OVER THE MOUNTAINS
Long before five o'clock the following morning, Rico was at the
station, impatient to be off. He had slept but little during the
night, for his mind was in a whirl at the thought that he was actually
going back to Stineli. How glad he was that he might bring her to his
good friends on his return! When he found that sleep was out of the
question, he dressed, and going to the station, paced back and forth
along the narrow platform until the train came in.
When Rico selected his place in the car, he was reminded of his ride,
years ago, when he sat half-frightened in a corner of the seat, with
only his violin beside him. This time his luggage required more space
in the compartment than he himself did.
The stock dealer did not fail to join Rico at Bergamo, and they both
enjoyed the lovely daylight sail on Lake Como. The boy recognized the
place where they landed and also the inn where they took the stage. He
looked especially for the door of the stable, where the lantern had
shown him the way to the coachman on his former trip. He had not at
that time been able to see his surroundings very clearly.
The sun had set when the stage left the inn, so Rico entered the coach
with his companion. He fell asleep almost immediately and did not wake
until morning, when the sun was shining over the mountain tops. To his
great surprise and joy he found that they were going up the zigzag
road of the Maloja, so familiar to him. He could, however, see nothing
but the sharp angles in the road, until they arrived at the summit,
where they alighted for breakfast and to give the horses a rest. After
breakfast Rico looked for the place where he sat years ago, when he
was a tired and hungry little boy. He remembered distinctly how he had
watched the stage which later picked him up and took him down the
valley. Everything about him was of interest now, and he said to the
coachman, "Will it trouble you if I sit up there with you so that I
can see better?"
"Certainly not," said the man; "come up if you want to."
The passengers had already taken their places in the coach, and it was
but a moment later when they started at a lively pace down the long,
sloping grade. Rico presently saw the lake, the island with its pine
trees, and beyond, the white houses of Sils. Across the fields was
Sils-Maria. The little church showed up most distinctly at that
distance, but Rico's eyes were searching for something farther down
the hill; soon he saw, as he had hoped, the two familiar houses.
Rico's heart began to beat wildly. Where and how would he find the
little girl he had not seen for years? Suppose she should not be there
any longer? Suppose she had forgotten him? It seemed but a moment
before the stage stopped in Sils, and Rico alighted with his luggage.
Stineli had seen many hard days since Rico's disappearance. The
children had grown older, so that they were less care, but the work,
especially since the grandmother had died, had fallen more than ever
upon her. The children were wont to say, "Stineli is the oldest, so
she can do that," and the parents often said, "Stineli is young and
strong, so she can do that"; thus the willing hands were kept busy.
She sorely missed Rico and the grandmother, the only ones who had ever
regarded her comfort, but she tried hard to keep her cheerful nature
uppermost, although she often thought, "The world is not the same now
that they are gone."
On this sunny Saturday morning Stineli came out of the granary with a
bundle of straw which she intended to braid into a broom. As she
reached the path leading to Sils, she let her eyes follow along the
dry, smooth way until her glance was arrested by the appearance of a
strange young man coming in her direction. She knew from his dress
that he was not a Silsan. He came more rapidly as soon as he noticed
her and when quite close, stopped and looked at her. She glanced
inquiringly at his face and immediately recognized her long-lost
friend. Dropping her bundle, she ran to him, exclaiming: "O Rico, you
are not dead after all! How glad I am to see you! How very tall you
have grown! I would never have known you if it had not been for your
face; nobody else has a face like yours. O Rico, how glad I am that
you are here again!"
Rico was pale,--the joy seemed too great,--and he had not been able to
say one word. Stineli stood blushing in her pride of him, and waited
for him to speak.
"You have grown, too, Stineli," he said at length; "otherwise you are
the same as ever. The nearer I got to the house the more afraid I
became that you would be different, so that it would not seem the same
here."
"O Rico, if only grandmother could know!" said Stineli. "But I must
take you to the others; they will all be so astonished to see you."
When Stineli took Rico into the house the children, unaccustomed to
strangers, began to hide. The two older ones, Trudt and Sam, came in a
moment later and shyly said "Good morning" in passing. The mother
simply inquired if there was anything she could do for the stranger.
"Don't any of you know him?" inquired Stineli. "Why, mother, it is
Rico."
They were just exclaiming in surprise when the father came in to
breakfast. Rico advanced to shake hands cordially, but the man looked
at him blankly and said: "Are you a relative? There are so many I may
not know them all."
