perhaps it
was no more SO than rs though some OF
the real ''millionaires" had actually
been among us Besides that, had not
Pope declared that:
Honor and shame from no condition rise;
Act well your part-there all the honor lies!"
And we determined to get out of it
whatever honor there was in it; for if
we did not have the condition" we
could at least act as though we had;
and in so doing we would not be COM
PEELED to feel SO very lonely in this
great world, after all. Accordingly,
we sat back and tried to appear nom
chalant, as though such an experience
as that which now presented itself was
simply one of the ordinary burdens of
our all too prosperous lot. l believe
that some of us actually felt wealthy.
In fact. we became generous; SO that
when the WHISTLE blew, and we pre-
pared to steam away, and the boys
pressed about the departing train, we
took from our pockets some OF the
smallest coins we could find and tossed
them carelessly into their midst True,
this was partly for the fun of seeing
them scramble, but also because we
felt that, regardless of expense, we
must sustain the good reputation of our
brethren at home, the other American
millionaires, who had been so I'M
fortunate as to have received no invi-
tation to join our select party.
Then the train moved away, and
once more we were left to the company
of ourselves But we felt taller. One
man remarked that he was really glad
to discover himself in the company of
SO many rich people; that he had, un-
til then, been feeling lonely and i'll at
ease, but now he felt at home again.
Then the question arose as to how
we had come to be discovered. Who
put it into the papers? But no one
could be found who would confess his
guilt. We would make further in
quiries on that point at the next sta
ton. We wondered whether there
would be another crowd of people
there, and a number of the ladies be-
gan to ''prink" that they might look
like heiresses. ! noticed some of the
gentlemen also brushing their hats,
and one putting on his kid gloves. l
suppose he thought that millionaires
wore kid gloves, even when they went
to bed. Another, who had been loung
ing in disreputable old travelling cap,
quietly removed it and sat himself
down by the window with his mil
lionaire head adorned with million
aire-looking stovepipe. He was not
again to be taken by surprise, as he
had at the first station.
After awhile the whistle blew down
brakes, and we knew we were
nearing another depot. Out popped
forty heads-no, not forty this time;
only about twenty. The others evil
IDENTIFY realized that it would not COM
port with the dignity of American rep
resentatives of Wall street. to appear
frivolous. When their companions ex-
claimed: II declare! A bigger crowd
than beforer' they simply sat back and
tried to look bored. 1 noticed, how
ever, that they carefully retained their
seats next the windows. In fact, this
for the moment rather nettled me. l
deprecated their evident desire for con-
righteousness; it rendered it almost inn
possible for me to get good seat my
self.
Once more the crowd gathered about
the windows, and their questions were
repeated. But this time 1t was our
turn to ask and theirs to answer.
"How did that article appear in the
papers, and who said we were million
aires?"
"Why, that is now public property.
Every body knows it. With the excep-
ton of yourselves no one ever yet
travelled over this road in a special train
except the king and visitors to the
roval family -