Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-27

wrinkled. the other in what 1 con-
slider the prime Of womanhood-that
/ is to say, she must have been about
thirty. The moment the younger of
| the two caught sight Of me her face
/ lighted up, and she was about to bow
! to me when she saw that 1 did not
recognize her Then she looked away.
was puzzled. My eyesight is fairly
good, and am not old enough to for
get faces. 1 could not remember to
have seen the lady before, but no one
can be certain of anything in this
world, and 1 might have met her cas-
ually. But had our previous meeting
been casual her face would not have
likely lighted at the second meeting
Still, if the ladies were Americans the
meeting with fellow countryman in
a foreign land might have been suffl-
GENTLY pleasing to produce this result.
A few days later. having nothing
better to do, called an open cab for
a drive in the Bots de Boulogne.
On the Champs Elysees. just before
reaching the Arc de Triomphe, met
the two ladies again. riding. The mo-
ment the younger one caught sight Of
me saw embarrassment on her face
indeed. a slight blush. This time 1
noticed by the resemblance between
the two that they must be mother and
daughter.
Calling to my driver, I directed him
to turn and follow the carriage that
had just passed. keeping so far away
that we would not appear to be shad-
owing it. He did so, and l saw it
stop at a hotel in the Rue dAlger
near Rue st. Honore. / knew it for
family hotel frequented by English
and Americans.
I now had not only the lady's adj
dress, but was privileged to take up
my abode under the same roof with
her. 1 went to her hotel, engaged a
room and sent my baggage there.
Then 1 went there myself.
The morning after my arrival, after
breakfast, 1 loitered in the hallway,
waiting for the lady to go out. 1 would
have asked the landlord for her name,
but l could not describe her to him.
About 10 O'Clock she came out with
the elderly lady. The look Of surprise
on my charmer's face was reflected in
mine, only hers was genuine while
mine was feigned. l had intended to
seek an explanation, but was not en-
couraged to do so and let the oppor-
tunity go by. The ladies entered a car
rage standing at the door and were
driven away. l looked for the land
lord to point them out to him, but he
must needs be away from the office
Just when / wanted him.
Although l was watching. I saw nc
more of the lady for two days. when
being down on the g. md floor Occu
pied for Office. hallway and reading
room, saw some trunks going out anG
a little later, looking out of window
saw the two ladies get into a carriage
Somehow 1 associated the trunks an(
the ladies together and got it into m!
head that / was about to have q breal
in my romance that might never b.
> spliced. l hurried out, followed tn
carriage on foot up the Rue st. Honor,
to the Place Vendome where / hailet
an empty cab and, giving the neces
sary instructions to the cabman, wa
station. Alighting. l saw them ente
and from a distance watched them &c
into train.
This was more than had bargaine
for. | must either take the same trail
or lose my romance. The road,
knew, ran eastward, and 1 was toll
that the train about to leave woul
proceed to Dion. Bern and thence t
/ the heart of Switzerland. Since it wa
winter if my enthusiasm could b
{ chilled it would have been chilled now
But what will a man not do under eel
tain circumstances?
l bought ticket as far as Dijon an
got aboard the tram. But my ladie
did not stop there. So l bought al
other to Neuchatel, another to Der
/ and a final one to Thun. There, put
ting my head out of the window, l say
them leaving the station, q railwa
porter carrying their hand baggage.
too, left the train and saw them ge
ting into carriage. did not feel tha
it was necessary to shadow them, fc
Thun is small city. and the hotels fc
tourists are punched together near tn
end OF the lake.
We reached the town in the evening
y and the next morning went the roun
of the hotels. ] cursed my luck in NJ
having learned the ladies' names, II
in that case l need only have examine
e the register to find them. AS it was.
must Yep moving here and there a
lie the while, hoping to meet them. Abol
IL o'clock they emerged from the pril
cipal hotel. and l was disappointed
e see them get into a carriage, port
70 putting their hand baggage in wit
"a them. followed them to the railws
station and thence to Interlaken. The
took pains to shadow them to the
ft hotel.
b The distance from Thun to Int
laken being only a ride of half an hol
or so, surmised that they would stC
ID for awhile at the latter place. for
they were going to Lucerne or son
point to the south they would ha'
DC been likely to go on for a days jou
&c ney. I bought a change of linen al
made myself look as respectable
possible. Now that had got into t
e. heart of Switzerland and there was