Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-05-24

river at this pOlnU naVlBdDiC lOr \cSSolo
of any considerable size. The passage
through the canal thus produced in
row. boat is not without little excite
ment and even danger, If only of a
thorough drenching by the spray. Mrs.
WaIringham uttered a little feminine
cry as few d ops Of water
were cast into her face by the
boisterous pillows. The Count gallantly
| folded a s'aidparound her shoulders, "to
protect her against the too cordial greet
| ing of Father Rhine" as he gallantly
expressed it. What sweet, languid
sensation she felt, when he for second
was busying himself about her. She
had mover had such an experience be.
| fore
The party landed at the little village
of ASsmannShauser, famous Tor its wine.
Thore Mrs. Warringbam and the Count
mounted two Of the little dOnkeys which
in the mountainous parts OF Europe take
the part of our more serviceab'e mules.
Ralph and Lieutenant Won Greibern pro
ferred to MAKE the ascent on foot The
diminutivc animals seemed to them ride
ulOus and inadequate to support the
weight of man.
The drivers of the dOnkoys, by tho
vigorous application of stout sticks, per-
suaded them to proceed deliberately in
an up hill direction, and the little caval-
cade moved on.
The road was steep, tor,uOus, and
hot. This hill is covered with dense
growth of shrubs, just high enough 10
prevent free outlook but not suffi-
cicnt to give cfrectual protection against
the rays of the summer sun.
Mrs. Warringham, however, did not
notice the heat nor the roughness OF the
road, nor the jOlting jog of her donkey,
which was more fatiguing than walk ng
would have been.
She had only attention foc her COM
panion. Contrary to her habit, she
spoke comparatively little, and thereby
compel cd the Co1nt to bear the main
expense of the conversation, How the
loved to hear his voice!
While she rode by his side she fire.
quently cast sidelOng glances into his
face, but was careful not to attract his
attention. How handsome he was she
thought again and again.
Lucy Warringham had been kissed on
the stage by scores of actors, and off tho
stage by her husband. She had never
fe,t any particular sensation at these
demonstrations of intimacy. Nov she
longcd with all her heart to be kissed by
| Count Hohenfels. What heavenly bliss
it would be, she thought, if she could
throw her arms around his neck and
shower kisses upon his lips!
And the Count? He would have been
less or more than human if he had Eot
| felt tho electrical influence Of loving
wOman's presence. When he helped
| her into the saddle she let her hand rest
ip his little longer than might have
been absolutely necessary, and he even
thought 10 feel scarcely perceptible
pressure. When, arrived at the summit,
he as listed her in dismounting, her arm
! clung to his neck for ever so brief mo-
ment, he wished it had been
longer. He never had an idea
that she was making him advances,
bat he could not help noticing how beau
| tiful she was-far more beautiful, he
imagined, than she Lad ever appeared
to him before. Lucky dog, this War
| ringham, he thought, to have such q
treasure of wife.
The day passed pleasantly enough for
both Mrs Warringham and the Count
/ Lieutenant Won Grcibcrn also enjoyed
himself we'll enough. He had several
opportunities to study the question
whether AsSmannshauscr or Reudcs-
heimer was the better brand, and de-
cded in favor of the former. At the
ba @ of the colossal monument he ha-
rangucd the Doctor on the military
glory of the German Empire, the only
subject which in his small heart could
kndle something remotely akin to en-
thusiasm. Yes, he enjoyed himself very
we'll 1t Is not difficult to make creatures
of his stamp happy.
But poor Ralph spent most miserable
day. If Q had ert rtatned suspicious
Yesterday that all was not right between
his wife and the Count, his susp'cions
grew into certainty to day And yet, he
had to confess that there were very few
tangible reasons for his terrible conclu-
sionS. She had been riding by his side
that was all. They had not Eeen alone
together for a single instant, for even
when he had lost sight Of them for few
minutes at some bend of the road, the
donkey-drivers were closely behind them,
and could Overhcar every wO.d Of their
conversation But they spoke in Eng
lish, which the drivers could not under
stand. And once or twice ne had seen
her look at him with such glowing,
strange eyes! Such glance as he had
never received from her!
1t was enough to drive him crazy.
And during all this time he had to listen
to tho ia k of that coxcomb OF an olhcer
He could have stabbed the Count TO
the heart and hur e1 the faithlcss woman
over the precipice into the river below:
His blood was scething His face burned
as if it was afamc. Baron Won Greibern
sagely remarked that it was very warm.
ayes, very!" the Doctor replied, and
gnashCd his teeth
Ralph'S behavior was curious enough
to attract the attention OF any compan-
nion of ordinary acutcneSs; but the
LieutenantS scanty powers OF obServa-
tion were befudulcd by the fumes OF
AsSmannShauser He talked on, con-
siderately ascribing Ralph's sometimes
qu te irrelevant answers to an imperfect
know edge of tt @ German language.
AS the hours of the day advanced,
Ralph's jealous wrath grew hotter and
hotter. Yet he retained sufficient self
command to reason on the best thing
10 do.
Should he max, an end of it at once?
Should he tel. her to her fa that she
had b oxen her vows - that she had sunk
30 a lower depth than the Vile creature
that sells herself TO the first comerP
Impossiblel A pubic scandal! AS II