Year: 1874

61AxANV VIII a 1ANAA1'


A Talc Of the Future.


"No, sir, T will not-I never bet
Once only in my life did ! make a
bet for a large sum, and l lost that
in such an humiliating way that ]
registered vow not 10 be bitten q
second time"


"You quite raise my curiosity.
AS there is no chance of our settling
by a friendly bet the little dispute
as to what exact species of abomin-
alton our friend the coster-monger
is hawking, you should at least let
me have the Benefit of your first and
last experience in that line."


"It is an old story, now; but if
you will light cheroot and join me
in another bottle of Forzato, shall
let you into the secret of my dislike
to betting"


The speakers were both English
men, and had met by. chance at a
little auberge in an out-of.the-way
village of the lower Engadine. Hav.
ing dined together they were hav-
ing their cigars on the yerandah,
when some tritling difference of
opinion brought on the conversation
given above.


AS soon as Madam, the hostess,
had supplied their wants, the eldest
of the two began to relate the fol-
lowing incident with an air Of vera
city SO strongly marked that his lis
tencr found it impossible to doubt
the accuracy of what he said:


"The time l speak of is some
twenty or tive-and-tw enty years ago,
when the Alpine club was still in
its glory. Things were very differ
ent then from what they are now.
The Andes Association had not yet
been formed-destined rs it was to
utterly cast in the shade its Alpine
predecessor. There was no railway
over Mont Blanc, and the idea of a
lift to the hotel on the top of Matter
horn had not yet been started; in
fact, if l remember rightly, the ho-
tel itself had not been built. l was
at that time member Of the club,
and few more enthusiastic individu-
als.could have been found among
the number Of admirers. Innumer,
able were the articles l contributed
to its Journals, giving appalling ac-
counts OF the adventures | had met
with in scaling peaks and climbing
down precipiccs, and other little
performances of that nature. I'M
mense used to be my delight and
pride at being able to inscribe the
magic letters A. C. after my name
in the visitors books IN Swiss inns.
Astonishing used to be the get up
in which l started for the most or.
dinary mountain trip-with a vari
ETY. Of ropes, and ice axes, and spec
tacles, and belts. l can speak Jest
ingly of these little vanities now
but it took a very severe and very
expensive lesson to entirely cure
me. And the way it came abou,
was this:


There was to be an annual dinner
Of the club held at the Crystal Pal
ace on a certain day in May, soor
after had taken my university de
gree. This dinner l had set my
heart on attending; but, when Tho
afternoon of the day arrived, | re
ceived letter from some country
cousins, saying that they were com
ing up 10 town that day, and beg
ging me to meet them at the train
This was pleasant; but, as there
was no help for it, l endeavored tt
calm my ruffled temper with the as
sistance of my hookah, and so fa1
succeeded that / was rot actual,
rude to my relatives while cscortins
them across town. When l haC
thus done my duty, began to con
slider what to do with myself, ant
what particular establishment
should favor with my custom fol
dinner that evening. Just as l hao
settled that important matter, who
should l meet coming around cor
ner but my friend Jack Hilyar? tn.
very man, of all others, l should
have wished to come upon at thai
moment. Jack was as good a fellow
as ever breathcd--pleasant and ligh
hearted, but with plenty Of stuff il
him for all that. And as luck woult
have it he had not dined, so we ar
ranged to have quiet little dinner
together, and a chat in the smoking
room afterwards. We had finished
the second course, and were dis
cussing the wines and desert, whcl
q stranger entered the room ant
seated himself at the table next t
me. Now, all my life l had been :
physiognomist-not, perhaps, in th'
ordinary sense of the ord, as l Dc
not assert that l can read man.
general character from his appear
ance-but this ! can tell at the frs
glance, whether a man is potential
ly my enemy or my friend. In thi.
judgment at first sight have never
yet found myself mistaken. Th'
very moment the stranger entered
the room where we sat, ] conceived
an intense dislike to him-a feeling
that that man, ii ever he were t
cross my path, would prove deter
mined and formidable foe. AT :
glance we could see that he was al
American. Ahe sharp, eagle face
the slouching gait, and, above all
the intensely tree-and-easy name:
indicated his nationality beyond til,
shadow Of a doubt. Putting three
chairs together, he stretched him
self along them, and sat starin.
calmly and persistcntly at Jack ant
myself. We were partly amused
and partly annoyed at the insolenc,
of the man; but, as we had finished
our wine, we adjourned to the smo
;. king room. Soon after the Ameri
. can followed us, and reared himsel
up against the mantle-piece, Will,
he gave out, for the benefit of al