Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-11-05
Th6 Wlth6rInOOf arose.
[Copyright. 1895, by Marie Corelli.i
CHAPTER /.
By MARIE OORELLL.

lNOpyElBut, loJO' w 1hurlo NSredl.l
CHAPTER /.
Immediately above the picturesque
town Of Lucerne there is q towering
eminence clothed with pines, to the
summit of which the exploring and
aspiring tourist can ascend by one of
those ingeniously contrived ''funicular"
railways now so common in all the
mountainous districts of Switzerland.
The little passenger Car is worked by
the cog wheel and water system and
jogs slowly up precipitous incline,
which, surveyed from the bottom. ap.
pears to slant at about an angle Of 90
degrees But it Is not so perilous as it
seems The journey is easy and safe
enough, and those who Rre troubled
with nervous sensations" and who in
sist on closing their eyes firmly while
travelling up in the strange conveyance,
which, when obserevd from sufficient
distance, certainly somewhat resembles
squat kind of bluebottlc clinging to
wall, will have their full consolation
and reward on arriving at the top.
For there one of the most glorious
landscapes in the world Is spread before
the enraptured sight The lovely Lake
Of the -Four Cantons glitters below in
all its width of vastly blue, surrounded
by kindly mountains, the peaks Of
which, even in the height Of summer,
still keep ON their sparkling diadems of
virginia. snow. On either hand forest
of tall pine trees stretches away for
miles, forest where one may wander
in solitude for hours, walking on
thick carpet of the softest moss strewn
with tho brown and fragrant "pine
needless" scarcely hearing ones own
footsteps and seeing nothing but the
arching cathedrallike splendor Of solemn
green gloom, fecked through here and
there by the blue of the sky and the
bright rays Of the sun.
At the entrance Of this forest stands
one of the prettiest Of rustic hotels,
known as the Pension Gutsch, q house
built in the true Swiss style, with pic
tnresque gabled roof, and wide wooden
verandas--its charming seclusion and
simplicity Offering delightful contrast
to garish glories Of the Schweizerhof and
the other monstrous Americanized hotels
Of Lucerne. where the main object of
every one concerned, from the "portier"
down to the smallest paying guest, ap.
pears to be to forget as completely as
possible the fact that Switzerland, as
Switzerland, exists and to live solely
for the enjoyment Of the table d'hote.
dress, Irritation and lawn tennis.
It is q singular fact, but true. that
all the big hotels in Lucerne have their
table d'hote dinner served precisely at
the sunset hour-the very time when
grand old Mount Pilatus Is gathering
around his frowning brows strange and
mystic draperies of crimson and gold
and green-when the lake looks like
melted jewels, and all the lovely hues
Of heaven are merging by delicious gra-
dations into the cool, pearly gray of
such pure twilight as is never seen save
in countries where the air Is rarefed by
the presence Of perpetual snow. For this
very reason persons of fanciful and
romantic turn Of mind, who prefer seen.
cry to soup, frequently do battle with
their nerves to the extent of being lifted
like little frightened children in q
basket-up the precipitous Gutsch
where, at the unpretentious, spotlessly
clean and fragrant hotel bearing that
name. they can do pretty much as they
like and have the supreme comfort Of
quiet rooms and refreshing sleep, lux
uries completely denied them at oil the
large hotels in the town.
Moreover, by making a special Or
rangement and paying little extra,
they can have their meals served at
their own stated hours, oil of which
sensible management and forethought
on the part of the proprietor has the re-
suit Of making his house favorite re-
sort Of artists, poets and dreamers gen.
orally. The frivolous and empty headed
would not care for such place. 1t offers
nothing but repose and beauty. 1t is not
a suitable abode for golfers or tomboy
tennis players They do we'll TO remain
in Lucerne and cling to the noisy and
overcrowded Schweizerhof But it is
eminently fitted for lovers in the first
stage of sentimental ardor, and 1t is an
ideal nook wherein to spend a happy
honeymoon.
When, on one dazzling afternoon in
early July, gentleman with black
mustaches got out Of the little "funic-
ular" car and assisted a charmingly
attired and very young lady with fair
hair to alight also, and when these
twain were followed by a valet. maid
and the porter bearing some very new
looking luggage, none Of the people al;
ready staying at the Gutsch had any
difficulty in classifying them. They
were newly married. Their very ap.
pearance betrayed them. One Of the
regular habitues Of the place. a dark
eyed young man clad in carelessly fit-
ting tweeds, said as much to the land
lord, who, having bowed the couple in,
now stood ON his doorstep benevolently
surveying the prospect.
"On their wedding tour, I suppose?"
he observed, with smile.
''It is possible. replied mine host
discreetly. 'The lady is young. Not so
young the gentleman. They have en-
gagged the best rooms
C.A9ToHEAs
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