Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-05-09
CHAPTER III.

NY EOuUo TO Italy WIS EdGueE rOuuO-
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,
Frankfort-on-th e-Main and Nuremberg,
thence l proceeded to Leipsic, and at
length brought up in Dresden. 1t was
my intention to go from there southwark
through Switzerland to Venice, and thus
to make my approach to the Eternal
City.
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, in the neighborhood; and as
for the beer, it was really revelation
to q 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. My landlord, who
was a young gentleman of great per-
sonal attractions, interested himself O
good deal about my amusements; and
one day he happened to ask me whether
had visited q region known as Saxon
Switzerland. This, it appeared, was a
mountainous district some twenty miles
up the Elbe, in which was solved the
problem of putting the greatest amount
of romantic picturesqueness into the
smallest possible compass. It was q
land of savage rocks, wild precipices
and profound gorges, conveniently
grouped within the limits of a good
days tramp. It comprised all the sub
lime and startling features of your Yo-
semitic valley in California, with an
area about equal to the summit of ono
Of the table bluffs in that region.
l packed my valise for a sojourn of
two or three 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 SwitzerlandD 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,
l had decided to go by rail, which pro-
vides nearly half as much pretty scenery
as the river road, and takes up less than
fourth as much time.
l alighted at the station door some
what late, and having given my trunk
in charge of a porter was hurrying 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 l could not
doubt that her face was beautiful. Evil
IDENTIFY she was not German; had she
been a thought less tastefully dressed /
should have said she was an English
girl. AS it was she might be either an
Austrian or an American. Even then
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 a familiar
face. When her glance fell upon me
fancied that she took an impulsive steI
in my 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, saw a dienstmanr
or carrier come up the steps, and taking
off his cap deliver her a note. She tore
it nervously open, threw back her vel
impatiently and ran her eyes over the
contents. Beautiful she was, indeed
My anticipations had been behind thu
truth on that score. Such strange, mys
teal, dark eyes underneath level, blacl
eyebrows had never seen. But jus
then there was an expression of disma.
and distress in them that made me hal
forget to remember their fascination.
8 She now addressed the carrier, seem
ingly in broken German, for he evidentl,
did not we'll understand her, and the an
swer he made appeared to increase he
embarrassment. Her slender foot tappe
the stone pavement; she read the not
once more, crushed it up in her hand
T and then her arms fell listlessly at he
D sides with an air almost Of despair. Sh
looked this way and that helplessly.
By this time several persons beside
myself had observed her bewilderment
and thought perceived that certai
fat old Jew, wearing number of gil
tering rings and a very massive waite
chain, was inclined to take advantage {
it. This decided me on my course {
action; came quickly forward, as If
had just caught sight of her, and iftin
my hat with an air of respectful a,
quaintanceship said in French:
eff mademoiselle will permit me,
may perhaps be Of some use."
"Her veil, either accidentally or Of d,
sign, dropped again over her face as st
turned it toward me. knew that sh
was scrutinizing me with a woman's il
= tuitive sight, and tried to look as gull,
less and respectful as / am sure fel
In q moment she asked:
monsieur est Il FrancaisT'
"Tm an Englishman," answered.
blushing little. ! dare say, at her in