Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-02-21
THE TRAVELLING RING.

At the unearthly hour Of 8 q. m. the dis
sordant Alpenhorn wakes the guests Of tn
Hotel Rigi Kuhn to give them an oppor
tunity for seeing the sunrise.
The hotel is on the very summit of tn,
! form.
You can see the sunrise ns well and bet
! ter from the window OF your own room
but there IL nm extra charge connected
with the use Of the aforesaid platform, and
you would feel rs II you were swindline
the management out Of the admission fes
II you werc to see the spectacle from AMI
other point Of vantage than the one pro
vided for the purpose.
But this Is neither here nor there.
Miss Viva Merrick. OF Chicago, hurried.
y donned a morning gown and FASTENED
down stairs At the sound OF the horn.
Ragged patches Of mist rose laxily from
lake Of blush fog that filled the valleys;
rugged mountain tops and sharp cragz
rose IN bold outline, like coral reefs upon a
sea Of floating dampness
Everybody. including the young lady,
felt uncomfortable.
The greenish half light that precedss day
would make the rosiest complexion appear
pale, dull and lifeless, and rob any face Of
it, beauty; 1t was therefore quite unseliish
IN Capt. Percy Dempster, n. t., on leave
from India, TO offer his greatcoat to Miss
Merrick as q protection against the icy
wind that blew sharply from the glaciers,
But he was gentleman, and would have
done a. much for any lady, young or old,
preferably. Of course, tho latter, otherwise
he would have rendered his coat to the
young lady's aunt first.
Any one anxious to know Just how that
day "the glowing orb cast it's rudy
glamor DER the somber, snow clad giants
Of the Swiss Alps, whose majestic" etc, IL
referred to Baedecker's Handbook Of Switx-
erland, which also furnishes estimates on
tho probable expense Of the sight.
As usual, everybody felt better a. soon
~ the first rays Of the sun had gilded the
edges OF the long stretched clouds.
Ar the captain looked for his overcQat he
could not repress the ejaculation, "By
lingo, what pretty picturep' and he
dropped his single eyeglass to see better.
Frau Professor Holtxhacker began TO
rhapsodixe, "Yes. Get ees wonterfool won
tcrfool, sbplentit, grossartig, wirklich gar
xu nettP because she thought he meant
the sunrise. But he didn't
. Miss Merrick's head just peeped out Of
the captains greatcoat, her cheeks all
Aglow with the rosy light of the new born
day. Her eyes shone and sparkled with
pleasure, and the crisp morning breeze
scattered few stray locks OF golden hair
that had found their way from under the
dainty travelling cap.
Greuze or Fragonard or Jacquet could
not have wished for better model.
IL there Ii any man who finds fault with
the captain for taking advantage Of the
coat incident to Introduce himself. then let
his neighbors watch that man.
It was not accident that placed Dempster
1T the ladies' table ut breakfast, but the
Herr ODER Kellner" (head waiter). Con-
sideration--two francs.
Miss Merrick's vivaeity and esprit formed
= refreshing contrast to the inonastic prim-
ness of her maiden aunt, and the young
officer found her more charming az their
acquaintance progressed
What difference does IL make whether
one goes from Luzerne to Interlaken and
thence to Zurich, or vice versas Hardly
any under ordinary circumstances. But
II IT Is question Of keeping In the com
pany OF deucedly clever little lady by re-
versing proposed route II makes all the
difference In the world.
And that is why the captain feigned
pleased surprise that the intended line OF
travel Of the ladies' should coincide with
his own plans, which 1t did not
But, as everybody was pleased, 1t did not
matter that he changed his route.
The summer passed very agreeably to
all. and left a deep impression upon the
captain.
First he dropped his single eyeglass for
nxppd N Aafa t.,t
Miss Merrick; next he abjured brandy and
soda as concession to the aunt's temper
ance principles; then he became solitary
and taciturn when the young lady was not
around, and ultimately he contracted the
dangerous habit OF looking at the moon
long after everybody had gone to sleep.
No one could have called Miss Merrick n
dirt, but womanlike she thoroughly un-
derstood the subtle art Of keeping her
adorcr In hot water by being alternately
coy and cold
Which showed that she liked him. or abe
would not have teased him.
Al 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 a
couple OF those odd wickerwork chairs.
For awhile they discussed the morsels Of
gossip that are repeated every season about
or other, The scandal Is ALWAYS
The same. only the names OF the parties
change,
Suddenly both grew silent. He began to
iraw figures In the sand with his cane,
and she beat IA tattoo with her dainty slim
per while gazing out upon the sea and the
fishing boats in an distracted
manner.
The captain spoke first. About a year
lgo," he said, ~ picked up a ring in Simla,
ndia, which bears on its inner surface the
initials ". NJ, which are your initials"
Hiss Merrick listened in mute surprise.
which changed to establishment when the
aptain took ring with two diamonds
rom his pocket. He next took her right
and, which hung by her side, with his
ther hand Hers was very pretty hand,
M the most pleasant thing about it, to
no captain, was the tniest suspicion Of q
esponsive touch.
What he had to say as he placed the ring
pom her hnger was so interesting that abe |
Id not interrupt him.
Some men will ask the hand when a
irl shows them finger
They returned to the hotel long Altar
reakfast time.
Before entering the captain said: by the
'ay, darling. why did you look so sur |
rised when ! placed the ring upon your
ngers l should think that you must
ave expected something OF the kind all /
ong."
Miss Merrick had forgotten all about the
cident in the pleasurable excitement Of
70 captains proposal. But now she took