The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1900-06-13
The Ring of
the MatterhOrn
By John j. a'Becket

was made as safely as the climb up had
hen. No pvouder American girl lived
than Florence Rodney when she reached
Tho Hotel Mont Cervin.
The young fellow had been very
charming. Coming down the Matter.
horn is not as suited to conversat tional
advances as 5 O'Clock tea. but Ii puts
. man and woman on infinitely more
intimate and appreciative terms. A
more tired mortal than Florence Rod.
ncy when she got back did not. 20 her
mind. exist on.the earth Having done
deed which 80 few Of her sex could
emulate. she felt that shs bad earned
the right to be very good to herself
This tired. healthy girl was an heiress
presumptive to $4,000 a year. Why
shouldn't she be good to herselfs
She took to her bed as soon as posi-
BILE and fell into slumber as quickly as
u she had dropped into ii down a preci-
pice Of the Matterhorn.
without exaggeration she slept for
% houra She would wake only 20 turn
over on the delicious rest Of her pillow
and the balmy delight of a cornhusk
mattress and return to sleep with graf
itude for being able to again experience
90 delightful a sensation.
But ut last size felt restedi She got
up and took ctld sponge bath. as In
vigorating as possible. and prepared her
sslf for breakfast with a warm eager
ness to meet Stadley. What q fresh.
sager. keen. healthy boy he wasl She
liked q young fellow who scaled the
3attsrhorn In that careless. offhxnd
,&aehion. He was man after her heart.
1ncidentally he was q horid. handsome
ycr*h II those cool blue eyes were to
svsf quivR TO loves expectancy. what
burning beacons they would bel But
1lio Rodney pulled herself up sharply
q such ridiculous thought. Nice way
1br girl TO feel toward young man
80 had only known for q few hours,
and that with a rope around their
waists most Of the time and clinging
hrssthlessly to the shaky points Of the
belly surface Of the Matterhorn. Any
httlo shopgirl could feel that way. And
yst that 10 the way Miss Rodney felt.
She was IN honest girl. and she wasn't {
uoiug TO disguise to herself how much
80 was interested In this charming
fellow. He had been 20 manly and con-
sadGats on the way down. And he
Joined his easy. athletic ability with
euch delightful grace. that perfect SIM
plicity and self possession and thought
1alneD which mark the ideal gentle.
nan Still Miss Rodney checked her
oof up when she felt that enthusiasm
Was getting the better of judgment.
SAe would b nothing II not her cool,
dignined self. which did not prevent
hsr arraying herself In her best gown.
md. hrushing her hair very carefully.
xgio Rodney had q conviction that at
1east she was the beat looking woman
That had ever coquettsd with the Mat
ssshorn. and In this she was not wrong.
She did not see anything Of her
comely. ingenious companion Of tho
mountain. At last she inquired where
10 wsa To her regret. and IL was real.
y keen disappointment that she felt.
che was told that Mr.. Stadley had left
the day after his return from the Mat.
terhorn He had received a telegram
that had Summoned him to London in
hot haste. Miss Rodney then asked for
her mail II would have been 90 nat.
ural for him TO leave some message for
her To her increased disgust there was
nothing for her Well. che had climbed
the 1atterhorn! That was safe Moth.
Ing could rob her Of this magnificent
vtndication Of her womanly prowess.
She sighed to think she was not the
arst. II would have been no harder to
have been the pioneer than to have
stood third on the list or fourth. How.
sver. the company was small enough 20
make u exclusive and q brilliant dis.
tinction to belong to Il.
Having downed the Matterhoru. Miss
Rodney felt an inclination to return
home Ii was not pleasant to be trotting
around ey herself Il was too bad that
the young man had been telegraphed
Tor He might at least have left q mes.
sage. Surely there was as much reason
fcr his feeling an interest In her as for
her having such warm spot for him
IN her heart She. woman. and girl
at that. had done something that even
ne. strong. vigorous. courageous man.
had felt proud Of achieving.
Miss Rodney headed straight for Lon.
don. She ran across the Vassar profess.
OF and her small following In Paris
How did you find your friendy" she
c'-ed Of Mics Rodney
oh. was received as well as
could have expected. But this friend Is
rather cold and keeps very much
apart. she answered smilingly She
certainly was not libeling the Matter.
horn.
In London she went into Lows Ex.
change to see who was registered there.
snd while IN that quaint trysting place
for drifting Americans met a young
man from New York. He was an old &C.