



Produced by Annie R. McGuire








[Illustration: HARPER'S YOUNG PEOPLE]

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VOL. III.--NO. 133. PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. PRICE FOUR
CENTS.

Tuesday, May 16, 1882. Copyright, 1882, by HARPER & BROTHERS. $1.50 per
Year, in Advance.

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[Illustration: PUSSY'S MUSIC LESSON.]




THE SCARLET GLOW.

BY PERCY EARL.


"I wish I could take you both with me," said Mr. Hanway, as he kissed his
children good-by, and stepped into the carriage that was to bear him up
among the mountains on a visit to an old friend; "but Fletcher here will
take good care of you, Amy, and I am sure neither of you will forget
what I've told you about keeping away from the boats."

Fletcher was ten and Amy eight, and the two, with their father, who was
a widower, were stopping at a cozy little hotel on the shores of a
lovely lake in Switzerland.

It was only on very rare occasions that Mr. Hanway permitted himself to
be separated from his children during their travels abroad, but as the
hotel where they had now been staying for nearly a week was a very
home-like one, and as he expected to be back in time for supper, he felt
that he could safely leave them to amuse themselves for a few hours.

Thus cast upon their own resources, the brother and sister read
story-books and played in-door games until dinner-time. At the table
were some American tourists just from the summit of the highest mountain
in the place, and to their lively descriptions of the views to be had
therefrom, and of the pretty nooks scattered all over it, both children
listened with eager ears, and when one of the young ladies held up a
bunch of "just the loveliest wild flowers" which she had gathered by the
road-side, Amy whispered to her brother that she really must go a little
way up that very afternoon.

"But papa isn't here to take us," objected Fletcher, who longed to go as
much as his sister, although he was old enough to understand that his
father would not like to have them leave the hotel in his absence.

"Papa didn't tell us we mustn't climb mountains--only boats," returned
Amy, cunningly. "And, besides, didn't he say you could take care of me?
and don't you think you can?" and the artful little tease looked up at
her stout young brother with a most confiding air.

Under these circumstances, what could Fletcher reply but that he was
most certainly able to protect her, and that he would do so for a little
way, a very little way, up the mountain, as they must be sure to be at
the hotel when father came back.

Greatly delighted at having gained her point, Amy ran off for her hat as
soon as dessert was over, and having stuffed a paper of candy into her
pretty little arm-basket, announced herself ready. And then the two set
out, Fletcher, with his alpenstock, leading the way up through the town,
on by the winding path through the woods, up, up, until the beautiful
lake came into view below them.

"Let's rest here a minute," proposed Fletcher. "This flat rock'll make a
nice seat; and while we eat some candy, I'll teach you the names of the
snow mountains over yonder."

So the expedition halted while the captain pointed out what he _thought_
was Mont Blanc, the king of all the peaks; the beautiful Jungfrau, with
its silver horn, and--But turning to see if Amy was looking in the right
direction, Fletcher found her eyes closed, and her head just sinking to
his shoulder.

"Poor little thing, she's tired out. I'll let her have a short nap
before we start down again." So, while Amy slept, her brother ate
chocolate drops and studied the Alps.

Now it would have been quite romantic and Babes-in-the-Woodsy if he too
had been overcome with drowsiness, thus leaving them both lying there
asleep on the mountain-side until an elf, giant, or some other rarely
seen creature, came to wake them up and conduct them to a wonderful
grotto, studded with diamonds and paved with pearls. But as this is not
a fairy tale, nothing of the sort occurred, for Amy presently woke up of
her own accord, and finding the basket empty, recollected what she had
come for, upon which the two began searching for wild flowers.

At first Fletcher rather affected to despise the occupation, but after
they had gathered a few, he found them so pretty, and it grew to be so
exciting to wonder where they