Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-05-28
,yself-engaeed every seat /.

Would you yield anv one Of the seats to
q LADY,"
What LADY," brusquely demanded
"The wife of an officer going To Ajaocio
to Join her husband
Certainly Tell the lady gladly offer
her IA seGt
My travelling companion soon appeared,
laughingly said she had been asleep ali the
afternoon preparing for the night trip
across tho mountains, thanked me for my
kindness and entered the carriage.
This Did vehicle was like "a Theoretically
closed box-no openings except door ON
each side, with little glass windows above.
We were sitting face To face, opposite each
other, and away we started, the aorses 60
ing on qaick trot until we reached the
mountains
The fresh, pungent odor Of aromatic
herbs came through the lowered glass of
the doors-that delicious fragrance that
Corsica spreads around her, as II the
ground was impregnated with perfume
which the hot sun drew forth and scattered
OH every passing breeze.
Again / began TO talk Of Paris-bright,
beautiful, bewildering Paris. She listened
with keen attention.
BY now the night had grown SO dark
could scarcely distinguish the face or my
companion. 1t appeared like whitish
spot In the surrounding gloom. The horses
were slowly walking up the steep ASCENT
tho carriage lanterns the only light TO
show the road. Every now and then the
sound of torrent dashing over the rocks
would come TO us. Then il would DO lost
in the distance.
My companion had been very quiet for
some time, breathing softly, with now and
then a gentle sigh. The darkness and 81
lence emboldened me. 1 softly laid my
hand on hers 1t was not withdrawn.
Growing still holder, went on whispering
lot of sentimental rubbish; talked of
Glove at first sight, ""kindred spirits,
etc, with my lips very near her ear-in
truth, dangerously near her mouth She
was still silent. l fancied could hear the
beatings of her heart, mingled with her
gentle signs.
At last softly placed my lips upon her
check. She started as II just aroused from
sleep. But such u start 1t hurled me to
the far side of the carriage. Then, before
had time To comprehend, consider or
even think, l received five or six frightful
siaps full in the face, then perfect hail OF
f1sticuffs, hard and sharp, falling every
where, on my head, my face, my neck,
| quick and fast as summer rain.
In the thick darkness that surrounded
Us yainly tried to parry the blows, to
seize her hands. Impossible So turned
around and presented my back to her furi-
Gus attacks, and hid my head In the corner
| of the vehicle.
She seemed 10 comprehend (by tho sound
of the blows, no doubt) this movement OF
despair and suddenly ceased To beat me,
and throwing herself back in the corner
| of the carriage, she burst into wild par
| oxysm of sobs and tears, which continued
| for an hour or SO, shrinking baok in my
corner, distressed and very much ashamed.
l wanted to speak but what could l sayf
Excuse mey" That would have been
tame and absurd. What would you have
saidy Nothing-just as did.
She continued To weep, every now and
then uttering great sighs which nearly
! broke my heart. l wanted to console her,
to take her in my arms and soothe her as
you would a crying child, to beg her par
don, To fall on my knees and entreat her
to forgive me- but dared not These sit
uations are very embarrassing.
Finally size grew calm. We both re-
manned in our separate corners, mute and
motionless the diligence moving steadily
on, only stopping now and then for relay
|
lanterns would fash into the carriage we
would both close our eyes and pretend to
be asleep.
We sped ON through the night, the aro-
matte odor OF the Corsican mountains ca
ressing our cheeks and lips, sweet and ex-
hilarating as wine.
Christie, what lovely trip-if-if my
neighbor had not been SO foolish.
The day begins To break. AS the first
pale rays OF dawn begin TO glide into the
carriage l look at my neigh She seems
fast asleep.
The sun coming up from behind the
mountains discloses an immense blue gulf,
streaked with gold and surrounded 10y
enormous peaks of granite. On the far
side Of this gulf white city, stepped in
the shading light Of the early morning,
appears.
My neighbor starts up as IL just aroused
from sleep, opens her eyes. They are very
red. She yawns as II she had slept long
time, bushes, hesitates moment then
stammers:
will we be there soonr"
Yes, madam, in less than an hour"
"Oh, l wish we were there. Z"
could well understand that wish. Her
voice was little tremulous, her manner
AtIle Oonluseui OtnerWlse she soeinou W
have forgotten everything.
oh, what diplomatists women are-di-
pIomatists by instinct as well as by birth
How l envied her her savoir faire!
In about an hour we arrived at A jaccio.
A great dragon-a kind of Hercules--was
standing mt the Office door waving his
handkerchief as the diligence appeared.
The driver had scarcely brought his horses
to standstill before my neighbor leaped
into his arms with bound embracing
him again and again, as she exclaimed;
"Oh, am so glad to SEQ you How
longed TO be with you againp'
My trunk had been taken down from
the imperial. l was about To retire dis
creetly when she called OUT
"Oh, monsieur, you are not going with
out bidding me adieu.'
L stammered, Il leave you to your hap
piness madam"
Then she turned TO her husband, saying
MY dear, you must thank monsieur for
his kindness To me- He has been charm
Ing, even Offering me "a seat in the dill
gence which he had engaged entirely for
himself. IL is delightful to meet with
such an agreeable travelling companion. "
The husband warmly olasped my hand
and thanked me with the AZ raa taef aff naian