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


e i iIEe TO- Nlicbcii-cu. -
- + hi@h on The mountain
w Il. side Wee percLel the
'A-.-------.Al simple ian and the
eroc' 81 brown chalets clustering
t..l.. ,le : eLlrc. With Is bu.bous
osieat., spls-. TIA. they caught the last
~cd rays %. sLl9rt and held them fash.
IL on furnished copper roof plates
aa! Jcwcl.nE small. bright window
pancN 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 driy-
er u.iHdcd. rs lie WAS. 10 save the
j@Lrsi horses looked up 10 see Ale
hrit-en glittering ike Ii necklet of
CeL5 on the brown throat OF the noun
tail Each window was great. sep
arate ruby set In gold; the copper bulb
that crowned the church stccple was Il
burning carbuncle, while above the
flashing band Of gorgeous color the
mountain reared its mead. facing west
ward. its steadfast features carved in
stone. the brow snow capped and rosy
where the sun touched it, 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 hntfnr 70 hn
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 night and see the wonderful view.
He even grew vOluble in his persua-
sions, but the girl still smilingly 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 firmncss and en-
DURANGO
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 it even to himself
but 1t meant distinction. And then, as
she was English, 1t was rs pleasing as
1t was remarkable that she could speak
Khaetian 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 Rhaetian history and literature.
And this seemed strange to him-that
SO dainty lady should have learned
such a 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 it 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
rage found himself bestowing conf
dences upon his gracious companion
as they slowly tramped up the winding
road. the reins Hoped over hissarm.
He told her Of his life-how he had
not always lived down there In the
valley and driven tourists f0r a0living