Evening star., 1933-10-18
INSTALLMENT l.

the WINDOW. Sne WOulQ nave lec'-
ing glimpse Of French landscape on the
way to the seaport city:
"Fleeting glimpse" Sue said aloud.
and settled herself into the seat; las
much as I've ever been able to get" She
pulled off a soft felt hat and ran
capable fingers through damp brown
curls clustered to her head. At the
last. getting off on the home stretch
had been hectic Her bag! Yes, 1t was
there, in the rack above her head where
the porter had slowed it. Her coat
the coat? For a moment her heart
raced. Oh, pshaw-the coat was over
her arm, of course. She had been
clutching it the entire length of the
journey from her hotel to the boat
train.
'Matty." Sue addressed an ample
woman opposite her in the seat at the
window Don't you hate leaving
e-like-"
Mathilda Fetherstone divested herself
of her tailored coat, folded 1t Wth a
care for crease disposed it on the seat
alongside.
Like what?" she asked.
"Iike-oh. like cart horses" Sue
clenched her fingers to bring them
down sharply against her knees in
gesture of rebellion. Like horses
hitched to carts that plod through
streets and never turn their heads 10
the right or to the left, because OF the
load they're pulling
useful animals, cart horses Ma
thilda said, and helped herself to
chocolate from box in her lap.
Useful" Sue tossed the coat atop
her bag on the rack over her heao.
"Who wants to be useful, she pro-
tested, when theres-this?"
She was in her seat again, on edge,
her slim young body inclined forward,
her head thrust through the open WIN
dow. outside the rataplan of departure
reached its peak. Late corners charged
through the crowd without regard TO
angles of elbows or the sharp corners
of luggage in the hands of perspirlng
Jatins.
Hello. Hazel-eyes" A young man
set two heavy bags down under sue S
window and waved silver flask at her'
'.Here's happy landings" Grinning, he
reulaced the flask in his topcoat pocket
and passed on, but minute later ne
stood wavering in the door OF the COM
partment. Sues glare sent him away
and a porter shepherded him INTO the
adjoining compartment. .-.,o
Somewhere ahead a peanut whistle
nlDfO. fOT ulOulCl1G NOAAAooAOAA
came pandemonium. Then, suddenly,
there was a concerted rush, and the
platform was bereft of the major por-
ton of its human cargo as the tram
began to slide out of the station.
"It's finished" Sue said. She ao-
dressed Mathilda Fetherstone. Her lips
were tight and straight, her dark eyes
pools of challenge and of resentment.
whats finished?" Mathilda, explor-
ing the box for another chocolate,
wanted to know.
everything" Sue leaned her head
against the back of the seat. closed
weary eyelids to shut out scenes noat-
ing, like bright bubbles, across the oun
of her discomfort. PARIS Is nnlsneo.
This Summer is finished. All the way
to Paris, Matty, to be closed up IN Ioua
walls. to take dictation, to unscrample
hateful hieroglyphics in notebooks, TO
bang away at typewriters until you want
tn scream-oh. what's the use? I'm
glad we're leaving. If had to spend
one more afternoon whacking away at
lettered keys, and the music from tnat
tea garden floating up through the Wln-
dows-Matty, do you know we olon
have tea once In the garden-not even
one time?"
II never take tea" Miss Fetherstone
said.
"Matty! You're trying to put me of" :"
Sues eyes were open now. stormy. you
know it was beastly@"
Whatever was beastly was, for the
moment, lost. Drowned in babble OF
voices at the entrance to the compart-
ment where two French trainmen were
engaged in one of those high pltched
and gestulatory arguments typical OF
Latin disagreement. One man, laoen
with bags. insisted upon charging into
the narrow aisle between seats. The
other was Just as insistent upon shoolng
the intruder back through the door.
"If they'd only stop screaming at eacn
other" Sue called to Matty, who mad
risen to hurl back the invaders IN case
they decided to deposit themselves IN
her lap. What's it all about?"
"I'll know in minute Miss Fetnel-
stone reached forth one plump hano'
ierked the nearest uniformed man,
whose back was toward her, by the coat
tail. He wheeled about and, seeing
woman. began bobbing from l,1, the tha,, WalS'
in a staccato of apology. NOW tnen,
Miss Fetherstone commanded, you're
to stop the din. If you must ngnt' go
out on the platform
Pardon! One thousand pardon,
madame" The late combatant was
unctio1s as oil. That Louie, he say
madame ct madamoiselle are In tne
wrong compartament. He say this one
belong to ees m'sieu" The man turned
to face his adversary with the old pel-
ligerence.
You Philippe, you are one fool the
one called Louie erupted, tumollng ms
load of bags onto floor and seat. Eet
is the compartment OF m sleu. Re-
gardez, fool, regarded" He snook a
stub of ticket under Phlilipe's nose.
stop it. I tell you!" Miss Fether-
stones round face began to take on
the flush of the fray. Maybe you're
both right. This compartment Is Dig
enough for three for half DOZEN. -,
Non. non, non!' Louie contenoed
explosively." Thees compartment, eet
ees for msieu' suelement-onleeD
Miss Fetherstone rifled her bag, drew
forth stub to match the one clutcneo
in the fingers of Louie. Here, Phillip,
she ordered examine this. One OF
YOU is bound to be wrong.
The man called Philippe held the
ticket from him, drew 1t closer unoeI
his eyes Disbelief. d1smay. deIeat
registered in his mobile Latin face. he
turned to Miss Fetherstone ana oegan
bobbing again.
OIle IIlousdA pdA uoii iiA.
mex compartment ees that Of madame
ct madamoiselle. For dix-ten year
such a misread has not been maze py
me. One thousan' pardon to my frlen
Louie" He turned and embraced his
late adversary who seemed not at all
adverse to the gesture. "Repose. madame
on the seat. At once the damage is re-
paired, the bags to be moved IN mex
compartament-"
Sue rose with shrug of annoyance
She was thinking that by now the next
compartment would be well filled, ano
she would not be able to sit by the
window for glimpse Of the French
Landscape. Who was this msieu' who
occupied an entire compartment on 9
crowded boat train! Ill probably
Needed room for his wheel-char anc
his nurse. Poor devil.