The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1914-07-02
Mingling With
The People
Bv REGINALD D. HAVEN


when the warm season was coming
OH, thought we would so 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. uingling with the people
and not give, away the fact that We
were Americans. We went to Inter-
laken by train and from there laid out
pedestrian tours.
One of the first we made was to
Grlndeiwald and thence up the side OF
the mountain to Schcidegg. There we
got a 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 net
what I am going to tell you about. IN
the afternoon we walked down the
mountain to Lauterbrunnen and short
" before we reached that place came
up with couple of Swiss girls dressed
In the costume of the country.
It occurred to both Billy and me that
II we could walk the rest of the way
with two pretty gir's-no girl could be
homely in the Swiss costume-it would
be away ahead Of trudging alone by
our own embarrassing selves. AS we
passed .hcm bowed very politely,
took of my cap and, pointing to a
mountain whose name knew as we'll
as my Own. asked in German-the Ian
guage mostly spoken in this part Of
Switzerland what it was.
"That's the Eigcr." replied one Of the
girls.
boldly expatiated on the beauty Of
the scenery. enyied 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-
nnce, and it 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. l got in as
many nice thugs to my girl as could
think of, and she being to the country
born and unsophisticated didn't hest
tate to lay it on thick. Every now and
again l could hear Billy. who was
walking with the other girl only few
yards ahead of me- doing the same
thing.
When we reached Lauterbrunnen
the girls bid us goodby, saying that
they lived in a chalet beyond the town.
We were near refreshment house
standing beside the road, and invit-
ed them to 60 up on to the porch for
cheese sandwich and glass Of the
beer they drink over there, which is 80
dreadfully mild that it wouldn't intox-
icate a mouse. After a consultation
apart from us they said they wouldn't
mind being refreshed after a 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
Me.on the farm at home when one of
tlfgirls said:
.',t"You are not farmer: neither is he
You are both gentlemen"
looked at Billy, and Billy looked
ut me.
"How did you find that outT'
asked.
I'VE have SO many tourists about US
al 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 German from a Frenchman
or an EsgMshman?"
"What nationality are WEI" Billy
asked.
You wear French clothes, but you
are not French You are either Eng
sjish or American. think you are
American"
by Jove. Billy" exclaimed in the
plain American language, they're
smarter than thought they were!''
The girls were very much tickled
that they had been able to tell our ma
tionality. They asked us to teach
them a little English. So told the
one had walked with to pronounce
the words Il love you" She spoke
them, 81 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"
b Meanwhile Billy was amusing him
self BY telling the girl to say Kiss
me- telling her the words meant
"Good morning" Billy and | 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 s:,il:s
We thaIt:; you FOR your kindness,
gent!cnitl,. Though we are only poor
Evils; farmers daughters, we seem to
have amused you"
.sTbe 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 girls 2"