The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-13
Fiction
THREE OUTSIDE SEATS.
BY ELIZABETH r. CUTTER.

When I took the omnibus for ST
Germain des Pres at the Place Ciichy
and mounted to the imperiale there
were already seated there two priests,
bareheaded working woman with a
filet Of marketing In her hands, two
schoolboys carrying the usual black
portfolios under their arms and an old
gentleman who was reading the Petit
Journal. Next to the latter / found a
place.
A moment later the omnibus stopped
again, and 1 heard the voice of one Of
my countrywomen exclaiming nervous
ly, III never can climb up that ladder
neverw
Then a girl spoke. "Oh, do try, Aunt
Martha! They say the outside seats
are so pleasant"
rs It do you think it's perfectly
safe, Mr.. HenleyT asked the anxious
! voice.
Perfectly safe" same a reassuring
masculine echo, and there was a half
seconds pause, In which, ! suppose,
Aunt Martha tried to ascend and fail
| ed, for the conductor broke I'm impa-
uently: "En voiturel En- voiture! Une
place en- basl Neuf places en- hautw
"Take the seat inside, Miss Percy
do" urged the mans voice. "Your
niece and L can go on top"
The omnibus started for ward, and
/ NasFI 10 n
very pretty girl, elegantly dressed, fol-
lowed by a tall, athletic looking man.
They seated themselves directly be-
hind me, and she exclaimed:
"How delightful it is up herel And
what shame that we've been In
Paris two weeks without ever taking
the bust Isn't It too bad that Aunt
Martha stayed down below"
"On the contrary ha replied, 81 find
It extremely agreeable to be alone with
you for once. I've been trying for
days to have a word with you by your
SELF but your aunt is u perfect wonder
at keeping the party I'm strict triangu-
lar shape whenever l go out with you.
Today purposely urged her going in
side so that l could talk with you in
peace up here on top"
"Now I understand what is meant
by 'wickedness in high places,'" re-
torted the girl playfuly.
Don't try to put me Off, Miss Ware,
for it's no use. You know perfectly
well that love you and"-
"Ss-sh! What are you thinking Of,
Mr.. Henley? You certainly aren't go
ing to make love TO me here, on the
top Of an omnibus, right before all
these peopleY
"Why notp he persisted. "They
don't any of them understand Eng
lish. Look at that femme de menage
and those boys and the priest. They're
all French. We are as safe here as II
we were in the parlor at home"
"But that girl behind us''-she low,
cred her voice as she spoke-"do you
think she looks FrenchT
"a Partisan unmistakably," he an.
swered. "She doesn't understand d
word we say
Parlsienne-I, who had beer
away from New England only sis
months and who Thought my national
ity as plain as if H. were stamped upon
me In red. white and blue. It was q
shock certainly, but the blow was sof
tened somewhat by the compliment tc
my clothes. Aren't the Parisienne'
considered the best dressed women in
the world2
But the mistake had touched my
Puritan conscience as well as my fem
mime pride. l was listening to a con
varsatlon manifestly not intended fol
my ears. Ought / TO get down from
the omnibus? That would be qulxotit
surely. I could not afford TO be late tC
my appointment for the sake of tive
perfect strangers who would neve
know Of my delicate kindness TO them
Ought l to speak out frankly and say
81 beg your pardon, but | understand
everything you are saying" Tha
would be embarrassing for us all ant
really cruel TO Mr.. Henley, who ha(
been trying for so long to propose
2 When a man Is I'm such straits that hl
2 has to make love on the top of an ON
7 nibus he ought not to be wantonly in
t terrupted. 1t was plainly my duty t
. keep quiet.
II But young French girls don't g
% out without a chaperon," objected
Miss Ware. "She is all alone"
, "Not at all," he answered. "There
, her father right beside her reading Tia
newspaper"
/ trembled with fear. 1t seemed a
If my neighbor must have upderstoo,
that, but a glance showed him to b
happily ignorant of the American
daughter so suddenly thrust upon hin
He was reading serial story I'm tn
I Petit Journal perfectly unconscious o
: the romance going ON behind his back
: "Well, haven't you anything to sa
to meW asked the young man.
"What can say2 l don't thin
you've known me long enough to as
such a question"
mot long enoughw he repeated
. 1--WE known you all summer"
"Nine days on the steamer" sh
= counted deliberately, two weeks 1
London and two weeks here. It's eas