The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1880-02-21

German, and with my finest flourish of
capitals, brought no message, pro or
con.
Pensioner No. 1904 seemed to feel
that Uncle Sam had no right to ask SO
indelicate question.
All the certificates, except 1904, were
Endorsed and ready to be returned.
"This pensioner," said the Consul to
his chief clerk one morning, &c is proba-
bly, either dead or married, and 1 am
determined to find out which. 1t is
not so wonderfully far from here to the
village of Bleiberg, and if you have an
inclination, you may take the next train
and go there. Come back by Saturday,
and, of course, make the expenses as
trif1ing as you can"
l had long wished for stroll of some
sort into the magnificent valleys of the
Carinthian Alps, and here seemed my
opportunity.
can't say that the cars whizzed me
very suddenly away to the pretty town
of Bleiberg, for in fact the trains whiz
dreadfully slowly in the Tyrol. ] was
twenty-five miles still from Bleiberg
when | transferred my hand valise and
myself from second-class railway Car
into frst-class mountain diligence.
1t was a wonderfully beautiful valley
l was to ascend to Bleiberg. There are
no finer mountain prospects anywhere.
1t seems to me sometimes that all the
ornamental work of the creation has
been expended on Switzerland and the
Tyrol.
Usually, when in the mountains,
pay the diligence conductor franc
pourboire, and ride outside with the
driver, or up in the imperial, perched
like a leather bonnet ON the top of the
vehicle. l determined fully to do so
this time.
How capricious is the mind of man,
| reflected, on entering the little sta
ton, and seeing young lady in a vel
vet jacket and gray kids buy inside
coupe No. 1 for Bleiberg. In minute
and half l had changed my mind, and
was the owner of coupe ticket No. 2;
and yet the weather had not changed,
the sun shone as warmly as ever, and
the mountains, right and left, were as
magnificent as five minutes before,
when had told the conductor l would
share his outside perch with him.
The velvet jacket, though fitting
closely to neat form, didn't mind so
much; but gray kids on pair of pretty
hands inside diligence coupe, slowly
ascending romantic mountain valley
on charming spring day, were simply
| irresistible.
l helped my travelling companion to
her seat, fixed my own precious bag
gage into the big box behind, and then
proceeded, naturally enough, to occupy
inside seat No. 2. There was but one
passenger beside myself. was never
in this world accused of being a fiirt or
gallant; but submit to my bachelor
readers if there is anything extraordi-
nary in this fact that in twenty minutes
the two occupants of that mountain
diligence were tolerably acquainted.
We spoke, of course, in German. We
noted the green fields at the edge of
snowbanks, the singular costumes of
the men passing us, and who hailed
us with a "God greet you" as
they tipped their broad brimmed hats.
We thought, too, how chilly they
must be, even on a day like this,
with their open red jackets, breaches
only to the knee, and stockings
only to the ankle. Still more interest
ing to us were the women, trudging
along in their short black petticoats
and dove-gray stockings, though the
muddy roads sometimes interfered with
any exact discrimination in the shades.
What struck us both as Uery singular,
however, was the great similarity of our
German accent. Miss Shelton-Miss
Margot Shelton, to be more explicit
for had seen her name on the ticket
as l passed it to the conductor-was
perfectly certain l was not a Swiss,
much less an Austrian, and was equal
ly confident my fair companion was not
a native to the Alps. Her German bore
too strong an accent for that. | after
ward learned she had thought my own
a little curious. Once, just for the
sport of the thing, l shouted something
to the driver in English, How aston
ished l was to hear Miss Shelton add to
it phrase as English as my own! We
held breath to explain, and in almost
no time at all discovered that we were
both Americans. Stranger discoveries
followed-they always do. Miss Shell
toms father had been volunteer Cap
tain in our army, and myself had been
within rifle-shot of him when he fell
at Vicksburg.
Her mother, native of Bleiberg,
took this only daughter and returned to
her old home, stopping at the solicita-
lions of friends, first for months, and
now it had been years. In moment
recalled what had been puzzling me for
an hour. had seen the name Shelton
before somewhere.
Who was pensioncr 1904 but Elsie
Shelton-why had not thought of thatp
wife of Captain Shelton, killed at
Vicksburg in June, 1868. How ex-
tremely singular! we both exclaimed.
Mrs. Elsie Shelton, l was soon in
formed, was not remarked.
The object of my journey was accom-
plished. might return home at once.
did not, however. Besides, Miss Shell
ton insisted that l should go on and
visit pretty Bleiberg, her mother and
herself. Twas easily persuaded.
Why had the Consul's letters not been
answered. asked, as we made turn
in the road. co." said Miss Shelton,
"mother and were both coming next
week to L, to visit relative there,