Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-04-24
A MISTAKE.

colorless sky and tho white cloud wreaths that hung about tho lower slopes of the mountains, there seemed every probability that spell of bad weather had set in.
 Driven as with Goad by the utter discomfort of the dirty inn had left behind me in the morning, pressed on in the rain lashcd gloaming toward the old Roman watering place on the south ern side of the Stclvio pass, Bad Bor- mic There, I knew, the joys of good | food, clean linen and luxurious bath waited for ne. Of course ought not to have cast one thought on these comforts of civilization, for the Stelvio pass is ono of the grandest ill Europe, and it had beon my privilege to behold the great Mad3tsch glacier and the cloud yelled head of the Ortlsr Spitz, as l stood 1t tho top of the pass and looked over the glories of the Tyr"lsan Alps.
 But wus very wet. very tired, very hungry, and longcd for my Capua down in the pleasant valley. My portmanteau l had gono on by pust-the carry all, on niscient post of foreign parts. At Bor mic 1 would rest mo for three whole days; good dinners would 1 eat and | sparkling Asti would drink, and 1 would mako merry with any pleasant folk chance might throw iu my way. And so the pains and penalties of the poor pedestrian would bo forgotten, or remembered only as foil to tho com forts of tho present.
 hurriedly pulled myself up at this stage of my reflections, for anticipation had made me forget for a brief moment what was then my condition. The re- lentlcss rain had worked its way to my skin. Only my feet were dry, thanks to the watt rprOof boots and stout leSGings I wore 1 was as yet within some miles l of my goal when overlook two p0dss- trians whose case was much worse than my own, for these two belated wander CTS were women, and the poor creatures skirts were wet and draggled and clung miscrably about their limbs. Both were slender and young, and the heavy rain beat heavily on their heads and shoul- ders Bedragglcd though they were, saw at glance they were ladies, and a few words uttered by one told me that they were countrywomen of my own. My interest and sympathy were at once enlisted.
 "Anothcr hour, Betty, at most, and we can knock of. What tramp we've had, and how it can rain in this won derful country"
 The girl who spoke (she cenld snly have been in her early twenties) hSd a fair, ruddy complexion, her cheeks lock ed liko roses that had had a thorough drcnching, and . great lump of light brown hair, which showed beneath her soaked gray felt hat was heavy with diamond drops of water. Both girls wore neat ulsters, but the rain had sVi- dently soaked them through, and they clunG tightly to the slim outlines 0i } their forms,
 Iglanced quickly at the girl addressed as Betty. She was wet, but even Prst. tier than her companion. The StsAdy tramp of my steps probably eAuBsd BettS some alarm, for she looked nervously . over her shoulder. It was then that saw what very pretty girl she was, despite her somewhat diIhsvSlsd state On the impulse of the moment raised
 my hat and muttered some sort ei salR tatiCn:
 "Oh, you're EngliEh!" The aSsoA of pleasure was :nmiStakablS and GraI flying.
 The exclamation came from Betty whose dark uyoS were turned full oI , me. Evidently tho result of the irspec tion was favorable, for Betty smiled anC . showed TOW of SlcaminS littlo teeth
 whose Whitvn, Ss was acCentuated by thu
 rich red of the lips that cnframod them
 Tine young lady's complexion was slight
 ly bIOwnrl hy exposure to the sun, hu
 the flashing of the Ialn had brought
 flush of pink to tine smooth check, who's l perfect contour was apparent as sh
 turu"d toward me.
 "YGs, am English. said i'll com !. fortable, elder brothsrly tono. caloulat
 cd to win the confidence of these two in
 dependent damsels srrant, land I ar
 on my way 10 Bad Bormio. ''So are ws. and we are so horribl
 wet, and ths road seems as if it woul !. never end"
 Ut is a long tramp from Trafoi." remarked.
 "Oh, we only oame from FCanzer 5 hohe this morning. We had some luno
 at Santa Maria, and we hope to reac ,. Bormio by dinner time. said the othe girl, whose name afterward knaw { E be Kate. flor, to tell you the truth. W
 are both awfulIy hungry"
 What hotel are you bound for?'
 inquired
 | ''The Nuovi Bagni."
 q. "Ah. am going there too. Will yc
 allow me to walk with you and to carr
 that bag?" I added. pointing to Q fa - sized ruoksack strapped to the supp D; D; back of Miss Betty.
 iV After little demur the rucksack ":
 unstrapped and attached to the have
 sack carried. saw with satisfactic n that the slender figure, relieved of 0 burden, drew itself more erect aI
 moved forward with greater ease. B The two girls. trampins 1nPCetsott '. along that lonely read which win
 down from the summit ef the pass ,. Italy, seemed quite free frsm any fe
 of danger The discomfort of rain soa .; ed clothing, boots heavy with mud, aI 10 the fatigue consequent on the loI o tramp seemed to be the only cause " complaint they had.
 ''You see, when one is on a walkiI D tour, one can't stop for weather" I , marked Betty. with comprehensi f glance round at the mist shrouded mou Q tains, the rain lashed rocks showil 70 their rich brown in vivid contrast to t D ] gray sky and patches of vivid gre
 moss. "One must take the good and t B, bad just as they come, like the rouI
 and the smooth places on the road. \ p. friend and are good walkers, and '
 enjoy a tramp like this in spits of ( u weather"