The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1892-06-07
CHAPTER Ill

W. 9'
81 am Miss Btrchmore. if you please,
sir"
Ny route to Italy was rather u round
about one Instead of running down to
Marseilles, and so on via Civita Vecchia
to Rome, | set off eastward and crossed
Germany, passing through Cologne,
Frankfcrt-cn-the-Ma and Nuremberg.
thence | proceeded to Leipsic, and at
length brought up in Dresden. 1t was
my intention to go from there southwark
through Switzerland to Venice, and THIS
to make my approach to the Eternal
City.
Dresden, however, detained me longer
than expected. 1t was in August that
| reached it: there were not many
people in town, but L was delighted
with the gallery, with the picturesque
sweep of the river and with the green
shade and good music of the GrOsser
garten. There were several charming
drives, too. IL the neighborhOod; and rs
for the beer, it was really a revelation
to a man who had never known any
thing less heavy and solid than Allsopp's
pale ale.
| had put up at the Hotel de SAKE, a
broadsided old building ON one side of a
large, irregular "Platz," called, l be-
lieve, the Neumarkt- Ny landlord, who
was a young gentleman of great per
sonal attractions, interested himself Il
good deal about my amusements; and
one day he happened to ask me whether |
had visited region known as Saxon
Switzerland. This, it appeared. was
mountainous district some twenty miles
ND the Elbe, in which was solved the
problem of putting the greatest amount
of romantic picturesqueness into the
smallest possible compass. 1t was
land of savage rocks, wild precipices
and profound gorges, conveniently
grouped within the limits of a good
days tramp. 1t comprised all the sub
lime and startling features of your Yo-
semitic valley i'll California, with an
area about equal to the summit of one
of the table bluffs in that region.
l packed my valise for a sOjourn OF
two or ehree days among these pocket
Alps. put my diamonds in that secure
inner pocket and took a drOsky for
the railway station. The trip to
Schandau (the principal village of
! Saxon Switzerland) can also be made
by steamer, but after discussing the
pros and cons of rival routes with my
/ host of the hotel the evening previous,
! | had decided to go by rail, which pro
vides nearly half rs much pretty scenery
/ as the river road, and takes up less than
/ u fourth as much time.
| alighted at the station door some
what late, and having given my trunk
! III charge of porter was hurrylng to
] get my ticket. when my attention was
caught by young lady who was stand
ing on the platform in an attitude that
bespoke suspense and anxiety. Her veil
was down. but from the slender ele-
gance of her figure and the harmonious
/ perfection of her costume | could not
doubt that her face was beautiful. EEl-
IDENTIFY she was not u German; had aAe
been a thought less tastefully dressed
should have said she was an Eu,l!sh
girl As it was she might be either an
Austrian or an American. Even iaen
rather inclined to the latter hypothesis.
She appeared to be entirely alone. but
she was scanning with i'll concealed
eagerness the crowd that was entering
the station as if in search of familiar
face. When her glance fell upon me
fancied that she took an impulsive step
in nv direction, but she checked herself
immediately and looked away. While
was hastily debating within myself
whether or not it would be 1.-The thing
for me to go up and ask her if she need
ed any assistance, l saw a dienstmann
or carrier come up the steps, and taking
off his cap deliver her note. She tore
it nervously open, threw back her vel
ilnpatiently and ran her eyes over the
contents. Beautiful she was, indeed
Nv authorizations had been behind the
truth on that score. Such strange, mys
teal, dark eyes underneath level, black
eyebrows | had never seen. But JUS
then there was an expression OF dlsmaN
and distress i'll them that made me hal
forget to remember their fascination.
; She now addressed the carrier, seem
ingly IL broken German, for he evidently
= did not we'll understand her, and the an
swer he made appeared to increase he
embarrassment. Her slender foot tapped
the stone pavement; she read the not
once more, crushed it up in her hand
: arsN then her arms fell listiessly ut he
sides with an air almost of despair. Sh
looked this way and that helplessly
By this time several persons beside
, myself had observed her bewldermeEt
r and | thought | perceived that certain
fat old Jew, wearing a number OF gilt
tering rings and Il very massive watc
chain. was inclined to take advantage o
I it. This decided me on my course q
: action: | came quickly fo@Tvard, as if
q had Just caught sight Of her, and liftin
= my hat with an air of respectful aC
q workmanship said in French:
If mademoiselle will permit me,
may perhaps be of some use.
Her veil. either accidentally orof dc
sign. dropped again over her face as sh
: turned 1t toward me. / knew that SD
was scrutinizing me with u woman's II