Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-11-21
We had been riding an hour or more,


spinster of fifty, when there was halt
on the part of the donkeys, and Choir
us from the women: "Sigpora sig
moral Val di Matrimonio, signora val
di MatrimoniO
Miss Sutherland had not caught the
words, and indignant at the additional
outburst of patois, inquired: What
is the matter with them ? Is it any
thing extraordinary
[ have a wholesome terror of Miss
Sutherland's moods, but the doctor had
apparently survived his, for he answered
very coolly: "We are apparently upon
the verge of the Valley of Matrimony,'
and the donkey women are calling our
attention to the fact"
There was silence that under the
circumstances was painful. Miss Suth-
erland tried to look dignified from the
top of her dOnkeY-an impossible thing
even for her. The doctor succeeded
without trying in looking savagely bit
| ter from his position at the tail of mine.
To relieve the situation opened Bae-
deker.
THE so-called Val di Mitromonio,
sometimes called Matrimony by the
islanders, descends eastward to the sea
at the base of the Tuoro Grande'"
"Ah," said the doctor, "it certainly
does descend eastward"
Invent on:
'''The Grotto di Mitromonio, or Grot-
to of Mithras, shrine of the Persian
god of the sun, to which one hundred
and thirty steps descend"
This time Miss Sutherland was ready
with remark.
"We must see the grotto, by all
MEANS"
To this objected on the score of the
one hundred and thirty steps, and the
doctor agreed with me.
l shall always think that it was the
peculiarly chilly and disagreeable tone
of the doctors voice that sent Miss Suth-
erland so precipitately toward the brow
of the hill. In half moment she was
off her donkey and explaining in her
choicest Italian to a group of women
and small boys that she would not have
either their assistance or their company
in descending the ragged steps. The
peasants shook their heads doubtfully,
and shrieked, half in warning, half
in fury, at being disappointed of their
soldi. The doctor never moved a mus
Gle. and in two minutes more the girl
was out of sight. By way of relief to
his mind and my own nerves, we began
to discourse eloquently on italian seen
cry. Finally the subject could not be
avoided any longer.
"Doctor," said I, "fnd out if you
can from these women how long it ought
to take to descend to that grotto and
come back again."
The labor of this investigation was
dreadful. The doctor talked and the
women screamed. Tine enough was
consumed to have lost dozen lives,
when he announced as the result of his
struggles that Miss Sutherland should
have returned long ago.
Doctor" exclaimed, " that girl has
broken her neck"
"Well!'
"Well!' shrieked. els it possible
you don't care anything about it ?"
"On the contrary, I am rather pleased
at such an appropriate deaOoten1eat. She
has broken my heart, nearly lost you
your life, and what could possibly be
more suitable than for her to finish by
breaking her own neck ?"
This was pretty speech from man
in love.
"Will you go down and look for her ?"
Certainly, if you will go with me.
We shall probably find her sitting on a
rock politely Indifferent to our feelings,
and meditating on her next new bon
net"
He positively declined to go unless I
went with him. Further solicitude on
Miss Sutherland's behalf it was not in
DR.. Manning's programme to bestow.
Hand in hand, and assisted by sturdy
peasant woman, we scrambled down that
horrible precipice. The shrine of the
Persian god, cave with arches and
walls of brick, was passed, but no sign
of Miss Sutherland's presence.
Presently, looking over small cliff,
we saw the young woman half sitting,
half lying, on rock.
Is anything the matter ?" the doctor
called out.
"No, nothing-not exactly" The
words were exactly those Miss Suther-
land would have liked to utter in her
frmest tone. The tone she did utter
| them In was one that denoted an agony
of suppressed pain.
| The doctor heard it quite as well as
did, but he did not move.
"Will you come up, or shall I come
down to you?"
By this time we could see the white
drawn face. The doctor took two steps
forward and stopped.
Miss Sutherland, Spartan thatshe was,
had borne all she could bear. Both
arms were stretched out, and the weak
est kind of a voice answered.:
Sc [ cannot come. Come to me-"
There was really ' nothing-not ex-
actly F" the matter with Miss Sutherland
but a broken ankle and dislocated
shoulder.
What piece of work it was carrying
her up that dreadful hill. And how ever
did we manage to get her all the way
back to the pension without killing her?
Tears stood in the doctors eyes as he
handed her first to one and then the 9th
er of the stout peasants that helped him
with his burden. That was the ouly
sign of weakness on either part.
The doctor manages his wife; there is
no doubt about that. Just precisely
| r. II