The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-02-25
AN Advantage of
- FaStidiOuS Smoking.
Toriginal.l


woman. am an inveterate smoker
and It occurred to me that perhaps tn,
hdy would not object to my lightin,
Q cigar. I asked her permission. sh,
assented graciously, and, taking on,
from my cigar case. lighted It, 1
was q long cigar. pointed at both ends
and remarkably well made. mention
this because II It had been loosel,
wrapped probably there would be moth
ing Of especial interest In this story
Al began to pun composedly drew
from my pocket morning paper ant
commenced to read
II envy you your solace, monsieur,
the lady remarked Travelling Is dull
and we women have no such way Of
passing the time"
lowered my paper and for the frs,
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
] considered 1t only fair that should
take her hint and relieve her ennui by
chatting with her. was aware tha,
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
attributed her desire simply to be tenn
porarily amused.
I tested her on different topics and
soon found that she was most interest
Cd 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 a free
dom that arrested my attention. And
Il seemed to me that the more uncon.
ventional the characters the better she
liked them. Finally, taking the latest
u Zola's stories published from her
travelling bag, she opened 1t at a GER
tain page and asked me to sit beside
her and read passage, giving as an
excuse for not doing so herself that
she was very poor reader.
Pardon me-" said. Il am smoking.
The fumes would be unpleasant to
you"
Not at all. lore them"
But" protested, "you see that the
ash- on my cigar is very long. II l
should move it would fall. Now, am
fastidious about my smoking. love q
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.
But once knock or the ash and the
cigar Is but stump, the smoke gets
IN my eyes and-well. 1t Is not the |
same by any means"
To tell the truth. this was but an ex-
euse. / had come to suspect the lady |
20 be an adventures and did not look |
with complacency upon being shut up
alone with her. She seemed to discern
from my refusal to sit by her that |
had my suspicious and, instead of at
tempting to allay them, began to work
upon my fears.
"A man who scorns a lady's ad-
vances should be made to pay for his
rudeness," she said sharply.
considered this threat, and to dis
play an uneoncern I did not feel I re-
sumed my paper. Indeed. there was
nothing else for me to do. / felt sure
hat the woman would spring a trap
an me for the purpose of extorting
backmail, and saw before me seri-
BUS complication, a possible arrest and
Imprisonment. But the more inward
reputation / felt the more outward
,o0lness I showed. concentrated my
attention upon maintaining the ash on
he end of my cigar. Every time re-
moved the cigar from between my lips
md put 1t back l did so with the ut
most care. Presently the woman took
nut her watch and looked at it.
We viii reach the station at N. in
I've minutes" she said. II need 500
rancs. Choose between giving them
o me or an arrest on a charge of as
ault when the train stops"
Had she been willing to settle for
Iapoleon ! would not have yielded. /
onsider it demeaning In any man to
ay blackmail. 1t may or may not
q common sense, but do not believe
0 making beginning In that direc-
lon. gave the woman no reply, but
ontinued to appear interested In keep
ng the ash on the end of my cigar.
Finally the houses by the way grew
Kicker, and the train slowed down.
"I'1l settle for 1000 francs" said the
7oman. "In one minute more my
rice will be 1900" At the same time
be began to pull her apparel awry to
ldicate that she had been through
truggle.
! smoked on.
In another minute the train pulled up
the station. The woman put her
cad out Of the window and shrieked {
,r the guard He came, followed by
ficials and curious people, and drew
pen the door. II
'This brute has assaulted me-" said {
le woman. ARREST him"
Tvt.< n~.,onL IL. |