The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1900-01-30
. IMP EDIMEN A, !"
By GERALD BRENAN.
tcopyrisht, 1920, by Gerald Brenan.l

| hotcngeQ TO man Oh the world. and
| d. icrlt positions were his forte.
| The ice must be broken, and the
Portmanteau made the first plunge
II believe we have met before. made.
moiselleY'' he remarked to the Trunk.
Il should not have thought. rather
coldly replied the Saratoga. that you
would care to recall the circumstances
They We're at the least distinctly pain
full
"You allude mademoiselle, to the
episode of our two proprietors? That
was undoubtedly painful, but I cannot
see why it should affect our relations. "
The Saratoga Trunk was silent for
moment and then answered in Modified
tones: you are right, monsieur. Our
owners love quarrel need not extend to
US. We are not in love-. +"
Mademoiselle must speak for her
self, y said the Portmanteau gallantly.
"By the way, the first scene of that un-
happy drama occurred''-
Eat Waterloo station. You remem-
Der, he intended crossing with her to
New York and settling their difficulties
en- route. But she cut him dead at the
station"
81 remember" cried the Portman-
teau. SHE was experimenting your
transfer to the luggage van at the time
1 lay on the platform ready and labeled,
| but after her cruel behavior he had me
cent back to the hotel. Two days after
we left London for the east
All, the dear eastl 1t was there we
met first, was it not?''
eyes; at Shepheard's hotel My
master was coming back from India,
and of course he had to see Cairo"
''And we belonged to party of globe
trotting Americans on a Nile voyage.
*** 1 remember being placed next you
on the veranda at Shepheard's. My
mistress stole look at your labels, and
heard her say to her married sister:
This valise belongs to Captain Rich
ard Assheton. l wonder what he is like
and why he spells his name with q dou-
| BILE. /"
THE idea of calling me a valise So
Americana INTERCEPTED the Portman-
teau. "Still, your mistress was very
charming young woman and delicious
ly sprightly.''
"She is charming still, though scarce
ly SO sprightly. Do you know, mon
cher, I actually believe that she felt
that episode sadly
The Portmanteau shifted impatiently.
''Then why did she act sop he ex-
claimed. 1t was all her fault
Nothing of the kind" the Saratoga
retorted. sit was the fault of your
Captain Assheton -
There was another silence, broken by
the, Portmanteau. "Well.'' he said,
1--WE need not quarrel about it, 1 re-
member when my master saw your
mistress first He asked servant her
name, and heard him repeating sew
eral times, BY Jove, this Miss Carrie
Durham is deucedly pretty girl!' y
1t certainly showed his good taste.
She noticed him, too because I heard
her talking about him to her sister.
Then they met on the excursion to the
Grand Pyramid.
$50 heard. And the acquaintance
ripened into his joining the party
The Saratoga Uttered. ST can recall
| the tender fashion in which he looked
after me at Port Said, " she murmured.
"You were quite neglected, mon ami. -
sob, but Miss Durham kept me in
mind. can still hear her begging the
captain not to forget his dear old Port
manteau
"The first proposal occurred at Malta.
She came down to the stateroom and
told the whole story to her sister. She
was sitting on me at the time
"She had put him on probation. I
heard him tell his friend MCLEAN. He
was to meet her in London and receive
| her final answer. All, that answer!
How can you females act SO cruelly?''
| Cruelty, monsieur 2 Nonsensel Nv
dear mistress had no alternative but to
act so after the conduct of Captain
Assheton'
The Portmanteau was astounded and
said SO. 81 cannot penetrate your
!, meaning he cried.
ssYour nation, monsieur, is proven
bially slow of comprehension. But it is
surely hypocritical on your part to pre-
tend lack of knowledge of your mas
| W. - AAs&AAoACo. Luz DC WSll GWdTG
that IN Paris he so far forgot his alleged
love for my mistress as to pay court to
Mile Fanny Patte-en-haut at the Folies
Bergeres. Nay, did he not present that
notorious creature with gorgeous dia-
nond tiara in full view of the audience /?
My mistress brother-in-law was in the
| audience and saw him dc it,
The Portmanteau uttered sharp ex-
clamatlon. "And such,'' he said, s'was
the reason why Miss Durham rejected
my master when he came to London,
refusing all explanation, and why she
subsequently cut him dead at Waterloo
station
"such was the reason" tartly an
swered the Saratoga, "and very sound
reason, too, so far as can see''
Inc Portmanteau burst into fit of
laughter much to his companions dis
gust Long and vigorously he laughed,
ceaslng at last only from sheer exhaus-
tion
"And now" said the Trunk, ssper-
haps, monsieur, you will be good enough
to explain the cause of your-your