The Opelousas courier., 1896-10-17
The gentleman himself. hovav...

For the sake of watching my inter
esting fellow-passengerin the opposite
corner I pretended to be asleep also.
Drawing my cap over my eyes, I was
able to notice her very look and move
ment, and it became more and more
cleaf to me as we went along that her
attention was at least as much alb.
sorbed by my companion as mine was
ID herself.
She did, indeed, from time to time
cast at me n OF those particularly
sly, sidelong chances which were
enough to stamp her as a dangerous
person; but I fancied that it was more
to see whether I was really asleep or
shamralng than from any interest she
felt IN my person.
l grew excited, interested, anxious
for something to happen, as [ fell
pretty certain would be tho case. Ny
curiosity was disappointed, however.
for the minutes flew by and the tram
ratified on, and when we stopped at
Shorncliffe Camp not one Of us had
stirred from our respective positions.
Here two more travellers got into the
carriage, and their chatter during the
remaining few minutes that the jour
ney lasted diverted my attention from
my other fellow travellers.
On arriving at the pier the two
latest conner jumped ont first, and the
next moment the face of the man ser
want appeared at the window.
The old gentleman had already risen
and taken his bag carefully down from
the rack. Then 1 saw, for the first
time, an intimation that he was as
suspicious of the designs of the attrac-
tive lady passenger as I was myself.
For he shot at her a furtive glance,
which seemed to imply that he was
thankful to be able to put his prop
erty out Of her reach.
"Did he know her," thought /,
''and had my presence alone stood be-
tween him and q scene o. mutual re-
crimination?"
A moment later I had got down my
self, and then turned to assist the lady
to alight.
But she was independent; she did
not take my hand she did not thank
me; she did not even speak. Per-
haps she WAS too much annoyed with
me for standing in the way of her de.
signs. At any rate, she brushed
brusquely past me, strobe along the
platform, descended on the line and
crossed the gangway with an ability
and rapidity which made me wonder
whether she was following the old
gentleman still.
A few moments later l discovered
this to be the case. We were crossing
by n of the small, old boats e think
it was the PetreD, and the old gentle.
man, learning that he could not get a
deck cabin, expressed to his servant
his intention of remaining on deck.
But no Don had he seated himself
on one of the centre seats near the
cabin staircase than the girl in gree,t
herself on a camp stool exactly
opposite.
He was lying down ct full length,
his bag under his head. But on
seeing the young woman arrive he
half started up and seemed to be look.
around for his servant, who had
now retired.
was too far off to see more than
this, that, after staring about him for
a moment, ard again putting his hand
apprehensively on his bag, he lay
down again, with his head turned
away from her; but I felt more sure
than ever that he was afraid of the girl
IN green.
Again, however, nothing happened.
In the crowd at the bottom of the
yangway, when we arrived in Calais,
[ found myself jammed up against the
Did gentleman, who had his bag in one
hand, his rug yer the other arm, and
who was looking helplessly and
anxiously about him. At that moment
;he girl in green, not far behind, again
his eye. He turned to me sud.
"Would You be so very kind" said
le, apparently recognizing my face as
hat of a fellow traveller, Gas to hold
ny bag while I get out my ticket? My
servant is a bad sailor, andI am afraid
The poor fellow won't turn up until I
nave got ashore"
Certainly" [ said.
l was hardly surprised by the re-
quest. as he was evidently feeble and
burdened by his heavy coat
md rug. But what was my astonish-
nent and CONSERVATION when, on ar
living a few minutes later at the ton
the gangway, In the rear, as I sup.
posed, of my confiding fellow passen-
ger, I found that he had disappeared.
l looked about me in every direc-
ion. I got told by the douaniers to
move on" I walked. on with the
est of the crowd to the buffet, think
ng that I should be sure to meet
'ither the old gentleman or his servant
here. But I looked in vain.
Close to my heels, however, I soon
'ound the girl in green, who followed
ne through 5sha9uffet. and coming up
With me sudden&g on the platform
pointed. with o pe33ee,,yptory finger, to
he bag | was carrying. / At this same :
moment two gendarmea4w who we're be- .
lind her, put each a h.l1u On one of
ny shoulders. :
"Pray, sir, is that Big your prop :,
asked one of them in French.
"No," answered /, in considerable
citation, which was not decreased
y my imperfect knowledge of French.
"A gentleman who came over in the
anne boat with me, asked me to hold
t for him while he looked for his SER I
ant. 3,
81 am afraid, sir. I must ask Won IN ,