Under the Andes

nd I shall refrain from detail. Denver I reached at last, after a week's stop-over i

to do? I think I am not a fool, but I certainly lack the training of a detective, and I felt

ve hauled him off the train at Rahway, New Jersey, if she had happened to take a fancy to the place. At the moment, I reflected,

he week I had lost. I was sure that Harry would avoid any chance of publi

ve but poorly portrayed the force of her unmatchable fascination unless you have realize

when he asked me the names of my friends for whom I was asking. I got out of it some

of weak lungs, and stayed because he liked it. I met his wife that evening for the first time; she may be introdu

s. I was congratulating Hovey on the felicity of h

"I never regretted it till last we

ed at him with

n Senora Ramal," s

lly; whereupon she began humming the air of the Chan

he Senora Ram

woman in the world

elf beautiful! Amazing! I supp

I have seen fire-balloons by the hundred, I have se

who i

best families, and that's all we know about them. The senora is an entrancing mixture of Cleopatra, Sappho, Helen of

t I knew, but I wa

d her," I suggested

t gold. Her eyes are green; her skin remarkably fair. What she may be is unknowable, but s

o doubt of the identity of Senor Ramal and his wife. I pondered over the

ed the last remaini

ng a desire to meet them-and was informed by Hovey that they had le

st scent in the world as well as the sweetest. I thanked my cousin for a pleasant evening-though he did not

rother or my cousin would have recognized him! But I immediately reflected that the tw

I ascertained the fact that the Ramals had de

tes before the dinner hour, I turned over two pages of the book, and there before

he mountain streams-I descended on the hotel clerk with questions. He was most o

ays. No, they are not now in the hotel. They left this afternoon for Manito

urn to the hotel in the morning. All I had to do was to sit down and w

ot do for you-and clothed myself in khaki, leggings, and boots. Then

top, after having been informed by a guide that "the ma

nce I came perilously near descending on the village below-well, without hesitation. It was well after midnight when I passed the

erence of the Pike's Peak donkey may imagine the vocabulary I use

m the summit when the sun's first rays shot through the thin atmosphere, creatin

forth in a vast flame of inconceivable brilliance; you can almost hear the shout of vict

en put out of tune with my task. Then I mounted the donke

on the edge of a huge boulder near the

the tumbling, gorgeous mass of clouds that seemed almost to be

oman achieve a more notable victory than hers of that morning. I watched them for sev

ling his name; and they tur

stared at me half defiantly, half curiously, moving close to Le Mire

rst swift shadow of surprise her face brightened with a smile of welco

e?" said I with a smile, crossing

rds, and when he heard their friendliness a grin overspread his fa

me here? How di

Le Mire with a veil," s

anion. "Of course," he agreed-"of co

frank enjoyment of the boy's simplic

arry, "I suppose

ix o'clock, and since ten last night I've been on top of the most

sed from Le Mire's eye

y might give it the title of inn-wher

iety and good will, evidently occasioned by my unexpected friendliness, while Le Mire sat for the most pa

n the morning; she had had no sleep, and had just finished a most fatig

oached, and I

have

pity in

he, with an a

nt them-let's see-au beur

er and uttered the

said she

the inexorable a

turned again to the surly host with a smile th

olling the "r" deliciously. "And yo

leisurely and smoked more leisurely still, and starte

e was thoroughly exhausted and Harry was anything but fresh. That is the worst of mountain climbing: the exaltation

oining them at dinner an

took great delight in everything that was said, bot

admiring glances as she sat seemingly unconscious of all but Harry and myself. That

s dancing in the salon, but we were all too tired to take advantage of it; and after listening to one or two numbers, duri

we found the dining-room quite empty. We did not enjoy it as on the morning previous; the cuisine was of the

e me the necessity of coming to an understanding with Harry, a task wh

y?" said Harry. "They have excellent hors

no resemblance to my don

ng to Harry, "this morning I would be in the way. Don't you know that your brother has a thousa

which plainly said: "If I fight you, I shall win; but I

ded corner of the magnificent grounds surrounding the hotel. During the walk we were both silent:

oing to tell me I have acted like a fool.

t," said I, glad th

, demanding to k

ize. Not exactly my style perhaps, but there are few me

and impulsive recklessness, and the rather curious mode of your departure. I feared first and

which had in it very little of amuse

d I would marry her! Well, I would. The last tim

nd

on't h

ally not thought it possible that the lad co

! I tell you sh

ve aske

begged her on my knees

he ref

itiv

fus

h th

her and bring her here. I'll find out what she wants," and sat dow

ered her a seat on the bench, which she accepted with a smi

d, "my brother tells me that you have bee

im for it," said

ecline

ned it," s

appreciate your power. On the day," I continued with slow precision-"on the day that you g

render to follow, for I had made the stake high. But as I stood looking down at her, waiting for the fl

compliment. Besides, you are so funny! Do you not know Le Mire? Am I not a princess if I desire it-tomorrow-

st do nothing unworthy of them. Set your mind at rest, Mr. Lamar; but, really, you should have known better-you who have see

sometimes none, for nature is sparing of her favorites. By pure luck she sat before me, this twe

As for our amusement, why need it end? Surely, we can forget? I see plainly I am not a St. Evremond, but neither am I a fool. My brother plea

y and with a fluttering gesture took his hand in her own and patte

American than I thought. By all means, stay-we

her. But there was a tr