Free Doctor's Orders by Eleanor Farnes

money she earned by working part-time at the Morgenberg was a great help to the family. She herself loved these times. The hamlet was so very quiet, a remote cluster of chalets set in the mountains, but here so much was happening all the time. She heard the staff discussing the guests, and got glimpses of the strange world beyond the mountains. She ate delicious meals here, whose like never appeared at her home. And, the main reason for her delight, here she saw Hans.
    It was a source of never-ending amazement and wonder to Katrina that, of all the girls on the mountain, or down in the valley, or in the hotel as guests, Hans had chosen herself. She accepted it with humility, yet was also fiercely proud of it. She had known him all her life, but it was not until two years ago that she had come to work here, and he had taken any real notice of her. It had been difficult to convince herself that his interest in her was growing—even harder to convince her family, who considered Hans out of her stars; but this winter, he had called sometimes at the house and watched her working at her loom while he talked to her father; and the people on the mountains were beginning to think of them together, beginning to think that Hans would not do so badly after all, for Katrina, poor as she was, was a willing worker and had a pleasant nature. It was, however, always Katrina that they thought of as the lucky one. Any woman, they considered, would be proud to have Hans.
    So that Katrina lived for the middle of the day when Hans would come in for his meal; and then for the time when, her work finished, she would pass the farm on her way home, and stop to talk to him for a few minutes.
    Anthea, returning to Diana on the plateau, found her thoughts full of Hans. His physical strength and rugged good looks had made a great impression on her on first meeting him, but now she seemed to remember particularly his mobile laughing mouth and brown eyes that also seemed to hold a smile.
    She said to Diana:
    “Have you seen the young man who owns this hotel?”
    “I think it is owned by the family,” said Diana. “There are three or four people concerned.”
    “How do you know this?”
    “Oh, one hears things. I am interested, and Madame de Luzy, who comes here every year, knows the family well. There is Frau Steuri, title mother; her daughter Anna; a son who works away in a business of his own, and another son who stays here and runs the farm and helps to run the hotel.”
    “Called Hans,” added Anthea.
    “Yes, I believe so. Why?”
    “I met him this morning.”
    “Not until this morning? I have seen him several times, and had some interesting talks with him.”
    “You never told me.”
    “Why should I? How did I know you would be interested? You aren’t interested in most of the people here.”
    “But he’s different. Why, he’s magnificent.”
    “Yes, he’s a fine-looking man,” agreed Diana. “When have you talked to him? He doesn’t come into the public rooms of the hotel.”
    “Oh, I like to go higher up the mountain. If you go up through the fir woods, you come out on to a lovely open stretch almost at the top. There is a wonderful view of the lakes from there ...
    “But about Hans,” interrupted Anthea impatiently.
    “I’m telling you. He has cut a lot of wood, high up on the mountain, and several afternoons he has been at work getting it down to the hotel. It is quite an operation. I’ve watched him working and sometimes talked to him.”
    Anthea said no more. Diana looked at her curiously, thinking that any handsome and virile young man would attract Anthea, but Hans was so obviously not her kind that she surely would not interest herself in him. But Diana, although she knew that Anthea was bored, did not know the depths of that boredom, and the impact that Hans had made on a life so empty. Anthea let the subject drop, but she thought and planned a good deal. She sat on the balcony, apparently reading, but in reality