The Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1903-1909, 1908-04-11


group of brown chalets clustering
round the big church, with Its dubious
oriental spire, that they caught the last
red rays Of sunset and held them fash
Ing on FURNISHED copper roof plates
and jeweling small bright window
panes long after the green valley be-
low was curtained with shadow.
One September evening two dusty
travelling carriages toiled up the steep,
winding road that led to the highest
hamlet of the Rhaetian Alps, and a
girl walking beside the foremost driv,
er minded. as he was, to save the
jaded horses) looked up to see Nile
heiligen glittering like necklet Of
gems on the brown throat OF the noun
tain. Each window was a great, sep
arate ruby set in gold the copper bulb
that crowned the church steeple was a
burning carbuncle, while above the
flashing band OF gorgeous color the
mountain reared Its head, facing west
ward, its steadfast features carved In
stone, the brow snow capped and rosy
where the sun touched 1t, blue where
the shadows lay.
The driver assured the young Eng
lish lady. whom he much admired for
her pluck as well as beauty, that she
had far better return to the carriage;
that indeed she need not have left 1t.
Her extra weight would be but as
that Of feather to the horses, which
were used to carrying far heavier loads
than that of today up the steep noun
tain road to Alleheiligen In the high"
season of July and August, when many
tourists from all countries came to rest
for a night and see the wonderful view.
He even grew voluble In his persua-
sions, but the girl still smilingy In.
sisted that she liked walking and the
brown faced fellow with the soft green
hat and curly cock feather admired
her the more for her tirmness and en-
durance.
She was plainly dressed In gray.
which did not show the dust, and,
though her skirt and short jacket were
well made and her neat little hat jaun-
ty and observation-disclosures dangerously
becoming-she was not half as grand
In appearance as some Of the ladies
who drove up with him In July and
August. Still, the man said to himself,
there was an air about her-no; he
could not describe 1t even to himself
but 1t meant distinction. And then. as
she was English, It was as pleasing as
1t was remarkable that she could speak
Rhaetlan so prettily. She had learned
1t, she said, when he respectfully ven
tured a question, because since she
was child she had taken an interest
In Rhaetlan history and literature.
And this seemed strange to him-that
80 dainty a lady should have learned
such language for pleasure, because
the people Of most countries found 1t
excessively difficult - as difficult as
Hungarian and just enough like Ger
man to make II even more difficult
perhaps. But this English girl said
she had picked 1t up easily, and the
young mans heart warmed to her
when she praised Rhaetian music and
Rhaetian poetry.
This was the last touch. This won
him wholly, and without stopping fur
Their to analyze or account for his ad-
miration the driver of the first car
riage found himself bestowing conf
dences upon his gracious companion
as they slowly tramped up the winding
road. the reins looped over his arm.
He told her of his life-how he had
not always lived down there In the
valley and driven tourists. for a living
Before he fell in love and married a
valley girl and had young family to
rear his house had been aloft In ALE
heiligen. He was born on the noun
tain side, His mother still lived in the