Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1896-04-24
plan. A narrow pas

plan. A narrow pas
sage ran along one side of the carriage
and opening out from this were a num-
ber Of compartments, each seatlhg
eight persons. The Lady and the Tiger
had been on the train since 1t started
in the afternoon at 5 o'clock on the pre-
vious day, and so had had choice or
places. sat in one corner by the WIN
dow and the Lady sat in the corner OPP
posite. AS the train went on toward
France the empty places gradually
filled up, and now the carriage was so
full that one or two wretched persons
were pacing up and down the corriior
or trying to get places on little hinged
seats attached to the side OF the pas
sage, with a latent spring somewhere
which made the lid flip up against the
wall when the sitter rose to his feet l
remember this habit of the little hinged
shelf, because on one occasion when l
rose to stretch myself I sat down ex-
pecting the seat to be still there, when
it wasn'.. woke up suddenly on
reaching the floor, and then examined
the mechanism of the contrivance with
interest and perhaps just shade OF an
noyance.
The French are reputed to be polite
nation, and, although knew we would
cross the border sometime after mid
night, and that we should meet the in
evitable custom house, I thought the en-
animation of baggage would be some
what superficial, and that maybe GUS
toms officer would come through the
train and look at the smaller pieces of
luggage with out disturbing us to any
great extent. Such, however, was FAR
from being the case. We were told
rather gruffly that we must leave the
train. and that everyone must take with
him his hand baggage. / staggered
OF somnolently under the load, and
the Lady was compelled to come also
with a couple of shawlstraps, because
there was more of our luggage than
could carry at one time. We were Kept
on the platform shivering with cold for
a while, then two big doors were
opened and we trooped in, placing our
impedimenta on low bench, behind
which stood the uniformed French GUS
toms official. When the examination
Was done and the baggage chalked we
had to wait at the other end of the long,
cold room until other doors were
opened. and then were allowed to get
out once more to the platform and into
the train. When I staggered on board
and passed along the narrow corridor
to our compartment, thought at first
that I had made mistake, because an
oldish man sat in the corner In which
the Lady intended to journey to Paris.
second look, however satisfied me
that this was the compartment we bad
occupied, and said to the man, quite
politely, for l thought the taking OF
another's seat had been accidental:
81 beg your pardon, but this seat be-
longs to the Lady"
The man shrugged his shoulders and
said that he deeply regretted the cir
cumstance, but the place belonged to
him until we reached Paris in the
morning
ooh" I cried, holly, "this won't 60,
YOU know. This place is taken and mas
been taken since the train started. You
will have to get place somewhere
else"
IF you wished to retain your seat
eaid the man calmly, "you should nave
put some baggage upon it. There was
nothing here when l entered. l have
the place and intend to keep It."