Ahhh.. FOUND IT!!!!

The key was looking up "Huret honeycomb dropouts"

gitaneusa.com :: View topic - Huret honeycomb dropouts

"There's an attachment that fit on the back for the chain to hook over when the rear wheel was removed on the Gitane Traveler or Get-Away folding bikes."

So, looking up, Gitane Traveler, what does one find, but this gem
Bikeville thoughts: For Sale- Gitane Traveler bike with bag, NOS

And more notes here:
http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-traveler.html

I presume the super-short wheelbase was designed to make the bike easier to pack Perhaps there was a special dimension that Gitane wanted to achieve.