Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1873-09-12

a.saps rom the House of Commons; and
- Nd autographed to say that his coming
might be looked for the very day after
thsf on which this story begins.
So Mr.. Kendall finished, and / began
do you think it quite impossible that
we have seen the real, living Charles
WestP"
..Good Heavenss what could bring
Charlie West here, supposing him alive?
tell YOU. my dear sir, the thing is absurd,
impossible
where the bare statement OF the case IN
wolves irreconcilable contradiction. Tell
me Charlie West is dead and yet living
on the EARTH and | say what you have
told me is an impossibility. But assert
that Charlie West, whom we all supposed
to be dead in California or Mexico, is now
alive in Switzerland, and I may disbelieve.
may doubt, l may require proof, but l
certainly will not say the thing is impos-
sible. So told Mr.. Kendall. He did not
wish to adopt my view of the possibilities
"Mr. Kendall" said at last, "my ear
nest advice to you is this Receive Mr..
Patton tomorrow, and tell him frankly
what has happened. Tell him, if YOU like,
what YOU think of the matter but do tell
him what has happened. Meanwhile
will endeavor to get to the heart of all
this. Proceed you upon the assumption
that Charlie West is dead. will now go
and seek for my old friend on the assump-
ton that he is alive. He may be now in
this very hotel"
sShall assist you in the search?"
Thanks-no. think | shall do better
alone. You are, in any case, staying here
some days. Switzerland is small place
at least it seems very small to man
who has come from China-and if Charlie
West is alive and in this country, and is
not purposely hiding from me, shall find
him or trace of him in forty eight hours.
Goodnight"
Ofcourse the first thing to do was simply
to inquire at the bureau of the Beau
Rivage. No Charles West was registered
there. The officers assured me that had
seen at the table d'hote nearly all the res
ident guests. But there was Spanish
gentleman. who had private dinner par
ty that day, and there might have been an
Englishman among the guests. The Span
ish gentleman was not in the house now.
His guests came, the clerk thought, from
the Hotel Gibbon, Lausanne.
went TO Hotel Gibbon straightway.
i
Spanish names and that OF an Englishman
or American (Mr. Leslie Roberts) regis
tered as of one party. Moreover, | found
that they had not dined in the house that
evening, and that they had just left by the
list train for Geneva.
ordered post-horses and sent on to
Geneva. 1t was busy morning when
got there, and went round all the hotels
WI {,,1s NGs
whom had pursued thus far on so vague
was that at the Hotel des Bergues three
gentlemen had arrived the night before
slept there, and started early in the morn
ing for Chamounix. No names were
given; and the only clew | had to tn,
identity of the party was that they wer,
three, that one of the three spoke for tn
whole, and that he spoke French with
foreign accent. Just think of my wild
goose chase! was hunting after a pal
ty of whom knew nothing whatever. e,
cept that two were Spaniards, and OF
was an Englishman who gave his name
Leslie Roberts, and was hunting them
the wild speculation that Leslie Rober
might turn out to be Charles West
81 am born idiot :" | said to myse
And saying it, l ordered carriage al
started for ChamouniX. slept nearly &
the way. Scenery which for the att
half of the journey has hardly a rival
the world passed this time UNDECIDED und,
my Supplied eyes. When | woke it Wa
quite dark, and it was two in the mornin
before got into Chamounix. Twas onl
too glad to get into the first hotel whc
would open for me. 1t was hopeless t.
think of setting about inquiries that night
l went to bed.
Next morning early went round thu
hotels. and found where my two Spaniard
and Leslie Roberts were registered They
had gone off hours before. with guides
TO ascend Mont Blanc
Now, par Dieu, l will not climb Mon
Blanc after them l would do it for Charles
West If knew it was he, but not for Les
lie Roberts. | had made the ascent o
Mont Blanc, and of all the stupid, weari
some, distressing, useless, desolate per
formances-No. | will not do it again
Leslie Roberts must come down some time
I'll wait.
So waited. walked to the source O
the Arve river and, generally speaking
bounced round" And at night Chamou
nix was all astir and aflame with the new:
Of an accident that had happened on Mon
Blac. Three had gone up and two guides
two of the tourists and one of the guide.
had fallen down precipice and beer
killed. The tourists were two Spaniard.
or Mexicans and one Englishman. My
first thought was "Pray God that after
an. Leslie Roberts may prove not to be
Charlie Vest"
Then again came news more mature
ana accurate. One Spaniard was certain
y Killed and one guide. The second
Spanlard Tor Mexican) was injured. The
other guide and the Engllshman were
safe. Then" thought, s'pray Heaven
lie West!'' >0''''
| joined party who were going up tc
help in recovering the bodies. Much a,
now dislike Alpine climbing, am no
an inexpert cragsman-and in my case m,
mind would not allow me to remain be
low. But before we reached the spot tn
two bodies had been raised from their ic
grave by some of those who had gon
thither from Chamounix on the first new
OF the calamity. And in the chill dawr
in CHASTITY cleft of the awful Alps, ! sa,
figure bending over corpse-and tn
flat Of ~, 4 I ~