Cañon City record., 1902-07-17
THREE
OUTSIDE
SEATS
By Elizabeth r. Cut1

| bareheaded working woman with a
filet of marketing In her hands. two
schoolboys carrying the usual black
portfolios under their arms and an old
gentleman who was reading the Petit
| Journal Next to the latter found a
place.
A moment later the omnibus stopped
again. and heard the voice of one OF
my country women exclaimi: nerv-
ously, Il never can climb up tlat lad
| der. never
Then a girl spoke. '-Oh. do try. Aunt
Martha! They say the outside seats
are so pleasant
rs lido you think it's perfectly
safe. Mr. Henley asked the anxious
/ voice.
Perfectly safe" came reassuring
masculine echo, and there was a half
seconds pause, In which, | suppose,
Aunt Martha tried TO ascend and fail
/ ed. for the conductor broke in Impa-
tiently: En- voiturc. En- volture. Une
place en- has: Neuf places en- haut-'
Take the seat inside, Miss Percy.
! do" urged the mans voice. Your
niece and can go on top
The omnibus started forward. and
two Americans came up outside. a very
pretty girl elegantly dressed. followed
/ by tall. athletic looking man. They
seated themselves directly behind me.
! and she exclaimed:
How delightful 1t is up here. And
] what a shame that we've been in Paris
I two weeks without ever taking the
bus! Isn't 1t too bad that Aunt Marti a
stayed down below
--on the contrary" he replied. Il find
I Il extremely agreeable to be alone with
/ you for once. I've been trying for
I days to have a word with you by your
self. but your aunt j. perfect wonder
at keeping the party in strict triangular
shape whenever go out with you. To
| day | purpo>ely urged her going inside
SO that | could talk with you in peace
up here on top"
Now understand what il meant by
'wickedness In high places retortcd
the girl playfulIy.
Don't try to put me OF, Miss Ware.
4 well that love you and
''Sh-sh, What are you thinking OF.
Mr.. Henlexs You certainly aren't GO
ing to make love to me here. on the
top of an omnibus. right before all
these people,
why notg'' h. persisted They
don't any OF them understand English.
| Look at that femme de menage and
those boys and the priest. They're all
| French. We are as safe here as II We
were in the parIor at home
But that girl behind us"-she lower
ed her voice as she spoke-"do you
think she looks French
| "A Partisan unmistakably." he an
swered. "She doesn't understand a
word we say
Parisienur-l, who had been
away from New England only six
months and who thought my nationaIi-
| ~ AS plain as II Il were stamped upon
me in red, white and blue, II was a
shock certainly. but the blow WAS sof-
I tened somewhat by the compliment to
my clothes Aren't the rarisiennes
considered the hest dressed women in
the world;
/
| Puritan conscience as well as my
feminine pride. WAS listening to q
conversation manifestIy not intended
for my ears. Ought TO get down
from the omnibusg That would be
/ quixotic surely. could not AFFORD TO
be late To my appointment for the
sake Of two perfect strangers who
would never know of my delicate kind
ness to them. Ought to speak out
frankly and say. Il beg your pardon,
but | understand everything you are
saytngr That would be embarra ssiug
for us all and really cruel to Mr.. Hen.
ley. who had been trying for so long to
propose. When man Is In such
straits that he has to make love on the
. top OF an omnibus, he ought not TO he
wantonly interrupted. II was plainly
my duty TO keep quiet.
But young French girls don't go
out without chaperon," objected Miss
Ware. she is all alone"
Not at all" he answered. There's
her father right beside her reading the
newspaper
l tremblcd with fear. 1t seemed as
II my ncighbor must have understood
that, but glance showed him TO he
/ happily ignorant of the American
daughter so suddenly thrust upon him.
He was reading serial story In the
Petit Journal perfectly unconscious NJ
the romance going on behind his back.
We'll, haven't you anything to say
/ to mef" asked the young man.
What can | say? don't think
you've known me long enough to ask
such a question"
Not long enough,' he repeated.
I've known you all summer"