Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-03-27
AN Advantage Of "a faStidi0US Smoking.
Ioriginall

 woman. am an invcterate smoker, and 1t occurred to me that perhaps the lady would not object to my lighting 6 cigar. asked her permission, she assented graclously, and. taking one from my cigar case, lighted it. II was a long cigar. pointed at born ends, and remarkably we'll made. l mention this because if it had been loosely wrapped probably there would be noth' ing of especial interest in this story. As l began to puff composedly drew from my pocket morning paper and commenced to read.
 "I envy you your solace, monsieur, the lady remarked. "Traveling is dull, and we women have no such way Of passing the time.'
 lowered my paper and for the first time took look at her. She was pass ably good looking. comparatively young and very well dressed. Since she had been so good as to permit me to smoke l considered it only fair that l should take her hint and relieve her ennui by chatting with her. was aware that the day of making acQuaintances In this way even in America had passed. and even there 1t had never been usual for the woman to take the initiative. but my companion looked bored, and l attributed her desire simply to be tenn porarlly amused.
 I tested her on different topics and soon found that she was most interest ed in pleasures-exciting. pleasures, such as the theater and the race course. She preferred, however. to talk of nov els and evinced an especial interest In those of Emile Zola. Indeed, she con versed about the characters in those unconventional romances with free dom that arrested my attention. And 1t seemed to me that the more uncon- ventional the characters the better she liked them. Finally. taking the latest of Zola's stories published from her travelling bag, she opened it at a cer' tain page and asked me to sit beside her and read passage. giving as an excuse for not doing so herself that she was a very poor reader.
 Pardon me-" said. "I am smoking. The fumes would be unpleasant to you"
 Not at all. love them"
 But" I protested, you see that the ash on my cigar is very long. If ] should move it would fall. Now, am fastidious about my smoking. love a freshly lighted cigar. and so long as the ash remains in its place the cigar seems as it was at the first touch of the match. Indeed. 1t tastes the same. Rut once knock of the ash and the cigar is but stump. the smoke gets in my eyes and-well,' it is not the same by any means"
 To tell the truth, this was but an ex. cuse. I had come to suspect the lady to be an adventures and did not look with complacency upoi being shut up alone with her. She seemed to discern from my refusal to sit by her that l had my suspicious and. instead of at. tempting to allay them. began to work upon my fears.
 "A man who scorns lady's ad vances should be made to pay for his rudeness." she said sharply.
 I considered this a threat. and to dis. play an unconcern did not feel re sumed my paper. Indeed, there was nothing else for me to do. I felt sure that the woman would spring trar on me for the purpose of eXtortlng blacl;mail. and saw before me seri ous complication, possible arrest an6 imprisonment. But the more inward trepidation I felt the more outward coolness I showed. I concentrated my attention upon maintaining the ash on the end of my cigar. Every time l re moved the cigar from between my lips and put it back I did so with the ut. most care. Presently the woman took out her watch and looked at it.
 "We will reach the station at N. in five minutes" she said. q need 300 francs. Choose between giving them to me or an arrest on charge of as. sault when the train stops"
 Had she been willing to settle for a napoleon I would not have yielded. consider it demeaning in any man to pay backmail. It may or may not be common sense, but I do not believe in making a beginning in that direc. tion. ,, i've the woman no reply, but continued to appear interested in keep. ing the ash on the end of my cigar.
 Finally tue houses by the way grew thicker. and the train slowed down.
 "I'll settle for 1000 francs,' said the woman. "In one minute more my price will be 1,500." At the same time she begaT. to pull her apparel awry to indicate that she had been through a struggle.
 I smoked on.
 In another minute the train pulled UT at the station. The woman put her head out of the window and shrieked for the guard. He came, followed by officials and curious people, and drew open the door.
 This brute has assaulted me-" said the woman. Arrest him"
 The guard and his followers all lev. eied their eyes at me Taking what little remained of my cigar from my mouth, extended it slowly toward the crowd on the platform.
 Could man." l said, interfere with any one and keep an ash like that on the end of cigar?'
 As spoke the woman, upon whom flashed the reverse of the situation she had planned, brushed against me, slightly shaking me. The ash fell on the car floor.
 There was a shout of derisive laugh. ter at the woman, whose position was made the more absurd by the condition