The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-25
THE THIRD TRAVELLER.

There is no need to mention my name,
nor that of the firm which employs me,
nor yet the particular errand on which
l was sent by them to the south OF
France in the autumn of last year.
These matters do not come into my
story, which only commences at the
precise moment when l met Sir Stretton
Smith at the Couronne dor, st. Hya-
cinthe les Bains.
There are two st. HyacintheS, and
through a blunder of our agents l had
come a hundred miles out of my way to
the wrong one. There was nothing to
be done but to get away as soon as
possible. Unluckily it wasn't possible.
The omnibus which had dragged me
over seven miles of the awful road zig
tagging up into the mountains, after
setting me down, had numbered away
TO return no more. st. Hyacinthe-a bit
of a village with a mineral spring, dis
covered within the last six months by
fashionable Paris physician-had shut
itself up and gone en- masse to the fetes
at st. Something-else, and taken along
with it everything that could run either
on legs or wheels.
Not cart, or a horse, pony, mule
nor ass was to be found; nor yet a tel
egraph office. 1 had a strained knee,
that put walking back to the station
out of the question; and when at last
L resolved to possess my soul in pa
thence and await the omnibus that
would start next morning, 1 found that
the Couronne dor, the only inn in the
place, refused me admission.
The landlord, fat and brown, with a
head like a backing brush, called
Heaven and all the saints to witness
how he was Observation-Disclosures
lated; but it was impossible. My so
distinguished compatriot, Ele Lor
Smeet," with his family, his man-serv-
ants, maid-servants and cattle, occu-
pied the whole hotel for the season, on
the express condition that no other
strangers were admitted within its
gates. He had come here for the wa
tiers, and demanded absolute repose
Thus the landlord, bowling, grimacing
and gesticulating among the potted
orange trees and oleanders of the sunny
little courtyard, while I, hot and indg-
nant, argued the point with him in my
best public-school French to no pur-
pose. I reasoned, expostulated. vehe-
L
papers, 1 would appeal to the authori-
ties, to the British ambassador, to the
House of Parliament
AT last, language failing me, decid-
ed that the time for action had come,
and stalking straight through the glass
doors of the salle-a-manger down
sat, refusing to bulge till l had been
rested and fed
The landlord followed, calling Justify
| en- Heaven, the Marie, the police, with
out result (they were probably all en-
gagged at the fetes), then on madame.
who appeared on the instant and set
tied the affair in two words
But certainly. 1t was only Miladi
who would make objection. Now. if
Monsieur would but give himself the
trouble to make himself hidden for one
little quarter of an hour, till Miladi and
her party should have departed to the
fetes, all should be arranged. Dinner
and all. Quick then! In there Miladi
descends," And Madame, laughing with
pretty air of affected terror, hustled
me off into bit of an office behind the
llea-manger, and shut me in before 1
knew what she would be at
The office had a curtained window
looking on the entrance hall. through
which L ventured to peep with precau-
ton. great crashing of wheels on
gravel and Gathering of tongues was
going on outside as ''Lor Smeet's" great
shining barouche with its great shining
English horses and big solemn servants
in smart liveries drew up to the door,
followed by all the remaining inhabi-
tants of ST. Hyacinthe. Then appeared
Miladi, fine SNOWY creature with a
mass of fashionable hair and an up-to-
date complexion, accompanied by pale,
Shocking girl with a certain like
ness to herself. In attendance was a
dark, sinister expensive looking
F'renchman, who whispered something
into the girls ear as he handed her into
the carriage while Miladis head was
turned that made her smile wistfully
Who was he? Not "Lor Smeet" / imag-
ined.
The visitors book lay in the desk. 1
consulted it.
"Lieutenant-Gener Sir Stretton
Smith, K C. s. t. I knew the name
well enough. 1t was the pride and glory
of our family to have an uncle on his
staff in India.
THE Lady Augusta Smith,"
Miss Viola Devinish.'
Yes, it was the same. The General
had married an Earl's daughter, 1 re-
membered. Devenish was the family
name; so the cross girl was some rela-
ton. The Frenchman's name did not
appear.
They drove off, the Frenchman OPEN
ing Miladis parasol with an air Of ten
derest attention, while Miss Devenish
looked crosser than before. Then came
a further commotion. "Lor Smeet's"
servants We're also departing with their
friends to the fetes-two wagonette-
loads of them. At the last minute a
man came tearing downstairs calling to
them to stop. He looked like gentle
mans servant, and was received with
many exclamations of surprise and con-
graduation as they picked him up.
Then Madame came to release me. She
had been as good as her word. Dinner
was on the table smelling excellent. My
departure was also arranged for. 1t was
quite simple. / had but to take my way
along a certain road till l came to a
certain cabaret some two miles beyond
the town, where l must wait till the
mail-cart passed at s o'clock, and the
driver if / made it worth his while
would convey me with the mails to the
station in time for the night train to
Paris.
1 went as far as my French would al
low in acknowledgements to Madame.
She graciously permitted me to button
her glove-she wore the smartest tot
lette de fete that / had seen since