The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1896-07-23
A FAIR COMPANION.

AS soon as we were under way pe-
gan to look around and observe my
fellow passen gers. ! noticed a modest
looking young woman sitting on decR
alone and apparently stranger I'M
mediately said to myself There Is my
travelling companion" so ! placed my
self where 7 could watch the graceful
contour Of her head and shoulders, the
exquisite coloring Of her richly tinted
cheeks and the dreamy look Of her
dark eyes gazing far out at sea. noted
the fine lines of her hands, little TOO
large and strong. but white and beauu-
fully shaped; the delicate, shell-like
ears which always indicate good blood
better than certificate Of birth, some
times coutestable.
AS watched my neiehbor I asked
myself all those questions we usually
ask about an unknown woman in whom
I'VE are Interested: who is she?
Where is she going?" Why Is she
travelling alone?"
Without seeming to notice my scru-
tiny. she settled herself comfortably in
her chair, opened her satchel and took
out a newspaper. I rubbed my hands
exultantly and said. Now, let me see
what she reads and / will tell you
her character and thoughts" I gave
the paper a quick glance, and to my
surprise saw It was a Partisan journal.
She began at the first page with
dainty. satisfied manner; read on and
on sometimes a smile on her lips, bue
always a look of interested attention.
drew my seat near TO her, took out
a volume of poems l had bought just
before starting and pretended to be
equally interested.
A good many passengers walked up
and down. but she appeared to think
Of nothing but her paper. Finally she
seemed TO have finished and laid 1T
down on a seat between us. 1 imme-
diately bowed and said
"wln madam permit me t glance
over her paper?"
Certainly. monsieur, with the great
est of pleasure"
I'm the meantime, allow me to offer
you this volume of poetry. 1t may in
terest you
THANK you Is II amusing?"
This rather dsconcerted me. When
one offers a volume Of love songs to a
woman, he does not expect to be asked.
us it amusing?" Nevertheless, / an
swered:
"It is more than amusing-it is
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."
She opened the book and began to
run through 1t with a little bewildered
air, as If she was not in the habit of
reading poetry. Suddenly asked:
Don't you like it?"
"Yes, but l am not at all sensational.
like something gay-very gay" With
that she closed the book and we began
to talk.
I learned that she was the wife of an
officer at Ajaccio. She was going to re-
Join her husband. She added that she
had been dragged from one little town
to another, and now she was going to
be buried in that lugubrious isle of
Corsica.
In some way I fancied she did not
love her husband-loved him, perhaps,
with that cool reserve a woman gives
to man who is not congenial to her.
She said she preferred living in
Lyons. She knows every one in Lyons
1t was her native place.
AS we spoke of residences and places
she preferred. I asked:
How do you like Paris?"
"Oh monsieur, do like Paris? Is it
possible for any one to ask such ques-
tion?"
But she began to talk OF Paris with
such ardor-such enthusiasm-I said to
myself, This is the string to pull"
She said she had never seen Paris-she
adored it from afar off with the keen
zest of a provincial-with the longings
of a bird who gazes at the wild, free
woods from the window where he Is
imprisoned Then she began to ques-
ton me with almost breathless eager
ness. She wanted to know everything
at once.
''Do you know Alphonse Daudet and
M. Sardou-oh, he is gay. so amusing
and NJ. Zola-he always makes me cry?
After reading one OF his books am III
for a week"
She ran on in this way for about an
hour; then her questions began to be
exhausted and it was my time to talk.
1 related all the stories of the fash
ionable world l could think Of 1 gave
her a beautiful idea of the grand
danes Of Paris, satisfied her curiosity
In the most fantastic manner, told Won
derful adventures of the gay city She
listened with all her ears and all her
heart. Then / mocked with cruel irony
all those poor women who were bo md
to husbands who did not appreciate
them and could not understand their
delicacy of sentiment.
The little woman said no more--only
sighed now and then-and once she
asked
rs it really like that in the gay
world?"
The night had come-soft and warm
1.-The great steamer, throbbing from
her machinery glided over the sea, be-
meath an immense canopy of violet
sky starred with drops of fire Sud
4 denly my neighbor was up and saying
1T is late. l must retire, Bon soir
monsieur"
l answered, Bon soir, madam" and
she was gone.
I knew she must take the night dill
gence from Baslia to Ajaccio-thert
was no other way to cross the noun
tains-so ] laid my plans to meet my
fair companion again. Next morning