The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-05-22
CONTINUED

slipped into view around the tree COW
cred point of land and headed straight
for our hiding place on the bank.
shall not stop here to describe the
first stage of our journey through the
narrow. rocky byroads. that ended
eventually in the broad alpine high
way south and west of Vienna. Let
1t be sufficient to say that we josted
along for twelve or fifteen miles with
out special incident, although we were
nervously anxious and apprehensive.
Our guidebOok pointed, or rather twid-
died. route from the river flats into
the hills. where we came up with the
main road about o'clock.
We were wrapped and goggled to the
verge of righteousness. 1t would have
been quite impossible to penetrate our
motor masks and armor even for one
possessed of keen and practiced eye.
The countess was heavily yelled Grea
goggles bulged beneath the green.
gauzy thing that protected her lovely
face from sun. wind and man. mo-
tor coat two or three sizes too large
envelOped her slender. graceful figure.
and gauntlets covered her hands. Even
Rosemary's tiny face was wrapped in
a silken veil of white. AS for the rest
of US, we could not have been mistak-
en- for anything on earth but American
automobilists ruthlessly inspired to see
Europe with the sole view to compar.
ing her roads with our own at home.
You would have said on seeing us that
we knew great deal about roads and
very little about home.
Colingsaft and Britton. the latter at
the wheel. sat in the front seat, while
] shared the broad cushions of the
tonneau with the countess part of the
time holding Rosemary. who was clam.
oring for food. and the rest Of the time
holding my breath in the fear that we
might slip over precipice am al.
ways nervous when not driving the
car myself
We stopped for breakfast at small
mountain inn fifteen miles from our
starting place. The countess. faint
red spot in each cheek and a curiously
bright. feverish glow In her dark. eyes.
revealed a tendency TO monopolize the
conversation, Il condition properly at
tributed to nervous excitement |
could see that she was vastly thrilled
by the experiences of the hour Her
quick. alert brain was keeping pace
with the rush of blood that stimulated
every fiber III her body to new activi
ties. She talked almost necessarily
and chiefly about matters entirely for.
eign to the enterprise In hand. The
more | see of women the less l know
about them. Why she should have
spent the whole half hour devoted to
breakfast to surprisingly innocuous
dissertation on Schopenhauer and
Nietzsche is, or was. beyond me.
How was ! to know that tears lay
rlose to the surface of those simmer.
Ing, vivacious eyes? How was | to
know that sobs took refuge behind a
simulated interest in philosophy?
We had luncheon picnic fashion half,
way to our journeys end. divergng
from the main road to find a secluded
spot where we could spread our cloth
and open our hampers without fear of
interruption or. to use more sinister
word. detection. 1t was rather a Jolly
affair. that first and last al fresco ban.
quet of ours under the spreading
branches Of mighty trees and beside
the trickling waters of a gay little
mountain brook that hurried like mad
down to the broad channel of the Dan.
ube. now many miles away. The
strain Of the first fey hours had slack.
ened. Success seemed assured. We
had encountered no difficulties. no dan.
gers in town or country. No one ap-
peared to be interested in us except
through idle curiosity: villagers and
peasants stared at us and grinned; po-
Hcemen and soldiers stood aside to let
us pass or gave directions politely
no signs of pursuit, no indications of
trouble ahead. And so we could af.
ford to be gay and confident at our
midday meal in the hills bordering the
broad highway.
We even went so far as to arrange
for jolly reunion in New York city
at no distant day! remember dis.
tinctly that we were to dine at Sher.
rvs. To me the day seemed a long
way off
suppose. being writer of fiction,
] should be able to supply at this point
In the narrative n serSs of thrilling.
perhaps hair raising, encounters with
the enemy in the form of spies. cut
throats, imperial mercenaries or what
ever came handiest to the imagina-
ter to transform this veracious history
into the most lurid of melodramas by
the introduction of the false and
bizarre. but 1t is not my purpose to do
30. ] mean to adhere strictly to the
truth and stand by the consequences.
Were inclined to sensationalism it
would be no trouble at all for me to
have Tarnowsy's agents shooting at
our tires or gasoline tank from every
crag and Granny or to have Rosemary
kidnapped by aeroplanists supplied with
drag hooks or to have the countess
lodged In u village prison. from which
] should be obliged to liberate her with
battleax and six shooter. my compen-
sation being joyous rest In hospital
with the fair Aline nursing me back to