River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1911-12-14

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stood an impressive English groom.
Young Lord Believer, who was driv-
ing his own coach, scanned eagerly,
from under the brim of his smart
bowler, the persons who came crowd
ing out of the station. His eyes light
ed with pleasure as a girl appeared
in the doorway, followed by an older
lady, and two porters, carrying lug
gage and wraps. A dash of Partisan
smartness in the lines of the well-cut
travelling dress and the perfectly fit
ing boots, a more than Anglo-Saxon
srankness and independence of car
rage, announced the girl as an Amer
lean.
A driver bent down from the box
of his carriage, and, in answer to a
question from the young lady, in ele-
mentary Italian, demanded IA francs
for the drive to Amalfi.
"But 'Baedeker' says the tariff is
five or SIX" expostulated the girl. Her
Italian was fluent, if the grammar
was a little shaky Lord Believer,
from his high box-seat, heard every
word.
"Baedeker!" The Italian driver
snapped his fingers with a gesture of
contempt. Fourteen francs is the
fare"
The girl bit her lip. She thought
she was being cheated and that made
her angry.
Perhaps we had better take him
and have done with it, DEAR" suggest
ed the elder lady. 1T doesn't matter
much, you know. There are not
many carriages left. If we bargain
too long we may get none"
Mamma" exclaimed the beauty,
81 hate to be cheated"
She looked around, and catching
sight of Believers paving, glossy bays,
her pleased eyes travelled in one
glance up to the box-seat, where the
young man sat looking eagerly down
on her.
''Why, mamma" exclaimed the
girl, "if there isn't perfectly lovely
coach, and believe the man wants to
drive us!"
Its sure to be more than the cab,
dear"
"How much to drive us to Amalf?"
cried the girl.
give francs each, ladies'" was the
prompt answer in good Italian, the
language in which the coachman had
been addressed.
"Bene," came the quick reply, and
the girl signed to the porters to put
the bags and wraps inside the coach.
The groom, hiding grin, ran with
a ladder; the elder lady mounted to
a place behind the driver, the beauty
climbing to the box-seat. With
flick of the long whip the bays dashed
forward.
81 call this too glorious for words!"
The beauty's cheeks were tinged with
carmine, brought there by the ting
ling sea air that blew up the ravine;
her eyes sparkled. Aren't we in luck,
mamma, to have got seats in this
splendid coach, and with such a
driver, too? See how we'll he handles
the reins! And his profile looks as
If he were cast in bronze"
"Take care, Lesley! Are you sure
he doesn't understand you, dear?"
ooh, that's all right! Very few of
these Italian drivers know more than
two or three words of English"
Then the girl began to talk Italian
to the coachman and he answered her
In the same tongue, fluently and cour-
teously. Believer could speak Italian
nearly as we'll as his own language
and Lesley's knowledge was not deep
enough to detect his few slips. He
felt guilty, but dared not betray his
nationality, lest the ladies should in
sist on being put down at the next
village.
"WelI, mamma" cried Lesley, turn
ing in her place, we've had sp'en-
did time in Europe, haven't we?
We've seen and done such a lot of
things. But / believe like Italy best
of all. OF course, Egypt was gor-
geous and Greece was lovely"
"And England" prompted the
mother.
England was sweet. But it was
disappointing in one way. Only fancy
our not meeting one single, solitary,
real, live lord. l shall be ashamed to
go home. My country expected it OF
me- And-I failed. Such shame
we should have missed Lord Believer!
/ When brought three new dresses on
purpose, tool"
Believer started. This was a nice
scrape he had got himself into. But
| he didn't see any way out of it now
He could not suddenly exclaim. BE
hold, / am Lord Belever!" He hat
seldom been more uncomfortable
but the worst of it was that he found
himself base enough to snatch fear
fuI Joy from the situation.
81 dare say he would have beer
most uninteresting when you came tC
know him." the girls mother proceed
ed to console her.
But the Dering-Lacys said he was
awfully clever and good-looking, dom
you remember? l was so looking for