The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-12-29
Mingling With
The People
By REGINALD D. HAVEN

On, thought we would go to Switzer-
land We had both been in Europe
several years studying languages and
were well equipped with both French
and German. So we concluded to
tramp about, mingllng with the people,
and not give away the fact that we
were Americans. We went TO Inter
taken by train and from there laid out
pedestrian tours.
One of the first we made was 20
Grindelwald and thence up the side or
the mountain to Scheidegg. There we
got good dinner, after which we
walked up short distance to point
where we could see the glacier. 1t
was very wild and magnificent and all
that. but seeing such sights Is not
what am going to tell you about In
the afternoon we walked down the
mountain to Lauterbrunnen and short
iy before we reached that place came
up with couple of Swiss girls dressed
In the costume of the country.
1t occurred to both Billy and me that
II we could walk the rest of the way
with two pretty girls-no girl could be
homely In the Swiss costume-it would
be away ahead of trudging alone by
our own uninteresting selves. AS we
passed them / bowed very politely
took off my cap and, pointing to
mountain whose name | knew as well
as my own, asked In German-the Ian
guage mostly spoken in this part or
SwitZerland-what it was.
That's the Figer," replied one OF the
girls.
l boldly expatiated on the beauty OF
the scenery, envied those who lived
always in the Alps, and as soon as
ran out Of something to say Billy took
up the dialogue. The girls did not
seem averse to forming our acquaint-
ance, and 1t was not long before we
separated them, Billy walking beside
one, l beside the other, We both pre-
tended to be Germans OF the lower
class, though not Swiss. ] got in as
many nice things TO my girl as l could
think of, and she being to the country
born and unsophisticated | didn't hest
tate to lay 1t on thick. Every now and
again | could hear Billy, who was
walking with the other girl only a few
yards ahead of me, doing the same
thing.
the girls bid us goodby, saying that
they lived in a chalet beyond the town
We were near a refreshment house
standing beside the road, and / invit-
ed them to go up on TO the porch for
a cheese sandwich and a glass Of the
beer they drink over there. which is so
dreadfully mild that 1t wouldn't into1-
ieate a mouse. After consultation
apart from us they said they wouldn't
mind being refreshed after long
walk, and we all four went up on to
the porch, took table and called for
the beer and sandwiches.
Billy was talking glibly about our
life on the farm at home when one OF
the girls said:
You are not farmer; neither is he
You are both gentlemen"
looked at Billy, and Billy looked
at me.
How did you find that out7" l
asked.
1--WE have so many tourists about us
all the time that we could tell their
nationality no matter what disguise
they might put on. You are not Ger
man either Don't you suppose we
can tell q German from Frenchman
or an EnglishmanT
"What nationality are we" Billy
asked.
You wear French clothes, but you
are not French. You are either Eng
lish or American. I think you are
American"
"By Joye, Billy" exclaimed in the
plain American language, they're
smarter than | thought they werel
The girls We're very much tckled
that they had been able to tell our ma
tionality. They asked us to teach
them a little English. So told the
one I had walked with to pronounce
the words 81 love you" She spoke
them, II lofe you" and asked me to
translate them into German, but there
was a look in her eye that made me
suspect that she already had an idea
as to their meaning. / told her they
meant Thank you"
Meanwhile Billy was amusing him.
self by telling the girl to say kiss
me-" telling her the words meant
Good morning" Billy and l kept
looking at each other, laughing over
the fun we were having. and by and
by the girls said they must go on home.
We asked permission TO attend them,
but they declined. At parting one of
them said:
Eve, thank you for your kindness,
gentlemen. Though we are only poor
Swiss farmers daughters, we seem to
have amused you"
'"The thanks are due to you" | re-
Piled "since you have given us very
pleasant hour"
don't you think" said Billy. 'that
there was some shenanigan about
those girlsg'
''What do you mean?"
Seems TO me they know more than
we think they do"
A week later we were In the casino
ut Lucerne when | heard a woman's
voice behind me speaking with the
real American accent.
"For heavens sake, julie, where
ho,a ,nu baan all This timp2 I've