TWO MEALS.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8780, 28 April 1894, Page 3

TWO MEALS.

By Robert Barii,

The one bailding in Franzenshohe is Tery strongly built, because it ha=« to stand the fierce storms of winter in that region. It is ilSOfc above the level of the sea on the StcUio pass, the hi K hest road pass in Europe,,and which runs from Itfdv into Ihe Tyrol. Jjrcni ihe tavern ?\ Franzenshohe can be seen the snowy peak of the Ortler, the highest mountain in the Tyrol. The 'hostelry is constructed of stone and there i<? a large dining-room at the eastern end of v. In this dining room is a huge stove, buile apparently of bricks and plastered over. Ie in like a steaniboat'a tubular boiler b> t on end, and the flre kept going inside sends a genial heat out into the room that is much needed. I imagine that even if the lire went out the peculiar construction of the stove would enable it to Rive out heat for some time. The oue building at Franzenshohe is very grandly situated ; but this story does not ! <ieal with moan nor adventure, iv facr, I am .-omewhat doub.fui whether there is a atory at all to tell. lam merely goinKto relate two incidents chat happened wliiie I was siayiug at this hostelry. I have a dim idea that somewhere hereabouts is a moral, or v lesson tt> be learned, or perhaps a concealed sermon if anyone takes the trouble to hunt it out. 1 wish I had time to think about it myself and find out whether there is anything to be learned from the two incidents I a-.n going to relate. If the reader, however, searches ir» vaiu, then all I have to do is to apologise for telling so tiivialaud thin a yarn ; I only do so because of my belief in a concealed moral. A very line carriage and pair drove tip to thi! door of the tavern at Franzeii-hotie. It was not the ordinary hired carriage that could be bad at Jtorinio, or down in ihe Tyrol valley. The two men who were in side ftviduutly it. and were tr»».«-elliiifs xq style. £aca of ctieix* zTa.dJfair I

ana tnerwere both amended OV^fllH^fllT «•!! ~l .uu ..IliiiliJll y!iJ(llll!i!l(JIJ by two servants vrho came with them in the carriage. Xhey came into the diiiingroom where I sac, and spread out their hfthtt-i oafare the huge stove, complaining of *_ls*s cold. - I Ccj-cjle ie froui coiiver-

mm I'Oiii r,n v j mw, from Yicuinii )) acn

the rattier buxom 'X'yroleae girl ca.ine iv to cake rlieir order, ibe elder ot Che two men

asked: " What can we have for dinner 2" Slie replied that tiiey could tiave soup and a steals, with oreau and vegetables, ** Have you any wive 2" he asked. " Yes," she answi-reo , , " Then bring mc a wine card." " We have no wive card," she said, " but we have red and white wine. Which will you have?" "Oli, bring the white wine; that ia usually the least vile." Having warmed themselves, the two men threw off their overcoats, and presently the girl came in with soup and two flasks of white wine, placing one nt the side of each plate. The men ant down and taeted the soup. One of them made a wry face, and looked at the other. The elder man said : " This is pretty bad, ia it not 1" " Yes," assented the other, *' I don't think I can take it," with which he pushed away his plate. To console himself he poured out some of the white wine in his glass and sipped it. Judging from his expression the wine seemed to be even worse than the soup. The other now tasted his wine, and said: " This is awful." " We can get nothing better," put in his companion, " until we reach Bormio, and that, will be hours and hours yet: in fact, we have 2000 ft or more to go before we get to the tup of the pass." The other growled and tasted his soup once more, but be could not stand it and finally pushed the plate away from him and rang the bell on the table. When the girl appeared, he said: " Take this stuff away; and haven't you j any other wine? " " None," she replied, " except the red wine." " Ah, well, bring us a steak." The steak was brought and the two men tried it; they said nothing, but looked at each other mournfully. It was evident that the steak was no more to their taste than had been the wine or the soup; the meal had become too bad even for comment. One of the men crumbled his bread and ate portions of ie; the other tried to sip his wme/ but he finally relinquished the «ffort with a sigh. "We were "'foolish," he said, "not to have at least brought some wine with us." ' ,

" Yes," assented the other. At last the two men arose, put on their overcoats again and ordered the servants

to get the carriage ready as speedily as> possible. Tbb girl came and they paid their bill without grumbling any over the meal they had scarcely tasted. When the carriage was ready they got in and drove onward over the Stelvio Pass. It was an unusual thing to see a private carriage on this road, so all the hotel attendant! were put to watch it drive away.

As we all gazed at the departing carriage, we saw approaching two stalwart young men with rucksacks strapped on their backs, and alpenstocks in their hands. They were clad in mountaineering costume, and had feathers in their green hats. They boisterously greeted the hotel employees, whose attention was now turned from the departing carriage to the arriving pedestrians.

"By Georce," -said oiie of them, "they are waiting for us." . " S.iy, you fellows, have you anything to eat?" shouted the other.

The pluiup Tyrolese girl smiled and said they could have soup, a steak with bread and vegetables. " Any wine ?" queried one. " Yes, white and red wine."

** AH right; red wine will do for us."

They both unstrapped their rucksac&s and flung them on the table that stood in the stone-paved hall. The had evidently had a long walk, but did not appear to be very tired. They came into the diningroom and spread their hands before the huge atove, and then tubbed them together, congratulating themselves upon meeting a meal just when they needed it.

The young men jumped to their places at the table ; one of them, holding up his flask, said to the girl: B" We shall want something larger than this, you know."

The girl smiled and said they could have another as soon as that one was exhausted. At the first taste of the soup one of the young fellows said : "By George, iea'c this good ?"

" I have never tasted anything like it," J said the other, drawing ia a long breath aud from that moment not a word i fa £ spoken until thir plates were empty; Then the two men filled up their gl*stu>^,' clinked them together, aud drank, siw.cking their lips a« they put down their <Smptv goblets. They felt so good that they had "to cheer' and the girl coming in, with their stakes smiled at their enthusiasm.

" Ah," they both said with a long-drawn out sound of satisfaction r.h they saw the steaks, thick, juicy" and tender and covered with a browii gravy. " This is something like. Who could have any idea that one could strike so comfortable a place in such a mountainous desert, and get such a good meal as this ?' The two young men fell on their steaks aud not a word was spoken until every particle was consumed. Then filling their glasses once more they drank to each other in exuberant good nature. They lit their pipes, and drew up to the huge stove. Their opinion seemed to be that this was a very good world after all. When the comforting smoke was over they clung their rucksacks on their backs and with a boisterous cood-bye to everybody, which was cordially returned in wishes of good luck to themselves, the two youa« men departed on their way up the steep Stelvio pass.— Detroit Free Prtss.