The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-17

| 10 ueNOue my SulIluer NdCdllOu W
tour in Europe.
Equipped with bag and hammer,
August found me making a pedestrian
tour in Switzerland, with special view
to the study of its glacial system and
lithology. ! avoided the well-traveled
ways, thus escaping the society of all
other tourists, and l was therefore
utterly amazed when, one evening, as
drew near the little house which was
my temporary abiding place, tall form
strobe toward me out of the darkness
and hearty voice cried out:
I" Jim Jim HIP"
"Who is it?" 1 replied, with half
nervous start.
" All! l thought it was my old friend.
Have you forgotten Tom Byrne?"
OF course not, for l had met him
occasionally since we were boys, and 1
was heartily glad to see my former
comrade, always one of the best of
companions.
" l saw your name on the book at the
inn," he explained; "was sure it must
be you. AT any rate, l thought would
start out to meet you"
" But how came you here" | in
quired, lin this out-of-the-way corner
of the world?"
" because it is out of the way. Mabel
and ] are making a trip in search of
the picturesque. You know she is quite
an artist?"
So Mabel was with him. My heart
gave curious thump, and for mo-
ment could hardly make sensible
reply.
" Yes he went on, A." she is so de-
voted to her art that it seems to quite
absorb her life. She had not thought
of marriage, and does not care in the
least for the ordinary run of society.
She will be glad to see you, though"
he added, consolingly, as you are a
man of science"
We walked back together to the little
inn, and presently | was shaking hands
with q beautiful and stately woman,
whose bright, dark eyes, flashed with
the strange intensity and fire that l had
never seen in any other eyes but those
of Mabel Byrne.
She greetedme very cordially, and af
ter we three had taken an evening meal
together there followed delightful
evening in the little parlor that Tom
and his sister had secured
For once in my life l felt myself
quite at ease in a lady's society. In the
first place, there was Tom to keep me
in countenance by a predominance of
my own sex in the company, then
Mabel did not expect me to talk of airy
nothings, that light foam of the social
whirlpool which never yet had been
able to skim. She spoke first of my
scientific pursuits, and showed so much
knowledge of the subject that l really
found myself talking with earnestness
and enthusiasm of the formation of the
country, and especially of the glacial
system and the curious marks of its ac-
ton borne by the specimens l had COL
lected.
She in her turn contributed to the
evenings interest by telling me of her
: work, and showing me her sketches,
which were really of a very high order
of artistic merit. There was no school
girl weakness in her handling of the
brush, but the force of poetic thought
that had won her already honorable rec
ognition in the world of art.
And you have never heard of Ma
bells paintings until now?" asked Tom.
"No," / confess. You know l
have been quite absorbed in my special
studies"
" Yes, and you have not seen Mabel
, for ever so long, have you?"
"No," | replied, "not since that
summer, ten years ago, when l was at
my grandmother's.'
:" Jolly time we had, too" said Tom,
retlectively. Remember that party at
Mrs. Edwards'?'
A sudden rush of blood to my face
utterly confused me. l stammered a
reply, and Tom, to my relief, went on
with some rambling "reminiscences. 1t
was some seconds before | dared to
look at Mabel. Surely she was blush
ing, too.
The next morning we all went on a
trip up the slopes of the mountains.
Mabel in short, gray suit, alpine hat,
and stout boots; Tom carrying her
drawing material. Thus we made this,
and many another, delightful expedi-
ton.
Life took on new colors for me.
There was a radiance and glory about
| it that had never dreamed of before
Every day | found fresh reason for
admiring my beautiful companion, and
our walks through the deep valleys and
up the rough mountain sides were to
, me like enchanted journeys through a
realm of fairies. In this loveliest country
in the world, with this most glorious
[ woman by my side, l was, indeed, as
one TRANSPORTED by the light of the
l grand passion that took possession of
/ my soul.
t AT first knew not what had befallen
me- | thought only that my pleasure
} in Mabel's society sprang from a SINH
larity of tastes and pursuits, and the
5 charm of her conversation; but gradu-
4 ally | woke to the overwhelming fact
r that loved her with the one great love
: of my life, that seemed to me now to
e date from the days of long ago, to
have been always with me, and to
&, stretch out into the future to make ii
. transcendently glorious, or long des-
/ pair.
And yet as soon as | had learned my
: own secret, my former bashfulness
} came back upon me with ten-fold inten-
: sity, and | found myself often en-
baTassed in her presence; while at the
i thought of telling her my hearts story
: though my brain was smitten through
+ with dazzling delight at the dream of
: successful wooing, ! was so over
n whelmed that utterance would, as | was
l. 4