Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1902-07-03
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! THREE @
/ OUTSIDE
; SEATS
By Elizabeth R. Cutter
By Elizabeth R. Cutter
Copyright. 1901, by Elizabeth r. Cutter
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| When l took the omnibus for ST. Ger
main des Pres at the Place Clichy and
mounted to the imperiale, there were
already seated there two priests, a
bareheaded working woman with
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
place.
| A moment later the omnibus stopped
again, and heard the voice of one of
| my country women exclaiming nerv-,
ously, 81 never can climb up that lad
der, never!'
Then a girl spoke. "Oh, do hy, 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 a reassuring
masculine echo, and there was half
seconds pause, in which, suppose,
Aunt Martha tried to ascend and fail
ed, for the conductor broke in impa-
tiently: EN- voiture! En- voiture! Une
place en- bas! Neuf places en- hautr'
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, very
pretty girl, elegantly dressed, followed
by a tall, athletic looking man. They
seated themselves directly behind me,
and she exclaimed:
"How delightful it is up here! And
| what shame that we've been in Paris
two weeks without ever taking the
bus! Isn't it too bad that Aunt Martha
stayed down belowy'
"On the contrary" he replied, Il find
1t extremely agreeable to be alone with
you for once. I've been trying for
days to have word with you by your
self, but your aunt is a perfect wonder
at keeping the party in strict triangular
shape whenever go out with you. To-
day I purposely urged her going inside
SO that could talk with you in peace
up here on top
| Now understand what is meant by
'wickedness in high Places" retorted
the girl playfully.
Don't try to put me off, Miss Ware,
for it's no use. You know perfectly
! well that love you and''-
"Sh-sh! What are you thinkirf, of,
Mr.. Henley? You certainly aren't 60
ing to make love to me here, on the
top of an omnibus, right before all
these people,"
why not?" he 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 if we
were in the parlor at home.''
But that girl behind us"-she lower
ed her voice as she spoke-''do you
think she looks French?"
"a Partisan Enthusiastically" he an
swered. ''She doesn't understand a
word we say
Parisienne-I, who had been
away from New England only six
months and who thought my nationaIi-
tN as plain as if it were stamped upon
me in red, white and blue! 1t was q
shock, certainly, but the blow was sof.
tened somewhat by the compliment tC
my clothes. Aren't the Parisiennes
considered the best dressed women in
the world?
But the mistake had touched my
Puritan conscience as well as my
feminine pride. l was listening to g
conversation manifestly not intended
for my ears. Ought / to get down
from the omnibus? That would be
quixotic surely. | could not afford tc
be late to my appointment for the
sake of two perfect strangers who
would never know of my delicate kind
ness to them. Ought l to speak GU,
frankly and say, 81 beg your pardon
but l understand everything you are
. saying?" That would be embarrassing
for us all and really cruel to Mr. Hen
ley, who had been trying for so long tt
propose. When man is in sucI
straits that he has to make love on the
top of an omnibus, he ought not to be
wantonly interrupted. 1t was plainly
my duty to keep quiet.
But young French girls don't &c
out without a chaperon," objected Miss
Ware. "She' is all alone''
"Not at ALL" he answered. There,
her father right beside her reading the
newspaper"
/ trembled with fear. 1t seemed al
if my neighbor must have understood
that, but a glance showed him to bt
happily ignorant of the American
daughter SO suddenly thrust upon him
He was reading a serial story in tn,
Petit Journal perfectly unconscious OF
the romance going on behind his back
"Well, haven't you anything to say
to me?" asked the young man.
"What can say? / don't thinl
you've known me long enough to asl
such a question"
"Not long enoughw he repeated