The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-09-10
CHAPTER II.

EQulppCu Will OdS anu nhmLAC
August found me making a pedre
trian tour of Switzerland, with
special view to the study of its gla
cial system and lithology. l avoiC
ed the we'll travelled ways, thus e!
Gaping the society of other tourists
and l was therefore utterly amaze
when one evening, as 1 drew nea
the little house which was nay ten
porary abiding place, tall form
strobe toward me out of the dark
ness, and a hearty voice cried
Jim! Jim Hillr'
what is it?" l replied, with
half nervous start.
"Ah, l thought it was my oil
friend. Have you forgotten Ton
Byrne?"
Of course not, for / had met hin
occasionally since we were boys
and 1 was heartily glad to see m.
former comrade, always one of-th
best of companions.
81 saw your name on the book a
the inn," he exclaimed; "and wa
sure it must be you. At any rate
thought would start out anC
meet you"
But how came you here in thi
out-of-t he-way corner of the world?'
inquired.
because it is out of the way
Mabel and 1 are making a trip il
search of the picturesque. Yor
know she is quite an artist"
So Mabel was with him. MY
heart gave a curious thump, anC
for a moment l could hardly make
a sensible reply.
YES" he went on; "she is so de-
voted to her art that it seems tt
/ quite absorb her life. She has not
thought of marriage, and does moi
care in the least for the ordinary
run of society. She will be glad tc
see you, though" he added consol
ingly, "as you are a man of sci
ence."
We walked back together to the
little inn, and presently L was shak-
ing hands with a beautiful and
stately woman, whose dark eyes
flashed with the strange intensity
and fire that / had never seen in
any other eyes but those of Mabel
Byrne.
She greeted me very cordially,
and after we three had taken an
evening meal together there follow
ed a delightful evening in the little
paEor that Tom and his sister had
secured.
For once IN my life 1 felt at ease
in a iady's society. In the first
place there was Tom to keep me in
countenaAce by a performance OF
my own sex in the company, then
Mabel did not expect me to talk OF
airy nothings, that light foam oil
the social whirlpool which l never
yet had been able to skim. She
spoke first of my scientific pursuits
she showed so much knowledge OF
the subject that 1 found myself talk
ing with earnestness and enthusi-
asm of the formation of the country,
and especially of the glacial sys-
TEN and the curious marks of its
action borne by the specimens 1 had
collected.
She, in her turn, contributed to
the evenings interest by telling
me of her work, and showing her
sketches, which were really of ar
tistic merit. There was no school
girl weakness in her handling of
the brush, but force and poetic
thought that had won her already
honorable recognition in the world
of art.
"And yoI have never heard of
MabePs painting till nowP' asked
Tom.
"No," l confessed. "You know
1 have been quite absorbed in my
special studies"
-"Yes, AID you have not seen Ma
bel for ever so long, have you?'
NO" l replied, mot since that
summer ten years ago, when | was
at my grandmother's."
Jolly times we had, too" said
Tom, reAectively. "Remem Der
that party at Mrs. Edwards'Y'
A sudden rush of blood to my
face utterly confused me. l STAN
mered reply, and Tom, to my re-
lief, went on with some rambling
"reminiscences. 1t was some sec
onds before / dared to look at Ma
bel. Surely she was blushing, too.
The next morning We all went on
a trip up the slope of mountains.
Mabel in a short gray suit, alpine
hat and stout boots; Tom carrying
her drawing materials. Thus we
made this and many other delightful
expeditions.
Life took Or rev colors for me.
There was a radiance Sad glory
about it that / had never drea med
of before. Every day found fresh
reasons for admiring my beautiful
companion, and our walks up the
rough mountains aud through the
deep valleys were to me like en-
chanted journeys. In this lovely
country with this most glorious wo-
man by my side, was indeed as
one transfgured by the light of the
grand passion that took possession
of my soul.
At first 1 knew not what had be-
fallen me. 1 only thought that my
pleasure in MabePs society sprang
from a similarity in tastes and pur-
suits and the charm of her CONVEX
sation; but gradually l woke to the
overwhelming fact that loved her
with the one great love of life, that
seemed to me now to date from the
days of long ago, to have been al
ways with me, and to stretch out
into the future to make it trans
scendentally glorious, or a long de-
spair.
But as soon as had learned nv
own secret, my former bashfulness
came back upon me with ten fold
intensity, and found myself often
embarrassed in her presence, while
Of tho tbOuOht of TELLING her NV