The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-07-06
tCopyright, 1902, The Bowen-Merrili Com pany, Indianapolis.)
 HOOK IL
The Road That Lends to ROnie.

BOOK I.
 The Road That | Leads to Ronie.
 Imagine an Italian railroad station in rived into the ears of whose passengers fs thundered the alarming announcement; Due minute"
 ladies and gentleman through the open door of a green car, and not until they were within did the gentleman realize the situation. Before they entered. there were come of whom smoked cigars, the smoke of which was bitter: others. again, those the smoke of which was sour. Being all engaged in a noisy debate. they took no notice whatever of the newly arrived pas. eengers, who were greatly shocked, and uttered loud protestations. One of the ladies was very young the. & otnes M some n dnctor's arm, and in an excited manner said something to him, first Tn German, and then in French. but as is usual m siesired to say that there were already seven persons in the car. . The conductor with the indifference of an automaton, pointed to the placard upon the side of the car: Per dieci persone. < Ten persons, consequently, were supposed ssBut we have tickets for first class smaii. iI yeliow ticket. which on al rajlt roads of the old world entities the holder 10 the best accommodations.
 The conductor looked at the oD1ect shown him with as little interest as 1T lt had been a relic from the grave of the Pharaohs. He shrugged his shoulders and assigned seats to the new passengers, saying that in one corner tnere @ was one one that. if a certain signor would please to take the dirty bundle in his lap, there would be room for a third person; What Waa to he done? One of the ladies was obliged to take a seat in row of men; khe other in the other row, and to be con- tented with their fate. But the accom- panying gentleman seemea h o,spose Hid mof ,,ke s fha seat between the two swine mer- chants; he was fat enough himself. l win soon restore order" said he He arose stepped out Of the car, and hast ened to seek the station master. This personage in military uniform. and with his hands behind him, promenaded up and down. The traveller began to explain the difacuIty. He could speak Italian, al- though he mixed with it a little Latin and Wsrench. He told the 'Illustrisimo that kwo ladies and himself had bought first- class tickets to Bologna; this, accordlns so International law, gave even a stran- wer fhe right to a flrst-class car, without fhe intervention of the consul.
 The "Illustrissimo'' stared at him, much ns a cuttle-fish would have done, fl. the matter could have been explained to IL. The conductor, with great exertion or ms vocal organs, yelled from behind into tns
 
 which meant that the train was about to The Italians are economical even in the ringing of their bells. as, at the second signal. the wheels began to move. The xentien1an hurried to the car which ne had just left. but found 1t difficult 10 enter it, for after he had stepped out to seek an Interview with the "Illustrissi- mo- the conductor had pushed three new passengers into the compartment. The re- turning gentleman would therefore b1 the thirteenth-an unlucky number. especaaiiiIs and his overcoat were there, seat pe- Eonged to him.
 The ladies were in great distress. Their travelling companion, with much excite fnent began to speak Hungarian Then somebody behind him seized him by tne elbow and in the same language said 'Countrymen. do noL become thiT ahEry' sr.a, mI.n use Nbakshish and you will succeed. While you endeavored to harangue peo- ple, I had a reserved first-class coupe opened for me; it cost me only une, ii 1t pIeases you and your ladies, you may share it with me-"
 ssThank you, but 1t is to late; we stop here but two minutes.S
 ssFear nothing, the due minute is only intended as a warning to the passengers, :, the train will not move within the next half hour"
 for this deliverance than was Andromeda to Pepseus for his help; and when they came out of this terrible prison into the open air, and the conductor, tSile. wno .i.zo hao had taken them into a comfortable, roomy and pleasant first-class compartment, they took a kind of interest in the happy blending of opposites in situation which had begun so unpromisingly.
 The two ladies sat opposite each other en the corner seats near the closed win dows. while the other corner % seats were were seats was immediately occupied by the Hungarian who accompanied the ladies' The other, who had captured this com Portable fortress for them all, remained outside; it was probably more interesting 4o him to finish his cigar than to form khe acquaintance of his fellow travellers. Eie tarried until the bell was rung TOT TOT cigar to a porter: the train was Tn motion when he jumped upon the steps ana closed the ingeniously wrought lock or the door behind him. Feeling warm, ne took off his travelling cap and laid 1t down beside him. His hair was so thick and Full that it fairly bristled in all directions. His features indicated an extraordlnary type of race. He had a broad. arched Forehead, under which were light blue eyes. and turned-up lip of Semitic char acter. He was still young man; upon his upper lip one could notice only the Faint trace of a mustache, but under the Temples whiskers were sprouting some what more strongly. The travelling com panion, sitting opposite, was of the gen
 
 flgure, with a dark, fiorid face and Q Waxed mustache, which he necessarily twisted between his fingers.
 The features of the younger or the two ladies were hidden behind heavy veil, which revealed only the outline of her classical face; the other, however, had with great consideration, thrown back the veil from her blond locks and dis played an honest, round face;- her mo bile features were well adapted to the restless lips, which found it difficult to preserve the silence required of well-bred persons at the approach of stranger Sn whose company they are obliged to re- main.
 The companion of the two ladies was an unpleasant fellow-traveler. Soon after the train had started, he told his vis-a-vis that he could not ride backward, as he Immediately felt premonitions of sea-siclS- ness. The young man promptly prepared to change places with him. This being done, he complained that the draught threw soot into his eyes; he feared he would become blind. The young man then closed the window of the coup door. But tha consequence was that they were to be "suffocated in that close air" Now the lady with the full face and double chin (which still became her welD rose from her seat to change with the honor able gentleman. and the latter might well have been satisfied with the change. But the lady was now opposite the stranger, 10 whom she and her companions were indebted, which made her position one of embarrassment.
 Ladies, when travelling, are distrustful and ungrateful. They regard the stranger who approaches them with courtesy as either a pickpocket or an adventurer, and