The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-01-03
DUPED.
BY j. Brooke Alder.


end OF diligence drive from Dieppe,
took the steamer for that favorable
spot.
Certainly the fellow who sent me
there knew what he was talking
about, for anything more fascinating
than my existence In that happy val
ley beside the sea 1t would be difii-
cult to imagine.
The end came with the arrival
some days later by the afternoon
diligence. Of young lady, ar
rayed in all that is loveliest in
Partisan travelling costumes. |
happened to be at the hotel door as
the old four-horse vehicle came to a
standstill and my charmer ahghted,
followed by a stout old lady carry
ing a fat dog. From that moment l
knew that my fate was sealed.
When the old lady came down TO
the table d-hote dinner, was dis
Susted to find that her seat was quite
cut Of my range. 1t was no use to
pass the pears-the inevitable des-
sert In Normandy--with ones sweet
| est smile, IL both were to be inter
cepted half way by fat banker
| from Rouen.
! But after dinner | saw my chance,
| and took It.. 1t came In the form of
the fat dog, which. having slept
| peacefully under it's mistress chair
ell through the meal. had the inspir-
| alton. on passing the open door as
| we left the table, to chase a cat In
| the hotel garden. where the dusk
! was fast deepening into night, There
were immediate cries OF woe from
the stout lady, who felt sure that
| Eido would run into the sea by mis-
take" despite the assurances of her
chere Cecje that he was quite capa-
BILE of taking care of himself
y Thereupon | darted out, seized
the unwary Fido, and had the felic-
ity of being thanked In the most
charming broken English by the
| lovely unknown when | restored him
TO his mistress.
| Well, the ice once broken, we soon
made ourselves better acquainted,
and | had an ideal time for nearly a
week
Matters had come to such a pass
that ! felt that existence without
Cecile would be blank; so | went
for solitary walk to review the sit
uation, with the result that decided
TO put my fate to the touch and ask
her to marry me.
But what was my horror when, or
returning to the hotel, | beheld tbs
! diligence at the door, loading vi
with passengers for the station, anC
Cecile among them, being helped III
to one of the two seats behind th'
driver. while ma tante," with th'
dog. stood in breathIess anxiety OF
the hotel steps.
1t was but the work of a momen
to rush ND TO the old lady and as
/ what it all nieant--why this sudde
departure without a word Of fare
well? j appeared that during m
walk Cecile had been telegraphed fo
from Paris, and had to so withou
delay.
= 'But you go with her, madame?
5 mo, monsieur, she will be in goo
1 hands on the journey, I assure you
/ for at the station she Will meet"
} | did not wait for another wore
but dashed out. and. clambering u
1 to the top of the diligence, took tn
vacant seat beside Cecie just as til
l driver cracked his whip as sign
l | the stablemeu to pull the stone
from under the wheels and let til
f shaky old coach roll down the hill
the village, on it's way to the station
Cecile was looking radiantly hal
r ny, and even loyelier than usual.
h I thought as we settled ourselves fC
the fye-mile drive. How she cha
l.. tered how excited she was abol
S this Journey to Paris! Should ! eve
have a chance 10 begin, or time
@ finish telling her how much | love
}. her, before the station came with
= sight? It made me quite neryou
k and / dreaded to turn the next co
i ner. so fast We're the precious nj
nbnlS I'dSSlHB- btSdu ~ lHStNs
- turn hot aud cold, in fact to .
II through all the degrees of tortu
possible to man in the most aw
ward predicament, with his love I
his lips. but kept dumb by the for
q of the loved ones endless prattle.
,e The history of Fido's latest pc
" fdy su. ely could not last until '
e reached the station aa
r We were getting alarmingly ne
now--five minutes more, or eight
d the longest, Ah-an inspriation'
4. '.I'll do it on the platform, VIII
we wait for the train"
lg What relief to have settled t
matter, | became quite glight-hea
ed, and felt already assured of t
Of success of my suit, as we turned In
the station yard and pulled Up best
:" the platform. But the putting of
engine greeted us The train was
o. ready within sight. | had but Ii,
re Ia seize Ceciies many packages, a
la t. deposit them beside her where S
stood waiting In the midst of
- railway lines-in the promiscuc
Al Normandy fashion and 10 rush
ny again to get tickets for her and n
.IX... \