Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1896-09-10

,E&Y&R House and the
~&6AN ~ Albany, to whom
%&EA1 the adventure &C.
~%SS Cured. It was in
the very last days of December, a few
years ago, that l was going over to
Paris, by the invitation Of some friends
who had a:.hat in the Boulevard Hauss-
mann to spend New Years week with
them.
The weather was bitterly cold, but
at three-and-twenty, with the pros
pect Of q week in Paris before one,
nobody minds that. 1 had to go by
the night mail by way of Dover and
Calais, and you may be sure l was
careful to miss the train.
On the contrary, l was at Charing
Cross station thirty-fve minutes too
soon, and l spent my time when I had
selected q corner seat and disposed of
my rugs and my bag, in watching the
travellers as they arrived-no bad en-
tertainment at any time.
1t was about a quarter Of an hour
before the train started when a tall,
thin old gentleman with a long; silky
gray mustache and bushy gray eye-
brows, came slowly along the plat
form, leaning on the arm of a smart
servant in livery, and scrutinizing the
compartments, as he went along, with
fastidious care.
He walked up and down the whole
length Of the train two or three times,
and at last chose my carriage. He
waited outside, with a cigar in his
mouth, while his servant arranged the
corner seat for him at the other end
of the compartment from the one I had
taken, which was on the platform
side. He watched the mans every
movement with the deliberate atten-
ton of a man who has long been &C.
customed ito make his own comfort
and enjoyment his chief, if not his
OILY care, now directing an alteration
in the position of his travelling bag in
the rack above. now complaining that
the man had anfolded the rug too
much.
He was rather a distinguished look
ing person on the whole, and I should
have judged from his appearance that
he was a man of high rank if he had
not put on so many of the airs of the
parvonu.
When he got in he apologized for
touching my foot in passing, with a
name which gave me better hopes
of him. AS he passed. the long, fur
lined coat he wore was dragged back,
and l saw that the lining was of very
dark sable, the handsomest / had ever
seen, and that on the hand with which
he pulled it round him again there was
one enormous diamond.
He settled in his corner, screening
himself effectually from possible
draughtc by pulling his cap down over
his eyes and his travelling rug almost
up to his chin.
The man waited outside the car
riage.
do we stop anywhere on the wa,
to Dover, Giles?" asked his master.
"Only at Cannon street, sir, and the1
Mt Shorncliffe Camp"
ooh, we'll, be sure you get o car
riage as near as possible, and come t.
me the moment the train gets to tn,
pier"
"Yes, sir"
The servant touched his hat and dis
appeared.
Then at last the fastidlous old gentle
man seemed to be satisfied for a time
for he buried himself in his furs an,
subsidized into tranquility.
l looked out again at the passen
gers. who were now h%urrying in a stat
of more or less excitement. And m
attention was arrested by a lady YER
neatly got up in a very smart, fur
trimmed green ulster, a huge muff an
q travelling hat and veil, who sauntere
up the platform with a dignitied an
stately step, looking into all the cal
riages with as much careful attentio
as my old man himself had shown. he
appearance excited a good deal Of a,
tention, for she was undoubtedly
splepdid young woman, tall, bros
shouldered, erect and ss she Wake
up and down in a leisurely name,
apparently Indifferent 20 the con
ments she excited, l got out Of tt
carriage to have q better look.
As she came past the second tin
she stopped before the comrartme,
where the old gentleman now sat alon
and, apparently not perceiving tn
there was luggage in the rack over tt
place where had eat, she got in al
seated herself in my corner. The
was this xcu for her. that / had lie
my rug lying in the middle of the sea
SO that she might have thought tn
it belonged to the old gentleman.
| loft her in possession, and content,
myself with the corner opposite.
She stared at me through her "
with frank curiosity when ! got i
And ] taacied that she was annoy,