The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-01
A FAIR COMPANION.

the steamer at Nice for Baslin.
AS soon as we were under way I began
to look around and observe my fellow pas.
sengers. noticed n modest looking young
woman sitting on deck alone and appar.
emily stranger 1 Immediately said to
myself, "Therc is my travelling oompan-
ion" so 1 placed myself where I could
watch the graceful contour OF her head
and shoulders, tho exquisite coloring OF
her richly tinted cheeks and the dreamy
look of her dark eyes gazing far out at sea.
1 noted the fine lines of her hands, a little
too largo and strong, but white and beau
tifully shaped; the delicate shelI-like cars
which always Indicate good blood better
than certificate of birth, sometimes con.
testable.
AS watched my neighbor asked my.
self oil those questions we usually ask
about an unknown woman in whom VIC
are interested: WHO Is shop" "Where is
she goingp" why is she travelling alonof"
Without seeming to notice my scrutiny,
she settled herself comfortably in her
chair, opened her satohel and took out
newspaper. l rubbed my hands exulting-
ly and said, Now, let me see what she
reads and will tell you her character and
thoughts" I gavo the paper o quick
glance, and to my surprise saw it was
Parisian journal. She began at the first
page with dainty, satisfied manner; read
on anu on, sometimes a smile on her lips,
but always look of interested attention
drew my seat near to her, took out
volume of poems had bought Just before
starting and pretended to DO equally in.
terested
A good many passengers walked up and
down, but She appeared to think of moth.
ing but her paper. Finally she seemed to
hnx.n Arlio Lot, t. =
between US. 1 Immediately bowed and
said:
viii madam permit me to glance over
her paper?'
Certainly, monsieur. with tho greatest
pleasure"
"In tho meantime. allow mo to offer
you this volume of poetry. 1t mny inter
est you
"Thank you. Is it amusingp"
This rather disconnected me. When one
offers volume of love songs to u woman,
he does not expect to DO asked, "Is it
amusing9" Nevertheless, answered:
at Is more than nmusing-it Is charm
ing-dclicious."
through it with little bowildcred air. rs
If she was not in the habit OF reading poc-
try Suddenly asked:
Don't you like it?''
Yes, but L am not at all sentimental.
l ike something gay-vcry gay" With
that she closed tho book and we began To
talk.
learned that she was tho vito of an Of
1icer at Ajaccio. Sho was going to rejoin
her husband. She added sho had been
dragged from ono little town to another,
and now sho was going to DO buried in
that lugubrious isle of Corsica
N h.
her husband-lovcd him, perhaps, with
that cool reserve woman gives to q mar,
who Is not congeninl to her.
She said she preferred living in Lyons.
Sho knew every one in Lyons-it was her
native place.
AS we spoke of residences and pIncns She
preferred, asked:
"How do you like Parisf"
"Oh, monsieur, do / like Paris? LATE
possible for any ono to ask such uucs.
tion?"
But sho began to talk of Paris with
such nrdor-such cnthusiasm-I said to
myself, This Is tho string to pull" She
said she had never seen Paris--shc adored
1t from afnr off with the keen zest of n
provincial-with tho longings of q bird
who gazes at tho wild, FREQ woods from,
tho window where he is imprisoned. Then
she began to question me with almost
breathless cagcrness. She wanted to know
everything at once
do you know Alphonse Daudet and M.
Sardou-oh, no is gay, so amusing-and
NJ. Zoln-hc always makes me cry? Aft.
or reading one OF his books. I am i'll for "A
week.
She ran on In this way for about an
hour; then her questions began to be ex.
hausted and it was my time to talk.
related all tho stories of the fashiona-
bio world could think Of. / gave her n
beautiful idea of the grand DANES of Paris.
satisfied her curiosity In tho most fantas.
tic manner, told wonderful 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 bound to husbands who did not
appreciate them and could not understand
their delicacy of sentiment.
The little woman said no more-onJu
sighed now and then--and once she asked.
is itreally like that in the gay worldY'
The night had oome-soft and warm
the great steamer, throbbing from her
machinery, glided over tho sea- beneath
mn immense canopy of violet sky. starred
with drops of fro. Suddenly my neiphbor
WIS up and saying:
'It is late. must retire. Bon soir.
monsieur"
1 answered, "Bon soir, madam" and
She was gone.
knew she must take the night dill
gence from Baslia to Ajaocio-tbero was
no other way to cross the mountains--soI