Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1908-05-22
an Advantage of
~ FaStidi0uS Smoking.
[Oriyinal.l

l was travelling in France in 4 rail-
with hut 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
4 cigar. ! asked her permission. she
assented gracionsly, and, taking one
from my cigar case, lighted it. 1t
was a long cigar. pointed ut both ends.
aud remarkably we'll made. mention
this because if it had been loosely
wrapped probably there would he moth
Ing OF especial interest in this story.
As l began to puff composedly drew
from my pocket Il morning paper and
commenced to read.
IL envy you your solace. monsieur"
the lady remarked. "Traveling is duh.
aud we women have no such way OF
passing the time
lowered my paper and for the first
time took Il 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 it only fair that | should
take her hint and relieve her ennui 10y
chatting with her. | was aware that
the day of making acquaintance in
this way even i'm America had passed.
and even there it had never been usual
for the woman to take the initiative.
but my companion looked bored. and
attributed her desire simply to he tenn
porarilH amused.
tested her OH different topics and
soon found that she Was most interest
Ell 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 lola. Indeed. she con-
versed about the characters in those
unconventional ronlances with IL free
dom that arrested my attention. And
1t seemed to me that the more nncon-
ventional the characters the better she
liked them. Finally. taking the latest
of Zola's stories published from her
travelling bag. she opened it ut a GER
tain page and asked me to sit beside
her and read Il passage, giving rs an
excuse for not doing so herself that
she was Il very poor reader.
Pardon me-" l said. II am smoking.
The fumes would he unpleasant to
you"
Not. at all. love them"
But" protested. you see that the
iS, I
should move it would fall. Now, | an,
fastidio,ls about my smoking. love
freshly lighted cigar. and so long as
the ash remains in its place the cigar
Seems as it was at the first touch of
tile match. indeed. it tastes the same.
But once knock off the ash and the
cigar Is but stump. the smoke gets
In my eyes anl-well. it is not the
same by any MEANS"
To tell the truth, this was but an ex.
cuse. l had come to suspect the lady
to I've an adventures and did not look
with complacency upon being shut mp
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 adj
yances should lie made to pay for his
rudeneSs." she said sharply
considered this a threat. and to dis.
play All uncOncern did not feel re-
sumetl my paper Indeed there was
nothing else for me to do. ! felt sure
that the woman would spring trap
Oh me for the purpose Of extOrting
blackmail. and l saw before me seri-
Gus complication. 4 possible arrest and
Imprisonment. But the more inward
trepiiation felt the more outward
GOODNESS showed. / 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 did so with the ut
most care. Presently the woman took
out her watch and looked at it.
I'VE will reach the station at n. in
i've minutes" she sid Il need 500
francs. Choose between giving them
to me or an arrest on a charge OF as.
sault when the train stops.'
Had she been willing to settle for a
napoleon ! would not have yielded.
consider it demeaning in any man to
pay hlack1nail. 1t may or may not
be common sense, but l do not believe
III making beginning in that direc-
ton. | 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.
I'll settle for 900 francs" said the
woman. I'm one minute more my
price will lie 800" At the same time
she began to pull her apparel awry +,