The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-25

low ike a madman. All we could do was
to engage passage for the other side again
and sail as soon as possible.
confess it began to wear the aspect of
chase to me, and appealed to my taste
for hunting. Then, suppose; beauty
! such as hers, seen through strong
glass, had an effect of nearness upon me.
At all events began to take keen in
terest in the passion of my friend. When
we reached the other side all trace of the
fair fugitive was lost. All we could do
was TO travel about the continent in the
| hope of encountering her or hearing
about her party. One fine autumn MORN
ing we fingered on the heights OF d noun
| tain resort in Saxony. We leaned over
| the railing that incloses the plateau on
| the top of the mountain, and looked ad-
miringly down upon the stretch OF coun-
try beneath. Upon the river. Elbe, that
looked to our American eyes ike littie
| trout stream, we saw one OF those little
| Dutch steamers that continually paddle
up and down, and suddenly the view be-.
came intensely interesting. looked
through the glass again; yes, there she
was, without u doubt, more graceful ana
enchanting than ever, upon the deck OF
that numbering little tug, tathoms below
us! called to Phil. He bent, he look
ed, and stretching over with yearning,
unsteady movement, he lost his balance
and fell!
Felldown the sheer edge of the rock,
grasping as he went at every tuft OF lich-
en- and grass, at every shrub that rapidly
shot out of his reach. l watched him
with agonized suspense, when suddenly
his coat caught upon the jagged wall OF
the precipice, and held him suspended
over The chasm beneath. He was partly
supported by a trail ledge beneath him; 4;
and to this bit of rock was determined
to descend if in the endeavor L lost my
| life. There was no other way OF saving
Phil-none whatever; it must be done
| Immediately; and he who has risked his
life in mad encounters with savage
| beasts can surely afford to 40 SO III be.
half of the friend OF his soul. Around
me focked u crowd of sturdy Germans;
anxious to help me in every possible
way. A stout rope was brought, fasten-
ed firmly about my waist, and was low
cred, IA hand-breadth at time, by my
honest friends above. At last my foot
trembled upon the thin piece Of slate up
on which Phil rested. Grasping the rope
with one hand, disengaged his uncon.
scious form from its perllous resting
place, slipped slowly into the position he
had taken, and binding the rope about
my poor Phil, L had the JOY to see him
| finally lifted into the arms of my COM
rades above.
Loud shouts arose from the plateau,
and were echoed from the little steamer
below, from the deck of WI ch my peril
Gus undertaking had been watched with
intense interest. With difficulty sue.
ceeded in keeping my hold upon this
ledge of the precipice until the rope
came back to me, aud when l bound il
about my waist | had already expert
enced that fatal dizziness that precedes
uuconsciousness. Reaching the top,
escaped from the embraces Of my leu
tenic friends, and made my way to the
chamber in the hostelry where they had
taken Phil. A doctor was already Win
him, and declared that, although there
were no bones broken, his system had
received q nervous shock, and that he
would need careful nursing. SO l took
my place by the side OF Phil, and nursed
him in Germany as he had ministered to
me in Africa. He got well sooner than
did, but modesty compels me to say II
was not because OF better nursing. His
collar-bone and right arm were mo-
smashed, neither had he the skin tori
direct from the scalp over his eyes
which leads me to the opinion that a col
lision with a rock is less formidable thar
one with lion. Then there were bettel
ony town than in the heart of Africa
and, besides, wasn't the only nurse ht
had; a lady travelling in the vicinit.
kindly aided me. She was not alto
gether stranger to Phil-nor to me, 10
that matter.
She was very gentle and beautiful
with that winning way about her tina
reaches the heart, magne tizes it, and ell
thrals it, without the exact knowledge o
} that organ.
There was something in the sligh
pressure of her nand upon PhiPs fore
head, the floating oi her diaphanous dra
perry about his bedside, the melody O
her voice, the soft cleaning of her lunl
, inous eyes through the dimmed light Q
; the sick-ro0m, that made her presenc
consoling, healing, divine.
Then when Phil. had fallen into slum
/ ber she came to me, her fellow watcher
} and ministered to my comfort throug
| the dark watches of the night. She list
, ened with tender interest to my relatio
, of our adventures in Africa, and was es
I pecially never tired Of terrible struG
gle of mine with male lion IN the detil
| of the mountains. She declared IL wa
thrilling, grand, heroic; and, touchln
with her slender fingers the scars upo
i my face, pronounced them beautiful
I while !, alas! caught and kissed thos
!, gentle tingers, and wished that PHIL
t convalescence were not so rapid, an
a that we might forever-we three-rest t.
@ gether upon the verdure-crowned height
n '.like gods together, needless Of NAL
II kind"
il On one of those occasions was rela
r ing to her desperate encounter of oul
e in the jungle with panther, and ha
8 reached the most thrilling part OF It,; ST
:, covered her eyes with one hand, as II
shut out the terrible scene, and the oth'
It she stretched to Inc in sympathy wi
l. my relation to the combat. Absorbe
= with my story, just touched the viii
J. fingers to my lips with q caressing NOV
meut, when suddenly Phil stood be!o
q us, He was pale to ghastliness, and
n heart smote me, for l saw in his face
2 bitter hatred and reproach. He glar'
n upon me with hollow, burning eyes. b
Diana rose to her feet. Taking t
s light shawl from her shoulders, she thre
l. it about the shivering form OF In
" and gently forced him to the seat hesi
'e her.
m "You wicked boyw she said looki
"a upon him in tender aeproach, show C
,h you be 80 imprudent? We want no
ID lapses, you know, for must leave y
tomorrow. The colonel will be here.'
a "The colonelw stammered Phil; "wh
TO colonelW
,e "Why, my colonel" said Diana-"C