The daily Alaskan., 1908-03-23
hN Advantage Of "A Fastidi0uS Smoking.

l was travelling in France in ral- way train shut up in 2 compartment with but one person besides myself, a woman. am an inveterate smoker, and it occurred to me that perhaps the lady would not object to my lighting a cigar. asked her permission, she assented graclously, and, taking one from my cigar case, 1 lighted it. It was long cigar, pointed at both ends. and remarkably well made l mention this because if 1t had been loosely wrapped probably there would be noth- ing of especial interest In this story. As began to pun composedly l 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 a 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 I considered 1t only fair that should take her hint and relieve her ennul by chatting with her. I was aware that the day of making acQuaintances in this way even in America had passed and even there ir 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 pOrarily amused.
 I tested her on different topics and soon found that she was most interest ed in pleasures-eXcitlng pleasures, such as the theatcr and the race course. She preferred, however, to talk of nov els and eyinccd an especial interest in those of Emile Zola Indeed, she con- yersed about the characters in those unconventional romances with a free dom that arrested my attention. And 1t seemed to me that the more uncon. ventlonal the characters the better she liked them. Finally, taking the latest of Zola's stories published from her travelling bag, she opened 1t 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 very poor reader.
 Pardon me-" said. q am smoking, The fumes would be unpleasant to you"
 Not at all. l love them"
 But" I protested, you see that the ash on my cigar is very long. If should move 1t would fall. Now, l am fastldlous about my smoking. I love freshly lighted cigar, and so long as the ash remains in its place the cigar seems as 1t was at the first touch of the match. Indeed, 1t tastes the same But once knock o1 the ash and the cigar Is but stump, the smoke gets in my eyes and-weI, 1t is not the same by any means"
 To tell the truth, this was but an ex- cuSe. had come to suspect the lady to 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 thot I 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 rudeuess," she said sharply.>
 I considered this threat, and to dis play an uncOncern I did not feel l re- sumed my paper. Indeed, there was nothing else for me to do. l felt sure that the woman would spring a trap on me for the purpose of eXtOrtlng blackmail, ana saw before me serI- ous complication, a possible arrest and imprisonment. But the more inward trepldatiOn I felt the more outward coolness I showed. l 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 1t back l did so with the ut most care. Presently the woman took out her watch and looked at it.
 eve will reach the station at \. in lkt AuluNktSs oAG HslANAs ANSN cNN francs. Choose between giving them to me or an arrest on a charge of as. sault when the train stops"
 Hadshe been willing to settle for napoleon would not have yielded. l consider it demeaning in any man to pay blackmall It may or may not be>common sense, but do not believe in making a beginning in that direc- ton. I gave the woman no reply, but continued to appear interested in keep ing the ash on the end of my cigar.
 Finally the houses by the way grew thicker, and the train slowed down.
 "Tll settle for 1000 francs" said the woman. Tn one minute more my price will be 1,5OO." At the same time she began to pull her apparel awry to indicate that she had been through a struggle.
 smoked on.
 Tn another minute the train pulled up at the station. The woman put her head out of the window and shrieked for the guard. He came, followed by | Of8cfolc ond curiOue nnnnIe ond drew