The Forrest City times., 1899-06-30
The Blue Satin Slipper
 A Wedding Night Terror.
roN and his bride were seated in 6

prOtIllStb
 wedding journey.
 nAu aboard!" shouted the conductor.
 1,st as the train was about to move
 ., elderly man sprang on the step and
 ontered the compartment. The door
 s,ar,med. the bell struck and the train
 rnoved away. Although annoyed by the
 ,,,rusion. the young couple continued
 ,beir conversation in English, when
 ,hev were interrupted by their fellow
 .-oyeler in a much better English than their own.
 .Monsieur." he said, dryly, ''if you
 have any secrets to relate l would ad
 r;se you not to do so before me in Eng i fish. as am consersant with that lan-
 ruage. am sorry to intrude upon you,
 but this is the only compartment 1
 could find place in. However. will try
 to go to sleep"
 And he faithfully tried to do so. But his efforts were vain, and finally he .drew q book from his valise and began ,o read. When he plunged into his sack he drew therefrom a large roll of Bank of England notes, and, showing them 10 Ieoa. asked if he could change them at inc next town. Leon replied that it was
 nrobable he could do so, as the road was much frequented by English travellers. When they reached the next town the 1 Enrlishman descended first. After him came Leon. Suddenly there darted l from the group of loungers on the plat i form young man of peculiar appear l apce. He was sallow and unshavcn; his eyes were bleared and bloodshot; his l clothing was shabby to the last degree. l His once black coat was buttoned close i ly to the chin, probably to conceal the l lack of a shirt. He advanced toward i the elderly Englishman. Uncle" said he, humbly. "Is that you?" said the other angrily; be of. don't want to have anything to do with you."
 Come, uncle," said the other, with a l mixture of menace and humility, don't l be so hard on a man."
 He seized the elders arm and led him aside After some moments converse ton the uncle seemed to soften, and opening his valise gave the other some bank notes. The nephew devoured the remaining roll with his eyes, and after a curt word of thanks disappeared in I the crowd.
 Leon and his bride entered the hotel, and were shown to the best room in it. Their status as a newly-married couple procured them that honor. The walls were covered with paper representing scenes around Naples. Unfortunately, certain idle travellers had added mus taches to all the female faces, and pipes to all the male, so the effect was, to certain extent, lost. The room was called the blue room," the furniture having once been of that color. Leon ordered dinner to be served in their room. The difficulty in procuring 1t excited his wonder, and on inquiring he found that the officers of the Fifty second hussars were giving dinner to their comrades of the Sixty-hrst chas- seurs that very evening, hence the con- fusion. To his horror he learned that the banquet was spread in the room inn medlately adjoining the blue chamber. However, there was no help for it. The host swore by all the gods that the off cers were the quietest men he ever saw Tn hls life; that-eXcepting the chas- seurs-there were no more lamblike individuals in the service than the hus- sars. And, besides, they always rose rom the table before midnight. As Leon, somewhat troubled in mind, returned to the blue chamber, he noticed that his English fellow traveller
 occupied the room on the other side. me door was open, and through it he saw the Briton seated before bottle
 and glass, and contemplating the ceil- ing.
 Well, it makes no difference, after ail' said he to himself; ''the English
 man will soon be tipsy. and the officers
 Will be gone by midnight" When he entered the blue chamber
 Leon looked to bolts and bars. On the
 Enghshman's side there was double
 wall, and door, which he bolted. On
 The officers side there was no door, but
 very thin partition.
 The young couple had mediocre din-
 her, which they would have enjoyed
 more had it not been for the talk of
 their military neighbors. The conver-
 sation of those gentlemen had nothing
 whatever to do with tactics, strategy, or
 the art of war in any way. On the con
 'rary, it consisted of highly seasoned
 stories. And such stories! They were
 Followed by roars of laughter, and even
 our friends of the blueroom found it
 difhcult at times to preserve their gravi-
 ty in quiet.
 Suddenly there was a roar from the
 ieit-hand room. "Garsong!" shouted
 ,he Englishman, gimme another bot
 tie O port"
 The port was brought, and the Eng
 Ashman grew quiet. Finally the oti-
 cers, having drank all they could ctlrry,
 ana some of them more, departed, after
 having joined in parting toast to the
 bride.