Middletown transcript., 1900-12-08
"lmpedinenta"
BY GERALD .BRENAN.


'such, as you observe, was the rea-
son for these things" said the Saratoga,
sharply; "and very scund reason, too,
50 far as | can see."
The portmanteau gave vent to a fit OF
leatherly laughter, greatly to his com
panion's disgust. So vigorously did he
chuckle, in fact, that, from bis lid (which
had been left open for the convenience of
customs inspection there slipped out
carelessly packed roll Of old newspapers.
The roll, striking the sloping deck, was
only stopped from falling into the sea by
the presence of the offended Saratoga.
'There," exclaimed the latter. ''But
for me, YOU would have lost some Of your
property"
''Pray pardon me-" said the portman-
teau, becoming suddenly grave, as he
caught sight Of the papers. IT am deeply
grateful for your civility in saving that
roll. 1t is more valuable than it looks"
"And now," remarked the trunk, per
haps you will be 50 good as to explain the
cause Of your-your cachinnatory
hysteria."
"What trunk you must be to use
such long words. Any one can see that
YOU come from Boston. The cause Of
my merriment, eh? Well, I was laugh
ing over the very ridiculous mistake made
by your mistress and her meddlesome
donkey Of brother-in-law."
'Mistake?"
Certainly. The superb tiara which
my master presented to Fanny BagueS-
aur-patteS, did not come from himself. He
was merely an instrument in the presen-
tation. The diamonds and rubies were a
gift from the Raiah Of Nuggerapore, who
had seen Fanny in the previous year in
Paris. He sent the diamonds to her from
India, in charge Of his friend, Captain
Assheton. ought to know, because the
tiara was slowed away inside me all the
way from Madras. The noisy student
reception was merely carnival joke.
which the fair Fanny played on my mas
ter. The whole story was in the Paris
ian papers at the time, and if your mis-
tress's brother-in-law had taken the
trouble to read them"
''He neither speaks nor reads French,
poor fellow"
"Ah, that explains it. And so, because
Of his ignorance, two young hearts are to
be servered, and two happy lives
blighted"
1T is very sad," sighed the Saratoga
sympathetically.
"Sad! In my opinion it is criminal.
But let us consider Is there no way by
which matters may be set right? Fate
has brought us together once more"
"And we may never meet again. Dear
me, | never wished SO fervently for the
power Of human speech before. Could
make myself understood, I should lose nc
time in explaining to my mystress this
hideous error about Fanny Bdgues-aolr,
pdttes."
Human speech Is, Of course, out Of
the question. But really tlii.k that ]
see another way out Of the difficulty.
You remember that roll of newspapers
which fell out Of my internal arrange
ments, and which now lies by your sidef
Well, this morning, as Barnes was pack.
ing me, be found those old papers and
put them in hurriedly. What do you
think they are?''
Indeed, / cannot guess"
Nothing less than several Partisan
morning journals, with full accounts Of
the presentation to the fair Fanny on be.
half Of the:Raiah Of Nuggerapore. II
only Miss Dunham can be induced to see
the articles in question"
'Better again" cried the excited Sara
toga, 'if only her maid, Angelique,
should find them. And here, in com
pany with a customs official comes
Angelique herself"
II.
Both the Saratoga trunk and the port
manteau were being examined by the Gus
toms authorities.
Miss Carrie Dunham and CAPTAIN Rich
ard Assheton stood near their respective
heaps Of luggage, but the average stran-
ger could never have guessed from the
manner OF either one that there had ever
been the slightest acquaintance between
these young people.
As Angelique, Miss Dunham's maid,
was proceeding to unlock the Saratoga
trunk, her quick eyes fell upon the roll Of
French newspapers which had dropped
from the portmanteau.
"Ahp' she exclaimed, "the Figaro,
the 'Matin, the 'Gaulois'-I shall have
all the news now"
She picked up the papers and, after a
glance at the year-old date lines, was
about to throw them away again, when a
picture and heading in one Of the journals
attracted her attention. She read the
decidedly frivolous account with growing
curiosity.
"He!' she cried. "But this is a very
strange business" /"
Then, forgetting all about custom-house
people, she tripped toward where her mis-
tress stood, still holding the newspapers
in her hand.
"Oh, Mademoiselle! What an occur
ence! What providence! Read, l beg
Of you, this article"
As she spoke she handed to the aston
ished Miss Dunham the newspaper which
she had just perused with 50 much in
terest. The article in question described
the presentation to the fascinating Mile,
Fannie Bag,tes-aur-paHes, of the Raiah's
splendid present through the medium Of
his Highness's friend, Captain Assheton
Miss Dunham gasped when she read
this revelation. Then her fine eyes filed
with tears, and she turned sadly toward
her maid.
stThere has haen a terrible mistake