Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1898-02-10
FOB LOVE OF HER:
BY HOWARD HAZELL.

IL was lovely summer evening In
Zermatt Dinner was just over at the
huge Monte Rosa Hotel, and groups
of visitors were settling themselves in
the chairs outside, TO enjoy the beauty
OF the sunset, and the more mundane
pleasures of black coffee and cigars.
On the little raised terrace on the OPP
posite side of the road a merry party
of five English people were seated
round one of the little iron tables.
Perched on an uncomfortable wooden
seat and solemnly smoking big cigar
was Robert Barton, who was more
noted for the first-class peaks he had
climbed than for the briefs he had held
in the law courts. Facing him sat his
friend, George Pollard, rising young
Journalist, who was trying to make a
rough pencil sketch Of Barton's sun
burned face. The party was completed
by Bert Jeffreys, who was studying for
the ministry, and his two sisters.
They were evidently not newcomers
In the valley for their faces were burnt
to q rich red color that proved that
they had made many excursions above
the snow-line For three weeks they
had climbed scrambled and picknick-
ed on the mountains: occasionally Bar
ton had left them to make some big
ascent, but this year he seemed to find
greater pleasure in short excursions,
in which the sisters were included,
than in ascending any of the towering
peaks that surrounded the valley. Pol
lard, though he assured them that he
had come to Zermatt with the inten-
ton of doing nothing as gracefully as
possible, was. however, sufficiently en-
ergetic to undertake any excursion
which the elder Miss Jeffreys attempt
ed. When Pollard entered the hotel
three weeks previously and found that
Barton had come the day before, they
both said it was a strange coincidence,
as each had made other plans. But the
coincidence was easily explained by
Miss Jeffreys' presence at the hotel,
end though neither mentioned it, each
knew the loadstone that had drawn
them to that secluded valley.
The incurable laZiness of Pollard
had often been discussed, and the gen
ial journalist was being chafed again
for refusing to climb even one peak
before he left the valley.
"Look here, Pollard" said Barton,
suddenly bringing his eyes down
from the smoke rings he was making.
I'VE are not going to let you go back
to London until you have done some
thing in the way of a peak"
"Why should you trouble yourself
about me, Barton? / came here to
please myself and not to please you
"But my dear fellow" said Jeffreys,
"have you no ambition, no pride, no
soul above beaten, dusty mule track?
Even my sisters have climbed more
than you have"
1--WE been to the top of Gornergrat,
protested Pollard, land that is over ten
thousand feet"
Eyes, but you seem to have forgot
ten that you had a mule most of the
way" laughed Barton.
"Then l have been on several gla-
ciers, and up to some of the club huts,"
he persisted, striving to defend him
self.
But that was only because we made
you do it, Mr.. Pollard" said the elder
Miss Jeffreys. You cannot leave Ter
matt until you have used your new
ice-pick on some peak"
II am not to blame for having bought
1t. Barton made me get it. That is the
drawback of having an alpine club
man for a chum; he always thinks you
can enjoy yourself only when climb
ing up impossible mountains"
But what have yau really used 1t
for?" protested Miss Jeffreys.
well, / have dug up lot of flow
ers for you"
THAT is merely a degradatioa to
self-respecting ice-pick. What else
have you done with it?'
There was a moments pause and
then he replied:
II ran the sharp end into my hand
the day / bought it, and last night /
killed cockroach in my room with
the other end"
A roar of laughter greeted this an
swer, and Barton complained in an ag-
grieved voice:
mo wonder / could not go to sleep
when you were stabbing at that crea-
ture over my head"
81 thought you might hear me. The
beetle was very nimble, and I am not
used to such work." answered Pollard.
well that absolutely settles the mat
ter" Jeffreys urged. you must con-
quer something bigger than cock
roach with your ice-axe."
why not go up the Unter-Gabel-
horn with us Tomorrow" asked the
younger Miss Jeffreys, who was more
absorbed in watching the red glow die
out on the mountains than In listen
ing 20 the conversation.
That's good idea. Barton is go
ing to try and do the Monte Rosa from
here, tomorrow, added Jeffreys. so
IL you come with US we shall be par
tie carree."
1.-The Law on Monte Rosa, and Jour
nalism and the Church on the Inter
Gabelhorn!" interrupted Barton.
But we are going with Bert, too"
added Miss Jeffreys.
"Then beauty will be on the Inter
Gabelhorn," replied Barton, rising to
make profund bow; but he quickly
sat down with more force than was
agreeable. as Jeffreys tugged his coat.
~Well. for the Grst time won't be