"Now father doesn't know him either!" exclaimed Stineli. "It is Rico,
papa."
"Why, Rico, to be sure," the father said, gazing at him from head to
foot. "You look prosperous, my boy; I suppose you have learned a good
trade. Let us sit down to breakfast, and then you must tell us about
yourself."
When Rico noticed that the grandmother did not come to breakfast, he
asked for her. It was the father who answered that they had buried her
beside the teacher a year ago. Rico said nothing, for the news came as
a shock to him. He had counted upon the pleasure of seeing the dear
old lady who had always shown him so much kindness.
Rico was immediately urged to tell about his wanderings and how he
happened to go away. He began his story from the night he left, but he
spoke in detail only when he told of Mrs. Menotti and of Silvio's
home. This led him easily to tell them the object of his visit to the
hills, and to beg them to let him take Stineli back with him when he
returned.
Stineli opened her eyes wide in astonishment, for she had not even
dreamed of such a possibility. How delightful it would be if she were
allowed to go with Rico to that beautiful place! The best part of it,
of course, would be to have him with her or near her again, and how
she would love Silvio for sending Rico back to her! Thoughts like
these kept surging through her brain while the father was considering
the matter.
"It would, no doubt, be a good thing for Stineli," he said. "I should
like to have her get out among people and learn their ways; but there
is no use to talk about it, for she can't be spared. We could let
Trudt go just as well as not."
"Yes," agreed the mother; "I couldn't possibly get along without
Stineli. I am willing that Trudt should go if she wants to."
"Goody! goody! I am going and I am glad," and Trudt clapped her hands
and danced about.
Stineli's face had clouded, but she made no protest, preferring to
have Rico say what was needful.
"It so happens," said Rico, calmly, "that Silvio wants Stineli and no
one else. If Trudt went down there, he would only send her away, so
that is out of the question. Mrs. Menotti told me to tell you that if
Stineli got along well with Silvio, she could send home two dollars
and a half every month. I am just as sure that Stineli will get along
with Silvio as if I had already seen them together."
Stineli's father pushed his chair away from the table and put on his
cap,--a habit of his whenever he wished to think seriously about
anything. The money was an important factor to him. How hard he had to
work to earn a dollar, and here was an opportunity to get two dollars
and a half every month without the least effort on his part! It was
not long before he hung up his cap and said: "She can go if that is
the case. I suppose one of the others can learn to do things here."
Stineli's face beamed, but the mother sighed as she realized what it
would mean to her.
In a moment the father put his cap on again. "I had forgotten," he
said, "that Stineli has not been confirmed; she will have to wait
until after that."
"But, father," exclaimed Stineli, "I was not planning to be confirmed
for two years. I can go now and come back when the two years are
over."
This plan was at last approved, and the parents consoled themselves by
thinking that they could then keep her at home if they wished.
"Just as soon as she gets back, I am going," said Trudt. They all
laughed at this, while Rico and Stineli exchanged glances and were
happy.
"Now, Stineli, I want to tell you something," said the father. "I know
that pandemonium will reign here until you two are gone, so I say the
sooner it is accomplished the better; then we can have peace and
quiet." It was accordingly decided that they should leave the
following Monday.
Rico realized how busy a day Stineli would have, so he asked Sam to
accompany him about Sils-Maria and the neighborhood. They stopped
first of all to look at the house across the way, that had at one time
sheltered Rico. He was informed that strangers lived there, that the
aunt had been gone several years, and that no one knew where she was.
Wherever Rico and Sam went that day they failed to find a single
person who recognized the "foreign-looking young man," as they called
him. On their return Rico wished to visit the grandmother's grave, but
they could not find it.
It was evening before they came back to the house, carrying with them
Rico's luggage from the station. They found Stineli at the well,
scrubbing the pails used about the barn. "I can't believe yet that I
am going, Rico," she said as they passed her.
"I can," said Rico; "but you haven't thought about it so long as I
have."
Stineli was delighted with the change in Rico. "How well and forcibly
he speaks," she thought. "He was timid and shy before he went away. He
seems to inspire confidence, and he looks wonderfully strong and
capable."
A bed was prepared for Rico in the attic. He did not unpack his lunch
until the following morning, when it provided a real feast for the
children. The figs were a novelty to them, and the abundance of good
things assured the parents that Rico was among friends in the valley.
They had no further fears about letting Stineli go with him.