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


chaperon in going to make an carry
call on mountain view
"Dearest princess, I'm not SO sure OF
that in regard to this mountain vie"'
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 IT, don |
know where his lair is, but it's prop
ably miles from here, andfif | knew
wouldn't hunt him there. That would
be IN peu trop fort, and. anyway III
inclined TO believe that mother is right
about those dresses shall have sucn
nice ones at Krouburg. SO you see
YOU can conscientiously give me your
blessing and let me GO"
"My dear. as if could have sus'
Dected you would search for him! You
are in Rhaetia not to pursue put 10
give an emperor who wishes to have
certain princess for his consort
chance to fall In love with herself
IF he will-if it can be so. But
what do Helen Mowbray and Letitia
Manchester know about the love affairs
of emperors and princesses? AL re
yoir. dear friend; I'm going BY and
by, If you have courage to lift your
eyes, you'll see me waving handker-
chief flag at 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 Aleheiligen 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 =, just as the
September sun had begun to draw the
night chill out of the keen mountain
air. and now it was close upon L.
The princess was hungry
In Nordeck, the frontier town of
Rhaetia as you come in from Ger
many, she had bought rucksacks for
herself and Miss Portman, to be used
upon just such mountain excursions
as this, and today the brown canvas
bags were being tested for the first
time Each rucksack stored an ade-
quate luncheon for its 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 as she
mounted, though at first its weight had
seemed trifling When she had waved
her handkerchief at the turning and
passed out of Miss Portman's sight 1t
to tighten the rucksack and satisfy her
appetite at the same time.
The one difficulty was that In her
present position she could not safely
unstrap the bag from her shoulders,
open it, take out the parcel of luncheon
and strap it on again. The way was
too narrow and the ,rocks too slippery
to attempt such liberties At a short
distance, howeyer<and only little out
of the path to the col she could see
small green plateau. the very p2'e for
a rest But could she reach it7 The
girl stood still and looked wistfu)ly
across
The place could be gained only by D
scramble over ledge of formidable
rocks and climbing in good earnest
here and there, yet if the thing could
be done at all it could be done in ten
minutes, and to come back would be
comparatively easy. Virginia was
tempted.
"The dear Letitia will be eating her
own lunch by tlfis 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 it comes to an argument"
Another moment and the girl had
d
when she had gone halfway-a way
which was longer and far more diff
ficult than she had fancied-she was
of certain sinking of the
heart. She even felt some qualms Of
with the sentiments and in
tentions Miss Portman had expressed
and heartily wished herself back by
that good lady's side, but it 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 a grim, remorseess giant the
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
Ing her. 1t would thwart that i'm /
perial intention without a qualm nor
turn a pebble if the poor little princess
toppled over its cruel shoulder and fell
In small, crushed heap without ever
having looked upon the face Of the
Rhaetian emperor.
Then there came later moment
when. like Miss Portman, whom she so
recently laughed to scon, the princess
'elt that she could neither go on nor go |