Evening star., 1909-05-09

would meet their enraptured gaze from the top
of the mighty rock.
But Spenser turned his back on the outer
glory. He had eyes only for Helen while
she, looking mistly at the giant rock across the
valley, it not at all, for she was peerlng
into her own soul, and found the prospect
dazzling IN its pure delight.
SO they sat down to fresh brew OF coffee:
and Spenser Mortified Helen by confession that
he had eaten nothing since the previous even
ing. Her tender solicitude for his needs, her
hasty unpacking of rolls and sandwiches, her
anxiety that he should endeavor to consume
the whole of the provisions intended tor the
days march, were all sutficing guerdon tor the
sufferings of those miserable days since the
hour Mrs. de la We're told him Helen had gone.
THOUGH he found it difficult to eat and talk
at the same time he boldly made the at
tempt
Stampa was the genius who really unraveled
the mystery he said aGertainly, managed
to discover, in the ffS instance, that you
had deposited your baggage in your own name
Had all else failed | should have converted my
self into label and stuck to your boxes till you
claimed them at Basel; but once ascertained
that YOU had not quilted St Moritz by train,
Stampa did the rest. He knows ST. Moritz
like book, and it occurred to him that you
had changed your name
Why, wonders" she broke in.
That is rather hard to say, He wrestled
valiantly with the leg of tough chicken, and
thus was able to evade the question
Poor Stampal Clinging tenaciously to the
belief that Helen bore some resemblance to his
lost daughter he remembered that when Eta
made her sorrowful journey from Zermatt she
gave another name at the little hostelry in
Maloggia where she ended her life
Anyhow. went on Spenser, having dexter
ously severed the joint. "he tracked you from
ST Moritz to the Roseg. He even hit on the
shop in which you bought your rucksack and
alpenstock. Then he put me onto the tele-
phone, and the remainder of the chase was up
to me 2"
Il am sorry now that the dear old did
not come with you," cried Helen. " look on
him as the first of my friends in Switzerland,
and shall be more than pleased to see him
again.
Il pressed him to come along; but he re-
fused don't wish to pain you. dearest; but
guess he wants to keep track of Bower
Helen, who had no inkling of the tragedy
that linked those two, blushed to her at the
recollection of her parting from the millionaire
Do you-do you know that Mr. Bower pro-
posed to me? she stammered
= He told me that. and lot more.
Did you QUARREL"
"We-said things But | couldn't treat
Bower as handled George. | was forced to
admit his good taste, you see
We'll. dear, promise me"
That l sha'n't slay him, Why. Helen, if
he is half the man take him for. he will come
to our wedding l told Mrs de la We're should
bring you back, and she agreed that there was
nothing else to be done ;"
The color ebbed and flowed on Helen's face
at an alarming rate What in the world are
YOU talking about" she asked. with a calm
severity that her f1uttering heart denied
Spenser laughed so happily that Pietro. who
understood no word of what his voyageurs were
saying. gave Bartoomeo sapient wink
WELL now" he cried " shouldn't we be the
queerest pair of zanies to go all that long way to
London to get married, when a parson and a
church. and all the needful consular offices are
right here under our noses SO to speak Why.
we have ready made honeymoon staring us in
the face, Well just skate round Switzerland
after your baggage and then drop down the
map into Italy I'll tell you the whole scheme
while we Oh we'll if you re in a real hurry
to cross the glacier, l must defer details and
talk in headlines "
For Helen, absolutely scarlet now, had risen
with tragic air and bade the guides prepare
for instant departure.
THE snow lay deep on the Roseg and roping
was essential, though Pietro undertook to
avoid any difficult crevasses He led, Spenser
followed. with Helen next. and Bartolomeo
last They reached the opposite moran in
half an hour and began to climb steadily
They had plenty of time and often stopped to
admire the magnificent vistas of the Val Roseg
and the Bernina range that were gradually un-
folding before their eyes Soon they were on a
level with the hut, the Alpine palace that had
permitted their first embrace
when we make our next trip to ST Morltz