Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1891-10-22
IT was ROUGH ON THE LAD.
But The" He Looked So Proud They DiA
N.k Dare O6a1 Him n Lift.

N.st Dare Offer Him . Lift.
When was in Switzerland ran across
half whimsical, half pathetic little incl
dent which befell Yankee boy Of II. It
didn't show much sense on his part, but
plenty of pluck, which is not as good a
sense, but a good thing when it is needed
to fetch II fellow through.
His party was going up to the Rhone
Glacier, and he in needless fashion did not
ascertain that the pass divided above Hos.
penthal, the Furca being the correct road,
while the st. Gothard went to the left and
down into Italy. llcwas doing the trip on
foot, while the rest of his party were riding.
Taking the footpath. which was shorter
cut than the carriage road, he missed the
fork in tha road and started Off toward
Italy without knowing his mistake. He
could talk enough French to say Glace du
Rhone, and that was about all.
He trudged along the greater part of the
day, stopping mt wayside inn for bite
Of lunch and a bottle of beer, and not until
he reached Airolo ut the foot OF St. Gothard
did he begin to suspect that all was not
right He saw pretty valley with tiny
glacier at the end.
"Rhone du glace," he asked Of the first
Italian he met.
He pointed to the distant ice, and the
man nodded, so he went on at q rapid pace,
for it was getting late. 1t was a beautiful
and peaceful little vale, dotted with hum.
BILE crucitixes. The people were polite and
bade him good evening, men. women and
children.
1t was not until nearly sundown that he
met an intelligent fellow who talked
French and comprehended his Rhone du
glace question. He got very much excit-
ed, and by gestures more than words indi-
Gated that the lad was away off the track,
and that, III fact, he must retrace his steps.
After walking all day this was tough
news, but there was only one thing to do,
turn about and trudge sturdily back. So
back he went to Airolo, and after bite to
eat up the mountain side in the grandest
moonlight that ever shone.
And SO, footsore and weary, with pain at
his heart to think of the anxiety of his
father when he failed to turn up, he nearly
walked the night out, landing ut Hospen-
thai about in the morning. Then he
learned his mistake, was told that the dill
igence would be along at and went to
bed. 1t was the best that he could do.
at the diligence came along-and was
crowded. They could not give him u seat.
climb the road he ought to have taken
the day before.
| But what Il climb that was! 1t seemed
There were great blisters on them, and he
could scarcely put one foot above the
other.
When we had travelled for several hours
carriage came along, going the same way
as he It had Americans for passengers
| Oh, if they would give him ride! De
| looked at them beseechingly. Two young
ladies in the carriage looked at him with
interest. They had heard his story at Hos
penthal. They said afterward that they
| were dying to offer him q vacant seat in
/, their carriage. but he had such a proud
look on his face-heaven save the mark
/ that they did not venture lest he should
resent it. And SO between his silence and
theirs ne got no ride, but was soon left
behind by the strangers, who told the story
when they reached the glacier, and re-
lieved the fears of his father who was al
most frantic with grief and anxiety.
| 1t was nearly 6 O'Clock when he crept
| down to the hotel on his blistcred feet. OF
course he WIS the hero of the night, and
when the people learned of the miles OF
| mountain climbing that he had done they
marveled.
As for the two young ladies who pitied but
did not invite him, they retired within their
shells and hurried away as quickly rs they
could. So another romance was spoiled
because the actors did not do the proper
thing, and the wedding which would have
taken place in novels did not come off,
Alas! how often it is thus in the happen
/, ings of the real world.-New York Herald.