The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-09-25
The Globe 5 Daily Short Story

/ "A iiietll pidllS OuI lIlcn turned
with sort of elaboration of gallantry
and helped out a woman. Celia idly
noted her trim foot as 1t felt for the
| step, her darkly clad elegant figure.
| then her face. 1t came with a shock
of familiarity on it's smooth, rounded
| prettiness; now, however, no longer
placid, but deeply disturbed. Under
| 1T unWonted currents Of feeling were
| corrugating the brow and making the
lips droop. Only an eye used to note
| races would have recognized 1t as that
| or the woman who had bought the
head of Clytie few hours before.
Celia loltered, and then drew back
| into the shadow of the wall. The wo-
| man was evidently in the grip of men,
tai distress. Apprehension, indecision,
terror almost, were stamped on her
| mobile and childish countenance. The
man stretched his hand inside the car
| riage and pulled out two valises. He
spoke to her, shortly but with slightly
| yelled tenderness, and with a start
! like frightened animal she drew back
| into the shadow. He paid the driver
and then, standing between the bags,
he drew out his pocket book and gave
| her some murmured instructions.
| She suddenly interrupted him in a
louder key.
Il have my ticket" she said, IT
bought 1t this afternoon. I passed
4 SOOh dHo W6Ill Ill duu UOuSul IL.
You bought it yourself?" giving her
a fatuously loving look from under his
| hat brim, you were afraid we would
| perhaps be late? Dear one, how
| thoughtful"
Il don't know what I thought. Oh,
yes, l do. thought if 1 went in TO
| buy it here with you I might see some
one l knew. That would be SO dread
| full"
"Of course you must not go in with
| me. You must wait here. Keep back
| in the shadow there while I'm gone"
"Here-take it-Oh, I'm so nervous!
Take 1t, and get yours, and then come
| back"
She feverishly clawed off the little
bag she wore on her wrist, and thrust
] it into his hand Though less obvi-
/ ously SO, the man was also nervous.
! He clutched up his valises, and put
| them down. then glanced uneasily up
and down the streets dim length.
I'll go alone and buy NINE" he said,
| "and put the bags in the compart-
ment. I'll be gone a few moments.
| You wait here and don't move till l
| come for YOU
| ooh, of course not I shouldn't dare.
| And please hurry. 1 don't see how
| will ever be able to get in. At any
! moment might meet some one knew.
| Think of what that would be! had
no idea this was going to be so ter
rible. It's not easy to do wrong"
| DO wrong?" echoed the man, in a
| tone of tender, though somewhat hur-
ried reproof. Don't say such foolish
things. We have a right to happi-
ness. Oh-er-haven't you got a veil
| you could put on when you enter the
| Care? 1t would be better"
| A bell rang within the building, and
| the woman gave a repressed shrek.
4
! Don't stop to talk now. That may he
| the train. What would happen if wa
| missed it2"
The bell struck him into action, too,
and he hurried off, swaying between
! the two heavy valises.
Celia, from her station near the wall,
was too smitten by the sudden reve!a-
ton before her, to have will to move
| So she was clipping, this baby-cheeked
! creature, whose kindly impulse had
| prompted her to buy the Clytie from
| the frost nipped boy on the bridge.
Without any natural predisposition in
| that direction, she was going the way
of the Devil, and even at this stage
stood aghast, bemused, and terrified at
| what she had done.
The Frenchwoman moved forward
/. into the light, and stood for a moment
watching her departing lover. Then
| she began to send fearful glances up
I and down the street. Celia thought
she could hear her breathing, and the
humping of her heart. 1t was not
hard to see how she had been cajoled
and overruled.
Suddenly, from the fullness of her
heart her mouth spoke: ooh, I want
| to go home" She spoke aloud, making
| at the same moment a gesture of
| clasping her hands. Her face took on
| an expression as near to resolution as
possible. Its flower soft curves stiff
ened. Her lover was gone, and her
hypnotized will was struggling to life.
| She turned desperately toward the
line of carriages and beckoned to the
| cocher of the nearest one, then dropped
| the raised hand to her wrist, where
the bag had hung. 1t encountered
| nothing, and in a moment she remem-
bered that her purse was with The
man.
GOOD Godl" she said, and this time
| the violent Gallo ejaculation sounded
appropriate. Her face went a scared
white.
| AS the carriage ratified up, Celia
came out of the shadow. She spoks
excellent French, and the Parisienne
might have thought her fellow-coun-
| try-woman.
| quietly. do you feel sck?"
| "No-no-but my money is gone. !
gave my purse to my friend, and now
| l want to go back"
But he'll be here again in a min
| ute"
That's just it-in a minute And
must go before he comes back and l
have no money"
| You can always pay the cocher at
| the house."
| Not ncw-not tonight"
She was far past a regard for the
| ordinary reticenceS of everyday life,
but the humiliation Of her admission
was in her face. my husband-hes
! there, with only one old servant. He
| thinks I'm in the country with my
mother. So I was till this afternoon.
| If I come home unexpectedly with no
| money to pay the cocher, he will be
| surprised He will be angry. He will
| want to know all about i'll can't ex-
! plain it or tell more lies. was mad
when 1 said I'd go. 1 didn't realize
| Oh, good heavens!" with a sudden
coming and that will be the end of
me-"
Celia turned. Against the bright
background of the depot entrance she
saw the Frenchman's thick-set figure
coming rapidly down the steps He
had got rid of the valises, and was
almost running.
the waiting carriage wrenched open
the door.
Get in" she commanded. The ter
rified creature did so. She was ready
to be dominated by any imperious viii.
Celia stretched her arm through the
window, and into the little gIoved
hand pressed the two-franc piece, then
cried: you can tell the cocher the ad-
dress when you get started Don't stop
him till you get some way Off Co."
she cried to the man, down by the
Rue Auber-don't waste minute.