The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1900-08-18
A Siren of the Stream
Strange Experiences OF Young Dipiomatist
In the Broken.
/ SUPPOSE most of the tourists of

to-day know the HarZ mountains
intimately, and have journeyed up to
the top of the Broken. Probably
there is branch railway to take pas
sengers there from Hamburg. Prob
ably the Ilsenfels has been utilized
for a fashionable bathing establish
ment. However, when l went there
many years ago, we did things in
primitive fashion, and drove all the
way up from Hamburg. 1 was o
young diplomatist at the time, at
tached to the embassy at Berlin.
was strong and full of spirits, well
favored, and with more money at my
command than knew how to spend.
found myself one hot August morn
ing at Berlin, working away in my
shirt-sleeves, when a note was
brought to me from my chief, an
nouncing that if / cared to take a
weeks holiday was at liberty to do
$50. Berlin was wilderness, the
Thiergarten was a waste, and life
was uncomfortable except between six
ing. Nothing loath, / ordered some
traps to be put up, and wandered
away to Brunswick. A week in Au-
gust is of very little use, except to
potter about in the German country.
England was too far, and the time to
remain there too short; so / spent
two days in Brunswick, where i be-
came fred with enthusiasm about
Henry the Lion, his relies, and his
tomb.
From Brunswick drifted, as leaf
in stream, to Hamburg, where the
idea suddenly occurred to me that l
would drive up the Broken. l
chartered n conveyance and started
at ten o'clock in the morning. The
hours. The weather was perfect, the
way was solitary. The bells on the
horses harness sounded family on
the drowsy air. My driver rolled
about on his box, engaged at the time
in profound sleep, pipe in his
mouth, and a sweet-pea behind his
ear. Our way lay upward. of course,
and by the roadside delicious stream
dashed and foamed over the rocky
soil. Several times l followed my
drivers example, and slept; at last,
impatient. l descended, bidding my
kutscher hustle onward. and wait for
me mile or two further on. l
heard the heavy carriage lumber
away, il disappeared round a corner
of the road, and l and the stream
were alone.
/ walked briskly on, my hands in
my pockets, whistling. At the turn
of the road / saw something that i'm
mediately arrested my attention. a
rock, larger than the rest, stood in
the center of the stream. The water
parted away from it in two lines of
in profile toward me, was young
woman. Her head was bare, and her
hands were bare, and her naked feet
were swinging in the water, careless
ly Ticking the foam from side to
side. 1t was strange apparition to
come upon suddenly in the wilds of
the IIarz mountains. l approached
diffidently. There is a sort of free
masonry among travellers. This
strange creature nodded at me when
she discovered my presence.
"You can't think how nice it is
she said, looking me in the face, as
if she had known me all her life.
Instantly her manner set me at
my ease.
"How did you get there?" 1 asked
in the same tone.
81 took off my stockings on the
bank, and waded across" she an
swered.
l stood looking at her. a meager
strip of running water between us.
"Take off yours and come, too" she
cried; 'there is room for two on
this rock"
The utter righteousness of my posi-
ton never struck me at the time;
then, felt irresistibly prompted to
do as 1 was told, and in two moments
was sitting by her side. The full
midday sun fell on her face, but she
did not seem to mind. 1 looked at
her, and wondered at her extremely.
In appearance she was very youthful.
I should have guessed her between
20 and %. Her face was pale-of a
clear pallof; her lips were chiseled,
and of the richest carmine color. Her
eyes were cats eyes, fringed with
long, dark lashes-eyes like nothing
human, bewildering. absorbing, com
polling. i caught myself wondering
IL they shone in the dark. Her hair
peeled finely off her low, sensitive
brow. 1t was arranged in delicious
disorder, of which one could not
make out the beginning nor the end
Added to all this, her gown was OF
fine texture and delicate taste-the
gown of n woman who was fond OF
good dressing.
And this woman was sitting bare
headed, bare-footed, alone on a rock
in the midst of the Harz mountains!
"You are going to the Brocken?''
she asked, interrogatively
"Yes; are you?"
She nodded.
"Are you alone,?" asked.
EYES," she answered, quite tranquil
". "There is my carriage. and there
las man approached us from the road
--'there is my-courier."
Thara xvas m ;nAecfion-fhe very