Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-08-01
The RIng Of The MQtIHlO[D.
By JOHN ]. a'BEcKET.

By JOHN ]. a'BECKET.
Copyright 1883. by American Press Asso-
ciation.]
'And l am Miss Florence But you
are going to be at the Mont Cervin
some little time, aren't you2" asked
Miss Rodney, interrupting herself.
Eyes; l shall be there week.
"Then you can get the rings made
there, perhaps, before I go. 1 don't
know, though. that you could. OF
course there's no way when reflect -
mo; there isn't. But you can give
me your address, Miss Florence, and
can send one to you"
Miss Rodney was about to correct
him in his misapprehensien as to her
name when one of the guides suggested
that 1t was time to begin the descent,
and she concluded to let 1t go. She could
tell him later, when they were at the
hotel
1t is needless to remark that the de-
scent of the redoubtable MRtterhorn
was made as safely as the climb mp had
been. No pronder American girl lived
than Florence Rodney when she reached
the Hotel Mont Cervin.
The young fellow had been very
charming. Coming down the Matter
horn is not az suited to conversational
advances as a 6 o'clock tea, but it puts
man and woman on infinitely more
Intimate and appreciative terms. A
more tired mortal than Florence Rod
ney when she got back did not, to her
mind, exist on the earth. Having done
deed which 20 few Of her sex could
emulate, she felt that she had earned
the right to be very good to herself.
This tired, healthy girl was an heiress
presumptive to $4,000 year. Why
shouldn't she be good to herself,
She took to her bed as soon as posi-
bic and fell into slumber as quickly as
If she had dropped into 1t down preci-
pice of the Matterhorn.
Without exaggeration she slept for
SO hours. She would wake only to turn
over on the delicious rest of her pillow
and the balmy delight Of cornhusk
mattress and return to sleep with graf
itude for being able to again experience
so delightful sensation.
But at last she felt rested She got
up and took cold sponge bath, as in
MIGRATING as possible, and prepared her
self for breakfast with a warm eager
ness to meet Stadley. What fresh,
eager, keen, healthy boy he wasl She
liked a young fellow who scaled the
Matterhorn in that careless, oHhand
fashion. He was a man after her heut.
Incidentally he was ford, handsome
yo,lth. Il thoss soa Baas eyes wess to
ever culver to loves expectancy, what
burning beacons they would bel But
Miss Rodney pulled herself up sharply
at such ridiculous thought. Nice way
for girl to feel toward Young man
she had only known for few hours,
and that with rope around their
waists most of the time and clinging
breathlessly to the shaky points Of the
shelly surface of the Matterhorn. Any
little shopgirl could feel that way. And
yet that is the way Miss Rodney felt.
She was an honest girl, and she wasn't
going to disguise to herself how much
she was interested in this charming
fellow. He had been SO manly and con-
siderate on the way down. And he
joined his easy, athletic ability with
such delightful grace, that perfect sim
| plicity and self possession and Thought
fulness which mark the ideal gentle
man. Still, Miss Rodney checked her
self up when she felt that enthusiasm
was getting the better Of Judgment.
She would be nothing If not her cool,
dignified self, which did not prevent
her arraying herself in her best gown,
and, brushing her hair very carefully,
Miss Rodney had a conviction that at
least she was the best looking woman
that had ever coquetted with the Mat
terhorn, and in this she was not wrong.
She did not see anything of her
comedy, ingenious companion of the
mountain. At last she inquired where
he was. To her regret, and it was real
ly keen disappointment that she felt,
she was told that Mr.. Stadley had left
the day after his return from the Mat
terhorn. He had received telegram
that had summoned him to London in
hot haste. Miss Rodney then asked for
her mail. 1t would have been SO nat.
ural for him to leave some message for
her. To her increased disgust there was
nothing for her. Well, che had climbed
the Matterhornl That was safe Moth
ing could rob her of this magnificent
vindication Of her womanly proves.
She sighed to think she was not the
first. 1t would have been no harder to
have been the pioneer than to have
stood third on the list or fourth. How
ever, the company was small enough to
make it exclusive and brilliant dis
tinction to belong to it.
Having downed the Matterhorn, Miss
Rodney felt an inclination to return
home. 1t was not pleasant to be trotting
around by herself 1t was too bad that
the young man had been telegraphed
for. He might at least have left mes.
sage Surely there was as much reason
for 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
he, strong, vigorous. courageous man,
had felt proud of achieving.
Miss Rodney headed straight for Lon.
don. She ran across the Vassar profess.
or and her small following in Paris.
"How did you find your friendf" she
asked Of Miss Rodney.
'piA 1 WAS received u! vel q /
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,
and while in that quaint trysting place
for drifting Americans met a young
man from New York. He wasan old &C.