Evening star., 1896-01-04

coldly, drawing herself up with some in
dignation. but as she glanced sideways at
Mr.. Severance, that young man seemed so
Innocent that she thought perhaps he
meant nothing in particular by his remark.
So after slight pause Bessie went on
again. TT was week ago. He was climb
ing the Stockholm and all at once the
clouds surrounded him.
And what did Jimmy do? Waited till
the clouds rolled by. suppose"
Now, MIR. Severance, if you are going to
laugh at me, 1 shall not talk to you any
more"
II assure you, Miss Durand, was not
laughing at you. I was laughing at Jim
my. l never regarded the Stockholm as
formidable peak. 1t is something like
I.1gS feet high, I believe not to mention
the inches"
''But surely. Mr.. Severance you know
very we'll that the danger Of mountain
does not necessarily bear any proportion
to its altitude above the sea-
That is very true. am sure that
Jimmy himself, with his head in the
clouds, has braved greater dangers at much
lower levels than the top Of the Stock
horn"
Again Miss Durand looked seachingly at
the young man beside her, but again
Archie was gazing dreamily at the curious
6eli-shaped summit of the mountain under
discussion. The Stockholm stands out
nobly head and shoulders above its fell
lows, when viewed from the hotel terrace
at Thun. There was silence for a few mo-
ments between the two. and Bessie said to
herself that she did Hot at all like this
exceedingly self-possessed young man who
seemed to look at the mountains in prefer
ence to gazing at nef, which was against
the natural order of things. 1t was evil
dent that Mr. Severance needed to he
taught lesson. and Bessie, who had good
deal of justifiable confidence in her own
powers as a teacher, resolved to give him
the necessary instruction Perhaps, when
ne had acquired a little more experience
n nf
Jimmy or any of the rest Besides it is
always a generous action towards the rest
OF humanity to reduce the inordinate self
esteem of any one young man to something
Ike reasonable proportions. So Bessie, in
stead of showing that she was offended by
his htpI.ant conversation and mis- lack of
devotion to her, put on her most bewitch-
ing manner and smiled the smile that so
many before her la test victim had found
impossible to resist. She would make him
talk of himself and his exploits. They all
succumbed to that treatment
Il do 50 love 10 hear of Iarrow escapes"
said Bessie, confidently. II think it Is so
Inspiring to hea" of human courage and en-
durance being pitted against the dangers
Of the Alps and coming out Victorious
'YeS, they usually come out victorious
but then. you know, We never hear the
mountains side of the story
But, surely. Mr.. Severance" appealed
Bessie. you do not imagine that real
what he had done"
mo. Oh, no. I would not go SO far as to
say that he would exaggerate exactly but
L have known cases where-well-a sort of
Alpine glow came over story that, must
confess, improved 1t very much. Then.
again. curious mental transformations take
place, which have the effect of making
man. what the vulgar term, liar. Some
years ago friend of mine came over here
to do few ascents. but he found sitting
on the hotel piazza so much more to his
taste that he sat there. 1 think myself
that the veranda climber is the most sensi-
Bile man of the lot of u.s. and if he has
good imagination there is no reason why he
should be distanced by those you call real
climbers wren 1t comes to telling stories of
adventures. Well, this man, who Is a most
truthful person. took one false STEP You
know some amateurs have vile habit of
getting the names Of various peaks branded
en- their alpenstocks. just as if any real
climber ever used an alpenstock.''
why. what do they use?'' asked Bessie,
much interested.