Middletown transcript., 1900-12-08

uhin was aWhWaIu, put lie pOrJman-
teau belonged to man of the world, and
| difficulties terrified him not.
The ice had to be broken; and the port
manteau made first the plunge.
'T-er-believe that we have met be-
fore n he remarked politely.
II should not have thought" rather
coldly answered the Saratoga trunk, "that
you would care to recall the circum-
stances. They were, at the least, distinctly
painful"
"You ailude, I presume, to the episode
Of our two owners? That was undoubt-
edly painful, but | cannot see why it
should affect our own relations"
The American trunk was silent for a
moment, and then said in somewhat mol
lifted tones:
perhaps you are right. Our proprie-
tors love quarrels need not extend to US.
We are not in love"
Con that subject you must really speak
for yourself" replied the portmanteau,
with a gallant creak "By the way, the
first scene Of the last act in this unhappy
though romantic drama occurred
cat Waterloo Station. He had heard
that she was going home to America, and
waylaid her in the hope of reconciliation.
But she cut him dead at the station"
81 quite remember it," resumed the
portmanteau. 'Do you know | really
think that he had an idea Of starting
with her on the boat for New York? Al
any rate, he brought me with him, and
lay ready labelled on the platform. But
when she turned her back on him like
that, he sent me back to his hotel. Three
days later we left London for the East
"Ah, the dear East the Saratogs
met first, was it mott"
eyes, at Shepherds. My owner and
myself had just returned from per
fectly horrible time in India, anc
we decided on weeks laze up the Nile. :
"And I was with Mrs. Pelt Van Pelt'i
party Mrs Van Pelt is our married
sister, YOU know. They made some mis-
take, and you were sent up to our room
I well remember how nervous you were. :
''No wonder. | was a lone bachelo
portmanteau among any amount of gidd.
feminine trappings."
''It must have been awkward. Afte
a while my mistress found you out, how
ever, and took good look at your labels
I heard her say to Mrs. Van Pelt: Thi
valise belongs to Captain Richard As
shelton. | wonder why he spells hi
name with that ridiculous double let
ler.'"
"The idea Of calling me valise
So Americanr' interjected the portman
teau. 'Still, your mistress was yer
charming young woman, and captivat
ingly sprightly."
"She is charming still, though scarcel
50 sprightly. Between ourselves, she fe
the episode keenly."
The portmanteau creaked with evider
impatience. ''Then why, in the nam
Of all that is sensible" be said, ''did sh
act SO? 1t was all her fault, surely"
Nothing Of the kind" the Saratog
retorted; lit was wholly the fault Of you
! deceitful Captain Assheton."
There was another silence, broken 6
| 1anpfb hTy the rortnantean.
"Well," he said, 1--WE needn't figh
about it. As you say in America: 'Thi
is not our funeralp I recollect when m
owner saw yours first. He asked SCI
want her name; and | heard him repeat
ing, several times: BY Jove Tha
Miss Carrie Dunham is a deucedly prett
girl"
ssThat certainly showed that the ma
had some taste. She noticed him, toe
because heard her talking to her sister
Then they met under Lord Ballymenagh'
wing. You remember Lord Ballymen
agh ~
''Little red haired man who went abou
J good-naturedly, introducing everybody
: He was something on the Sirdar's staff,
9 think"
j Eyes; and he spoke 50 highly Of Cap
! tain Assheton that Mrs. Van Pelt actual.
I ended BY inviting him to join the party.
i (Which he did with enthusiasm. D
you remember how tenderly he looke'
af,er you at Port Said? I assure you,
felt quite neglected"
"Ah, but Miss Dunham kept you il
mind. can still hear her begging hin
6 not to forget his dear old valis-."
''The first proposal occurred at Malta
: did it not?''
'Tnquestionably. She came down t
! her stateroom and told Mrs. Van Pelt al
! ! about it. Indeed, she was sitting on M
at the time, 50 ought to know"
! ''She had put him on probation.
heard him tell his friend, Macleod. HI
was to meet them again in London, anC
receive his final answer. All, tina
answer! How can you, Of the gentle
. sex, act 50 cruelly?'
: "Cruelly? What nonsense. My dea
mistress had no alternative but to do a
she did Do net forget the shameful con
duct Of Captain Assheton."
The portmarteau was astonshed ant
: said 50.
) "The shameful conduct Of Dick Asshe
+. ton," he repeated. Il cannot penetrat
your meaning"
"Your nation is proverbially slow
comprehension" snapped the American
trunk. "But it is surely hypocritical @
your part to pretend lack Of knowledg'
of your masters notorious frailties. Yol
must be aware that in Paris he so far for
got his boasted love for my mistress as t.
publicly pay court to that awful creature
that they call The Queen Of the Quar-
ter"
"You mean Fanny Bdgues-aur.pdties
'That is exactly whom l do mean
At the painters ball Ia most disreputab'e