Arthur Train

“ Gibson asserted with a show of sincerity that he anxiously awaited the day when Fanny would propose constructing an immense car containing a dining-room, kitchen, bed-chamber, and bath, which should follow in their wake and come shooting in with a hot dinner cooked by a French chef at the psychological moment each evening. ”

“ We should not be justified in charging more, m'sieu. If you are satisfied we are pleased.”
“Look here, Fanny!” expostulated her husband. “This is too much! Here we have descended on these good people, dumped a motor into their shed, slept in their beds, turned them out of the family sitting-room, eaten the old man's favorite trout, drunk his champagne, and had a flower festival besides, and all they charge is fifteen francs! Three miserable dollars!”
Fanny saw that he was genuinely disturbed. She glanced inside the motor at her array of gold-topped boxes and bottles. ”

“ The car was thundering along the high river-road of the Valley of the Doubs through the rapidly dropping twilight, in a heavy rain which made driving difficult and dangerous; and, as Gibson had said, the man was on the brink of hysteria, for he had been at the wheel for five consecutive days of over seven hours each, and during most of that time had averaged sixty kilometers an hour. He was the victim of Fanny Gibson's speed mania, notorious among her social friends. ”

“ Two glaring lights like torches made the street as light as day, and a tall gentleman was helping a beautiful young lady out of a magnificent motor-car. They must be a bride and groom, she thought. Oh, were they coming to the hotel? Her heart beat more quickly. No one had come to the hotel for nearly three months, except the notary and the priest, who played chess in the kitchen and paid nothing at all. ”

“ In return Gibson told of the life in the big American cities, of the strife of political parties, of the avarice and greed of business competition, of the multitude of interests that made up latter-day existence. After he had finished Madame Didon said quietly:
“But when does anybody have time to live? When do they see their children? How can there be time for so many things?”
Gibson only shook his head in reply.
When the clock on the village church struck eleven and her husband's cigar-case was empty, Fanny rose. ”

“ Madame Didon looked at Fanny Gibson. “It must be a wonderful thing to live in a country where there is no fear of war!” she said. “It seems only yesterday that there was fighting in this very street. I remember I had gone to wash at the river when I heard musket shots coming from near the church. Then suddenly there were German soldiers everywhere. The town swarmed with them. A German colonel took possession of the hotel and quartered his staff here. I took my two boys and went and lived in the woods.”
“Your two boys?” queried Fanny. ”

“ Pierre swayed as he stood clinging to the door. He was as white as paper. “An hour, madame. I have only one extra rim mounted.”
“An hour!” she returned blankly. “We've still eighty kilometers to go! Well, we can't stop here, that's sure. Don't lose any time. Get right to work.”
Pierre put his hand to his head. “Madame—” he began faintly.
“Look here, Fanny!” exclaimed Gibson. “Don't you see the man's done up? We've got to stay right here for to-night—no matter what the accommodations are.”
He got out of the car and gazed about him. ”

“ He had not protested very much at leaving the little boys. Come to think of it, he himself had been the original projector of their first motor-trip abroad. And now they were drifting the way of most wealthy people, leading utterly useless lives of self-indulgence. Was it yet too late?
V
A cart rumbling over the cobblestones outside roused Fanny Gibson from a profound, childish sleep, and she opened her eyes lazily and watched some tiny globules of light dancing on “Le Petit Soldat” for several minutes before she realized where she was. ”

“ He wanted those boys—he wanted to hug them and eat them up! Why were they two scorching around Europe when two such jolly little chaps were pining for them at home!
“Why do you always go away?” the boys had asked in pathetic unison upon the parental departure two months before. ”