Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-09-25

81. - uioAi Aol q separate NOhlplll
ment with the detection of a
capable French attendant who
is ever ready with joint commisera-
ton and obduracy. No. he was COM
PEELED to inform monsieur the Ameri-
can ito the dismay of the pseudo Eng
lishman) it would be impossible to ar
range for another compartment. The
train was crowded to it's capacity.
Many had been turned away. No. a
louis would not be Of avail. The deep
est grief and anguish filled his soul to
see the predicament Of monsieur. but
there was no relief.
Brooks miserable a%ffectation Of the
English drawl soon gave way to sharp.
emphatic A~mericanisms. 1t was after
8 o'clock and the train was we'll under
way. The street lamps We're getting
fewer and fewer, and the soft, fresh
mir of the suburbs was rushing through
the window.
But. hang it all, l can't sit up all
night" growled Brock in exasperated
fnality.
"M'sieur forgets that he has a berth.
It is not the fault of the compagnie
that he is without a bed. Did not
m'sieur book the compartment himself ?
Tres bien!'
AS the result Of strong persuasion
the garde consented to make 1.-THE
grand tour of the train de luxe in
search of a berth. 1t goes without
saying that he was intensely mystifed
by Brooks incautious remark that be
would be satisfied with IAN upper if
he couldn't do any better" For the
life Of him monsieur the garde could
not comprehend the situation. He
went away, shaking his head and look
ing at the tickets, as much as to say
that an American is lever satisfied
not even with the best.
Brock lowered a window seat in the
passage and sat down. staring blankly
and blackly out into the whizzing
night. The predicament had come upon
him so suddenly that he had not until
now found the opportunity to analyZe
it in its entirety. The worst that could
come of it. of course. was the poor com
fort Of a night in Il chair. He knew
that it was a train of sleeping coaches.
All! He suddenly remembered the lug
gage van! AS a last resort he might
find lodging among the trunks.
And then. too. there was something
irritating in the suspicion that she had
laughed as if it We're a huge joke. Per
haps even now she was doubled up in
her narrow couch sitting the giggle
that would not be suppressed.
When the garde came back with
ing. positively nothing. was to be had
it is painful to record that Brock swore
in a manner which won the deepest re-
spect Of the trainman.
AT q o'clock in the morning. m'sieur,
an old gentleman and his wife will get
out at Strassburg, their destination.
They are in this carriage. and you may
take their compartment if m'sieur will
not object to sleeping in a room just
vacated by two m%ourners who today
buried a beloved son in Paris. They
have kept all Of the flowers in their
-Four o'clock. Good Lord, what am
l to do till them" groaned Brock. glar-
ing with unmanly hatred at the door
of the Medcroft compartment.
perhaps madame may be willing to
take the upper ventured the guard
timorously. but Brock checked him
with a peremptory gesture. He pro-
posed. instead. the luggage van, where
upon the garde burst into a psalm of
utter detection. 1t was against the
rules, ir~revocably.
Then l guess III have to sit here all
night said Brock family. He was
forgetting his English.
If m'sieur will not occupy his w
bed. yes" said the guard. struggling
his shoulders and washing his hands
Of the whole incOmprehensible affair.
"M'sieur will then be up to receive the
customs officers at the frontier. Per-
haps he will give me the keys to ma
DANES trunks so that she may not be
disturbed
ASK her for 'em yourself" growled
Brock. after one daZed moment Of dis.
may.
The hours crawled slowly by. He
paced the length OF the wriggIing cor
ridor u hundred times back and forth