The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1891-04-24
THE TRAVELLING RING.


Al the uncarthly hour Of > \. NJ. the
discordant Alpenhorn wakes the guests
of the Hotel Rigi-Kulm to give them an
opportunity for seeing the sunrise.
The hotel is on the very summit of the
mountain, and in front of it stands
platform.
You can see the sunrise as well and
better from the window OF your own
room, but there is an extra charge con-
nectcd with the use of the aforesaid
platform, and you would feel as if YOU
were swindling the management out of
the admission fee if you were to see the
spectacle from any other point of nd-
vantage than the one provided for the
purpose.
But this is neither here nor there.
Miss Viva Merrick, of Chicago, hur-
riedly donncd Il morning gown and
FASTENED down stairs at the sound Of the
horn.
Ragged patches OF mist rose lazily
from lake of blush fog that filled the
valleys; rugged tops and sharp crags rose
in bold outline, like coral reefs upon
-" va h'''ib uuihpilCSs.
Everybody. including the young lady,
felt uncomfortable.
The grcenish half light that precedes
day would make .hc rosiet complexion
appear pale, dull and lifcless, and rob
any face Of its beauty; it was therefore
! quite unscliiSh in Captain Percy Demp-
Ster, Il. f., on leave from India, to offer
his yrcatcOat 10 Miss Mcrrick as a pro-
lection against the Icy wind that blew
sharply from the glaciers. But he was
a gentleman, and would have done as
much for any lady, young OF old. pre-
tcrably. Of course, the latter, otherwise
he would have rendered his coat TO the
young lady's aunt first.
AS usual, everybody felt better AS
soon as the first rays of the sun had
gildeL the edges of the long stretched
As ihe Captain looked tor n,s 1yr, overeo5S,
he could not rcprcss the ejaculation,
by lingo, what II pretty picture" and
hc dropped his single eyeglaSs to see
better
Frau Professor lIo!tzhqckcr began to
rhapSodiZc, "Gos, Get, ccs wontcrfool.
ontrrfOol, shplcnlit. grossarti", wirk
l;ch gar IN nett" because she thought
Lc meant the sunrise But he didn't.
Miss Merrick's head just pceped out of
the captains grcatcoal, her checks all
aglow with the rosy light of the newborn
day. Her eyes shone and sparkled with
pleasure, and the crisp morning breeze
scattered a few stray locks of golden hair
that had ionnd their way from under the
dainty travelling cap.
"re'!Z" or F'agonard or Jacguet could
not have wished for n better model.
II there is any man who finds fault
with The captain for taking advantage of
the coat incident to introduce himself.
thcn let his neighbors watch that man.
1t VIA not accident that placed Demp.
stcr at the ladies' table at break fast. but
the "Herr Obcr- -kellner" (head waiteD.
CCnsideratiOn-two francs.
Miss Merrick'S vivacity and esprit formed
refreshing contrast to the primness of
her maiden aunt, and the Young officer
found her more charming as their ac-
pliantancc progressed.
What difference does it make whether
one goes from I.hZerne to Interlaken and
thence to Zurich, or vice versa Hardly
'. "'' ''''h"iy circumstances. f)lit IL
1t is" question of keeping in the COM
lanN Of q clever little lady by reversing
proposed route il makes all the differ
cree in the world.
And that is why the captain feigned
pleased surprise that the intended line of
travel OF the ladies should coincide with
ms own plans, which it did not.
B'lt, as everybody was pleased, it did
not matter that he changed his route.
1he summer passed very aoreeably TO
NV mn" vow" ""op i'"Prs-~s." -"t,u. ~.
captain.
flrst he dropped his single cyeglass for
good, in Difference to the common sense
OF Miss Mcrrick next he abiured brandy
and soda aS concession 70 the onnt;s
temperance principles; then lie became
solitary and tacitnrn when the Young
I""y was not around, and ultimately. he
contracted the dangerous habit Of look.
ing at the moon long after everybody had
gone TO sleep.
No one could have called Miss Merrick
hirt, but wOmanlikc, she thoroughly
understood the subtle art of keepine her
adorer in hot water by being alternately
coy and cold
winch showed that she liked him, or
sac would not have teased him.
At Scheveningen, in Holland, the
whole affair came to a climax.
1t was during an early morning stroll
down to the beach. They sat down in II
couple OF those old wickerwork chairs.
For awhile they discussed the morsels of
gossip that are repeated every season
about somebody or other.
Suddenly both grew silent. He began
TO draw figures in the sand with his cane
and she beat tattoo with her dainty
slipper while gazing out upon the sea
and the outgoing fishing boats in an alb.
stractcd manner.
The captain spoke first. "About Q
year ago, nc sald, 81 picked up a ring
III Sima. India, which bears on its inner
~uriacr the initials ". NJ. which are
Your initials Miss Mcrrick listened in
mute surprise, which changed to aston.
'>hm"nt when The captain took II ring with