The Argosy — page 317: what you’re looking at

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

296 “ Ghitering Gold.” “You have yesterday asked me, mein Herr, for the road to Grindelwald, nicht wahr? And to-day I have a party who there by carriage go; and they ask me to find one more to take the third seat and share cost. Shall I to them say that you go also?” Mr. Etheridge looked doubtful. He did not at all like the enforced companionship, yet remembered that seven good miles of hot, dusty road might prove a very wearisome tramp. ‘“When do they propose starting ?” he asked. “To-day—in one half hour. The carriage is making ready at present. ‘The Herr Englander will then go?” “ H’m—I don’t care if I do.” The ungracious assent was scarcely uttered before the good land- lord had bowed his acknowledgments and departed, for time was a precious commodity with him just then. Alreaay half repenting his compliance, Mr. Etheridge went to his. room to prepare for the expedition. It was then about eight o’clock in the morning, and the sun shone forth in all his glory. ‘What an idiot I was to say ‘ Yes,’” he grumbled to himself as he selected his own alpenstock from the array in the long hall-rack. “Now here I am tied for the day to a couple of beer-drinking German students, or a fat Frenchman and his dame, or, worse still, to a pair of ’Arries out for a ’oliday! Well, if they should prove very obnoxious, I can get rid of them somehow, no doubt, even if I have to pay for a carriage and walk, after all.” In the courtyard of the Hotel Robert found the “ Einspanner” and its sturdy little steed all ready for departure. Ready, too, was the old dried-up Swiss driver—but of those drawbacks to the day’s pleasure, his companions, there was as yet no sign. Just as he was beginning to cherish a hope that after all he might not be called upon to fulfil his over-hasty bargain, the ‘‘ patron” appeared at the door, ushering towards the “ Einspanner ”—neither students, nor fat couples, nor rollicking tourists, but—two radiant visions in dainty white costumes and picturesque broad-brimmed hats. It was too much! Robert Etheridge fairly gasped for breath as the trio appeared. Had he not been so miserably confused he would speedily have discovered that the enemy seemed at least as much disconcerted as he himself felt. When he did recover consciousness, the visions had retreated to the Hotel door, and a musical voice was speaking in low, rapid tones. “Tt is just Zoo absurd, Olive! How came Herr Waldstein to be so unutterably idiotic? JI asked him in my very choicest German for a lady companion, and now he declares I never mentioned the word lady at all! I believe he has done it just to spite me for speaking German to him at all—he is so ridiculously proud of his English! Now what ave we to do?” “It seems to me that there is but one thing to be done,” answered GEomicbooks.co