The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-12-05
Urn Tine @
|
Hour o 1.
(By Marcel Savignon.)

| Why, of course you must come
along" said the blind gentleman
| kindly, when you arc friend of my
chauffeur. Please take a seat in the
tonneau. am sure you will enjoy
the ride to Esterel."
he held out his right hand, which
| was Immediately taken by the stran-
| ger, who stammered a few words of
| thanks and handed the chaffeur
satchel, heavy suit case and hat
| box A little distance off a lady
was waiting In silence until the man
! opened the door of the tonneau.
when they both noiselessly and in
| silence seated themselves In the large
| comfortable car.
The auto had come upon them at
| the outskirts of Nice as If by acoi-
dent and the blind owner OF the car
had no idea that the meeting had
been arranged by Raoul. his chaffeur.
The couple, insplte of their ele-
CANT dress and the many diamonds
| of the woman did not make very
favorable impression, and 1t was evi-
dent that they belonged to the many
| adventurers who abound along the
, Riviera during the Monte Carlo sea-
, son.
The car started off. The blind
owner was seated next to the chauf-
feu- and was dressed exactly the
sane, goggles, leather coat and cap.
In the rear seat the man and woman
| were sitting without speaking.
AS they left Nice the chauffeur
turned toward Saorge, on the from
tier. In the opposite direction of
Esterel, where he was supposed tc
be going. The blind man did not
notice it, but said in his kind voice:
1T is fine day to see Esterel; there
Is no wind and the air feels so
balmy. You will enjoy Esterel, l am
sure. / love tc ride, though people
do not understand It, and the ladies'
at the hotel laugh at me and call
me a dreamer. And l suppose that
l am something of a dreamer.
love Nature, though / cannot see.
When l took my first rides friends
explained the nature of the country
fields, they said, now we come to the
woods. and tried to remember what
! had once seen, for / have been
blind for only ten years. Today /
know my QUITO and by riding l learn
to know the country. BY the noise
of the motor l can tell whether we
are going up or down hill-and when
a. 10
we are on the level road. The speed
Ing through the air fills me with Joy.
1t at once stimulates and calms me.
II you would tell me OF the houses
and villages we pass. and which
cannot see. ny enjoyment would be
perfect"
NJ. Girard kept on talking. and. be-
cause he felt he must say something.
his chauffeur's friend said:
I notice you are great lover Of
sport. SIR"
At first he had been astonished
at the eloquence of the man. now 1t
appeared very funny to him. and he
nudged the chauffeur, while the wo-
man had to stuff her handkerchief
into her mouth to keep from laugh
ing.
And the car sped along.
They had now nearly reached the
| foot OF the mountains, The country
grew rough and stony and the air
was quite chilly. Girard wrapped the
rug c.cser around his thin legs. He
| was COW quite silent Suddenly he
raised his head. drew deep breath
and said softly. as II thinking aloud.
How strange: do not remember
ever having been here before"
Immediately afterward he asked
| If they were near the woods.
There is small clump of trees
ahead on the right" the stranger re-
| piled.
Olive trees. | suppo3c?"
oh, no, they are not olive trees,
they are oaks, beautiful, tall. majestic
oaks, just the thing for a lover OF
nature like you, an On the left are
masses Of flowers la the meadows
with little children dancing"
| The three looked at each other
and smiled at the excellent Joke.
The blind man shook his head.
Strange. he thought, he did not re-
member any mead ows. nor did he
now smell the fragrance of fowsrA
On and on sped the QUITO, close b
the overhanging wall of rocks. Il
was lonesome country. where no
one came except teanlsters and noun
taineers and shepherds with their
nocks.
NJ. Girard grew uneasy.
| "Ara xua a0Ou at ValIaurio7v