The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-06-13

Another hour. Betty, at most, and W.
can knock off. What tramp we've had
and how it can rain in this wonderful coun
tryi"
The girl who spoke (she could only have
been in her early twenties) had fair, ruddy
complexion-her cheeks looked like roses
that had had thorough drenching-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 uls,ers, but the rain
had evidently soaked them through and
! they clung tigh ly 10 the slim outlines OF
! their forms.
glanced quickly ut the girl addressed as
/ Betty.D She was wet. but even pTettier
| than her companion. The steady tramp OF
/ my steps probably caused Betty some alarm,
/ for she looked neryously over her shoulder.
! 1t was then that saw what "A very pretty girl
she was, despite her somewhat disheveled
! state.
On the impulse Of the moment | raised
my hat and muttered some sort of saluta-
| tiGn.
"Oh, you're English!"
The accent of pleasure was unmistakable
and gratifying.
The exclamation came from Betty, whose
dark eyes were turned full on me. Evidently
the result of the inspection was favorable,
for Betty smiled, and showed row of
cleaning little teeth, whose whiteness was
accentuatcd by the rich red of the lips that
cnframed them. The young lady's COM
plexion was slightly Drowned by exposure
to the sun, but the lashing of the rain had
brought flush of pink to the smooth
check whose perfect contour was apparent
as she turned toward me.
Yes I'm English" / said in comfOrta-
bic, elder brotherly tone, calculated 10 win
The confidence of these two independent
damsel,-errant; land / am on my way to
Bad Bormio."
so are we; and we are so horribly wet,
and the road seems as if it would never
end"
at is long tramp from Trafoi," 1 re-
marked.
"Ob, we only came from Franzenhohe
this morning; we had some lunch at Santa
Maria, and we hope 10 reach Bormio by
dinner-time," said the other girl, whose
name / afterward knew to be Kate; for, TO
tell you the truth, we are both awfully
hungry"
What hotel are you bound forp" in
quired.
THE Nuovi Bagni."
"Ah, / am going there too. VIII you
allow me to walk with you and to carry
that bag? ?" l added, pointing to far-sized
ruck-sack strapped to the supple back of
Miss Betty. 'lA
After little demur the rnck-sack was
unstraDped and attached to the haversack 1
carried / saw with satisfaction that the
slender figure, relieved of its burden, drew
itself more erect and moved forward with
greater ease.
The two girls, tramping unprotected
along that lonely road which winds down
from the summit, OF the pass to Italy,
seemed quite free from any fear of danger
The discomfort of ran-soaked clothing
boots heavy with mud, and fatigue conse-
quent on the long tramp, seemed to be the
only causes of complaint they had.
" You see, when one Is on walking tour
one can't stop for weather" remarked Betty,
with comprehensive glance round at the
mist-shrOuded mountains, the rain dashed
rocks showing their rich brown in vivid
contrast to the gray sky and patches of vivid
green moss; one must take the good and
the bad Just as they come, like the rough
and the smooth places in the road. My
friend and are good walkers, and we enjoy
a tramp like this, in spite of the weather"
/ had got the idea that the girls were
sisters, although they were quite unlike in
personal appearance. Bit by bit l got to
know more about my damsels-errant. They
had walked most of the way from Innsbruck
through the Brenner Pass, to Botzen; there
they had taken the tram to Meran, aud from