Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1908-05-22

| ." NAV he selfish wretch, but
! wouldn't for the world have brought
you into danger. You needn't go dow
yet Let's explore a little farther. It's
easier tLan turning back. Surely you
can 20 on. Hacdcker says YOU can. III
ten minutes you'Il he al the top of The
I col"
You may as wcll tell me that I'll be
in my grave. 1t amounts To the same
thing" walled Miss Manchester. vino
was. in the sphere of happier duties
Miss Ietitia Portman and had been
iiIe princess Soycrness. Il can't look
top of the col for the view which the
| guidcboUk says Is 50 fine and then
come back 10 organize relief eXpedi-
ton. say in about half an hour or so:"
MOO" said Miss Portman: Il sup
pose | can bear it. may as well ac-
| custom myself to loneliness, as | am
obliged to spend my remaining years
on this spot. But am not at all sure
the duchess would approve
You mean Lady Mowbray. She
wouldn't mind. She knows I've Il good
head and-physically-a good heart
Besides. | shall have only myself to
look after. and one really doesn't need
4 chapcron in going to make an early
call on Il mountain view"
| dearest princess, I'm not SO sure of
that in regard TO this mountain view"
Miss Mowbray. please. you're very
subtle. But really haven't come out
| to look for the mountain view you re-
| fer to. You needn't think II. don't
know where his lair is, but it's prob
ably miles from here. and II knew l
wouldn't hunt him there That would
be IN peu trop fort. and. anyway. I'm
inclined to believe that mother Is right
about those dresses. shall have such
nice ones ut Kronburs. SO you see
you can conscientiously give me your
blessing and let me 60"
MY dear as If could have sus-
pectcd You would search for him! You
are IN Hhaetia not TO pursue, but to
give an emperor who wishes to have
certain princess for his consort
chance to fall In love with herself"
IF he will-if 1t can be SO. But
what do Helen Mowbray and Lctitia
| Manchester know about the love affairs
| Of emperors and Processes? Au re-
voir. dear friend; I'm going. BY and
by. If you have courage to lift your
eyes. you'll see ME waving u handker-
chief flag ut the rock corner up there"
Virginia took the alpenstock which she
| had laid down and began picking her
| way daintily. yet pluckily. toward the
col which she had named as her goal
There was another route to 1t. leading
| on TO the highest peak Of the Schnee
horn. only to be dared by experienced
climbers. but the way by which the
| girl and her companion had set out
from Alleheiligen nearly four hours
ago was merely fatIguing. never dan
gerous. and Virginia knew that Miss
Portman was safe and not half as
much frightened as she pretended.
They had started at s. Just as the
September sun had begun to draw the
night chill out of the keen mountain
air. and now 1t was close upon IL.
The princess was hungry
In Nordeck. the frontier town OF
Rhaetia rs You come In from Ger
many. she had bought rucksacks for
herself and Miss Portman. to be used
upon just such mountain excursions
rs this. md today the brown canvas
bags were being tested for the first
time. Each rucksack stored an ade-
quate luncheon for It's bearer. while on
top. secured by straps passed across
the shoulders. lay folded wrap to be
| used In case Of rain.
Virginia's burden grew heavy rs she
mounted. though at first It's weight had
seemed trifllng When she had waved
her handkerchief ut the turning and
passed out Of Miss Portman's sight II
occurred to her that 1t would be clever
10 tighten the rucksack and satisfy her
appetite ut the same time.
The one difficulty was that In her
present position she could not safely
unstrap the bug from her shoulders.
open 1t. take out the parcel OF luncheon
and strap 1t on again. The way was
too narrow and the rocks too slippery
to attempt such liberties. At short
distance. however, and only a little out
Of the path to the col she could see a
small green plateau. the very place for
rest But could she reach It? The
girl stood still and looked wistfully
across.
The place could be gained only by
scramble over a ledge OF formidable
rocks and climbing In g,od earnest
here and there. yet If the thing could
be done at all 1t could be done In ten
minutes. and to come back would be
comparatively easy. Virginia was
| tempted.
THE dear Letitla Will be eating her
| own lunch by this time and won't miss
me If my half hour Is long one" she
thought. And. anyway. said half
| an hour or so. That means almost any
| thing when 1t comes to an argument"
Another moment and the girl had
started. She was brave Mt first. but
| when she had gone halfway-a way
which was longer and far more diff
| ficult than she had fancied-she was
conscious Of certain sinking OF the
| heart. She even felt some QualmS Of
sympathy with the sentiments and in
tentiOns Miss Portman had expressed
and heartily wished herself back by
that good lady's side. but 1t was against
her principles to be conquered. especial
ly when being conquered meant turn
ing coward or something like 1t. and
she scrambled on obstinately. her
| cheeks burning. her heart humping
| and her lips pressed together.
What grim. remorseless giant the
| mountain was. and what mere creep
Ing fly upon its vast shoulder she! Lit
tie cared the old mountain that she
was royal princess and that the EN-
peror who ruled the land of which 1t
was part had the intention Of marry