The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1916-01-13
TheBegiinningof
a Love Story
By F. A. mitchell

the blue SkyI III SO, Wnat means thal
dotted line? The dots-indeed, the
whole llne-moves. 1t is ascending.
No, it is not cloud; it is the sum-
NIT of mountain. Those dots are
climbers tied together by rope. They
seem near the top, but that is because
they are so far from me. 1t will be
several hours before they reach it.
| came to ChamoniX to make the
ascent of Mont Blanc. But yesterday
l was slightly indisposed, and, if re-
member correctly, those in the house
in which l am lodged sent for the doc
tor, who came and said | had fever.
My window looks out on the mountain,
and long to regain my strength that
l may fulfill the purpose Of my coming.
My landlady partly opens my door
and peeps through the crack. What
means that startled expression on her
face? She withdraws hurriedly, and
| hear her calling, Come, quickW
am lying in the snow near the sum.
NIT Of the mountain. Beneath me is
the valley, beyond which Is a success
sion Of mountain peaks. How still is
everything! From year to year, from
century to century, these mountains re-
volve with the motion Of the earth, a
succession of night and day, never in
terrupted. 1t is always winter up here;
at least there Is always snow. | won
der If summer will ever come. Let the
earth once be joggled and the inclina-
ton of its axis changed-then it may
be torrid on these slopes and reptile
monsters take the place of the chamois,
A face comes between me and the
scene spread out before me. The lat
ter is cold, the former warm; the one
merciless, the other full of sympathy
A woman's eyes are looking into mine
anxiously.
Singular that | should be lying In
the cold snow with this girl looking at
me. | SILVER. and the anxiety on her
face deepens. She takes my hand but
little warmth is impaired. She lays
hers on my brow. but l gain no com
fort.
am about to speak to her to ask
what this all means when she fades
away as figures disappear in moving
pictures. Then persons move about
me, each one doing something, but the
whole to me is an endless confusion
But presently the snow under me
ceases to be cold, and now there IS
slight warmth in my back. The face
of he girl again appears before me,
like an enlarged face on a screen, shut
ting out all else. Something of its
previous anxiety Is missing. Again it
disappears, this time suddenly.
Then the sun shone down on me hot
as molten lava. | was experienced in
the heat of the sun at great heights,
shining through a thin atmosphere, but
had never known anything like this.
1t seemed as If it were burning out my
vitals. Meanwhile the scene about me
was changing. / was cold, then hot,
but l was not on the mountain. | was
nowhere. | simply felt the heat and
the cold and did not know which to
dread the more.
Now and again that sweet girlish
face fitted before me. Sometimes
could see her figure fading, not near
by, but at distance. Others came
and went, but took no notice of them.
They were like shadows to me. But
she-she was individual and always
the same Her hair and eyes were
brown, her face oval. her complexion
fair, with a touch of red in her cheeks.
Again | was lying in bed beside my
window. There were the mountain
and the dotted line where it was be-
fore, but now instead of moving up
ward it was descending. | felt an in
expressible relief from suffering and
realized that | had been very i'll and
was in a state of convalescence. My
landlady was standing at table pour.
ing a liquid from vial into glass.
She turned and, seeing rue looking at
her, put down the vial and the glass
and came to me.
what has been the matter?' ask
ed her.
An expression of relief came over
her features as she told me had been
very blinded, was still very i'll. |
must be quiet and not excite myself.
/ soon fell into slumber, all the
while conscious of q restfulness that
was delightful. How long | slept !
know not, but as soon as | awoke my
landlady brought me bowl of broth
| undertook to feed myself, but was
too weak. She gave me a few spoon
fuls of the broth, which was all !
cared for at the time.
AS grew better | felt desire to
know whether the girl who had ap-
peared to me during what now real
lied was delirium was a creature of
fancy or flesh and blood. | described
her to my landlady, and she said; "She
must be the American girl In the next
house. The tourists have all been in
terested in your case, and this young
lady came in to see you. She has been
Of great service"
"Please tell her." l replied, that
| am convalescent and ask her to come
to see me- that I may thank her for
her attention"
When the girl came | recognized her
at once as the object of my dream
or whatever 1t was. She looked at me
with hopeful expression.
"You have been In to see me before"
I said. 81 am under an obligation to
you"
mt Mt ALL" she replied. But l am
surprised that you have been conscious
of my presence You were delirlous."
"You took my hand"