Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-06-11
A FAIR SMOKER.

tho express was To start Immediately.
Time was precious In my case, and i could
Ill afford to miss this special train, which
did not stop till II reached Crewe.
rushed along as fast MS / could, carry.
Ing my travelling bag.
"What classy" shouted a porter.
"First," replied, struggling to open
the door of the nearest first class compart.
ment.
"That's engaged" said the porter.
"Come along quick, sir, or tho train will
start without YOU"
The carriage was Pullman and wal
wholly reserved, and into the first COM
partment of the next carriage was hasti-
ly hustled rs tho train gradually acquired
motion.
The first thing noticed as recovered
self possession was that tho only other oc-
.cupant Of the compartment was lady,
young, good looking and stylishly attired.
The second, which may appear slightly In
congruous, was that Smoking" was un-
mistakably inscribed on the windows.
The anomaly struck me Immediately,
and my mind, seeking compromise, sug-
gested that tho lady might be foreigner
and had not tcomprehended the significance
of the window legend. ...,
Her style was not English There was
an elegance and fitness combined with sim
plicity in her attire, something so strictly
feminine In her "get up" which was for.
eign to an English woman's appearance.
So far had my reasoning gone when my
companion, who had been looking at me
with mingled expression of astonishment
and pity, said:
"You nearly missed the train.
There was suspicion OF a foreign nc
cent in her tones, but otherwise her Eng
lish was perfect.
eyes" / replied. II was lucky foi
once. Itwas matter of importance for
me to catch this train"
care you a fatallstp" she asked.
"Are we not all Obliged to be so more
or less?" 1 returned. Had tho cab came
in got in block, had even missed my
footing as 1 ran along the platform, ]
should have missed the train"
"It might have been better for you.
Who knows what incidents mightnot have
sprung for your good from either Of these
accidents?" she returned, more as II mus
ing aloud than as II directly addressingme.
"The consequence would have been that
should have missed my train, and will
chance missing ,She other improbable pos
sibilities of good. Who knows?
She continued: "This train may meet
with an accident. We may all be smashed
up. Your what you call luck may have
been your bad genius fighting against your
better genius which was holding you
back" fIttt tt
laughed loudly as she obstinately stuck
to her pcssimism. She smiled as she lean
ed back in her corner and drew from her
pocket an elegant little case, which she
i,.h II toi ,n1 ctf
rettes. t.e .rta;
"This is q smoking compartment, is 1t
not?" she quered as she struck match
and lit n cigarette she had selected from
one side of her case.
own was rather disturbed. Possessed
and perfectly Mt her ease as my companion
had been, there had been feminine charm
about her that did not seem to me suited
to u woman who smokes. However, took
out my cigar case and was selecting one,
when she said:
"Will you try ono Of these cigarettes?
Please do--one of these. They are slightly
stronger than the one / smoke, but they
arc very good"
thought of refusing, but her eyes had
a way of entreating stronger than her
words. 1 took q cigarette, and sho smiled,
as If she were gratifled.
"It is good, Is 1t not?' she asked, when
puffcd the first whiff.
"Yes," said, "but strong-very
strong"
"Not for q manP'
"For me, yes" answered.
AS l remember now, 1t seemed to me
that the train acquired an unsteady move
ment. 1 noticed that my companion sway
cd backward and forward, and that had
to devote all my energies to maintain
sitting position. felt convinced that 1t
was this swinging motion that made me
feel giddy, almost scasick, yet which pro-
duced q sort of Indifference and listless-
ness which assumed a sensation far from
disagreeable, gradually bringing on rest
less feeling Of being asleep rs to volition
and power Of action, but daily conscious
Of what was passing round me-
noticed my companion rise, open tho
window and put her head outside, and
was aware that at the same time, for some
reason or other, she held at the top OF the
window n shawl which hung down her
back so that her head and tho top part of
her body were concealed from me- My i'm
preston was that this action was consid-
crate one to keep tho draft from me.
1t was now quite dark. We had left
Kings Cross at b:l5 p. m, and tho time
of year being very curly In February, and
the weather cloudy, the outside obscurity
was only occasionally and briefly encroach-
ed upon by the lights of some station
which we dashed by.
My companion only remained at tho
window for n few seconds. After closing
IL she took down parcel from tho rack,
and moving from the corner sat opposite
mo.
She leaned forward and closely scruti-
nizcd me. was I'm n happy kind Of stu
por could 500 oil she did, though i felt
that wns only able to keep my eyes half
open. Shc then rose, and bonding over me
dollcatcly raised my cyclids with her mid
die fingers. Sho seemed now satisfied. A
look of relief passed over hor face.
She CROPPED about on tho floor Of the cor-
riagc for something. All, IL was for the
end Of my cigarette. Having found it,