The Argosy — page 394: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

374 Life at Gastein. aspired to anything beyond the dignity of innkeepers. All had been born in a small cottage, the chief inn until the new grand building rose by degrees, and created a sort of revolution in the place. The old cottage had been pulled down, but Straubinger, clinging with fond memory to the room in which they had first seen daylight, saved it from ruin, and built other rooms about it. To the left, perched in the distance, was the Schiller-hohe, the poet’s bust standing out, crowned with the dry laurel leaves of Italy. The doctor glanced at his work with satisfaction seeming to think it a bright idea on his part. The leaves, brought from the sunny south, he knew not why, had been adapted to the most appropriate of uses. His own villa from this point looked up in the clouds, and, perched behind the Solitude boarding-house, seemed to keep watch over it with the eyes of Argus. : i Fr, 1% 7 > 9% aI , a! J F THE DOCTOR’S HOUSE. Suddenly as we were looking at it, a small red flag appeared at one of the windows, and remained flying in the breeze: a signal for the doctor. Amongst other things he had established this telegraph, as he called it, between his house and the dampfbad, which, at opposite extremities of the village, were in view of each other. If the red flag appeared at the window of his consulting room, down posted one of his servants to ascertain what was wanted: if it appeared at the villa, up went the doctor on the same errand. | “You know,” said he pointing to the signal, “ they cannot always tell where to find me.” It was impossible not to laugh at the idea suggested. The doctor looked up in surprise. Had he spoken bad English ? “ Excellent English,” I returned. ‘But your remark brings to mind how difficult it is for any one to lay hands on you. Easier does,it-seem catch a will-o’-the-wisp.” COMICOOOKS.EO