Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1875-01-11
FROM
AN ALPINE STORY.
CHAPTER III.

but he would roam around it in mar
row circle, pouring out his whole hearts
emotion in song or he would stand lean
ing over the railing above the hut. at
the top of the steps. for hours; silently
and patiently waiting for Veronica S ap-
pearance. watching her coming and 60
ing at her household work. All else
seemed to have slipped from his memo
~; there were no family ties, no other
bonds, affections or attractions existing
for him For Boldl the wide w,rld con.
tanned but little. miserable, tbatch-
rooted cottage on the wild brook side. in
it young. fair-haired woman with her
baby. all the rest was a desert. void.
Mingling with the mysterious rustling
of the foliage, the soft, soothing mur.
muring of the fast falling waters. Fronts
sensitive ear caught the deep, wild tones
Of passionate love, now warhling in
exulting joyfuluess now in playful mer-
riment, then suddenly falling to woe.
begone misery, to notes of despair. tones
which met a ready echo in the vibration
of her young sOrrowful heart. The pas
sionate appeal awakened corresponding
feelings, which. however. she tried to
stife, never allowing her thoughts to
dwell on them. Veronica had not known
much of love in her poor life. She scarce
ly had known herself anything but an
orphan or widow; the short span of
her married life had not stirred up any
umbering fonder feelings while it last
ed. had not left in her memory either
satisfaction. or more than the usual re-
gret at the loss of true old friend. And
now love, blessing to others, came to
her as an evil sore shapeless but dread
full danger which struck her with terror.
By the summer heat most of her house
hold work was done out of doors; could
she have said herself whether she did
not fetch water oftener than was abso-
lutely necessary Tobi. morose and
fdgety, sat before the house he had
ears as well as Frrui, and gladly would
he have answered Boldl's singing by
snatches of biting sarcasm, had he not
been afraid of Wild Boldl doing some
thing dreadful in revenge; or the Wies-
enhOfbauer getting angry and sending
him away from his post, making From
homeless.
Front never raised her eyes when she
felt Boldl's presence; but his standing
above her at the stile, his burning look,
followed her about.
One day Front was occupied in dry
ing her baby's clothes which she had
been washing snow-white in the brook.
Turned to the water, and intent on her
work. sh, had not looked up or around
for long while. Happening to turn
round for some implement, she beheld
the shadow of man thrown BY the rays
cf the sinking sun on the white-washcd
wall of her hut That was not Boidl,
shadow ; it was a much bigger and ap
parently older man. although there wa,
a great semblance In outline and att
! tude. Front instinctively felt it mus
, be the Wiesenhofbauer himself He
$ heart, terror stricken, stood still. Recov
), ering her breath after some minutes, sh,
g FASTENED in as if guilty of some fraud
and caught in the act Safe behind ne
. boltcd door she found relief in a pas
sionate burst of tears From this tim
n she did not trust herself so much out 0
# doors.
But the Wiesenhofbauer moved away
e thoughtfully shaking his head. Peopl
d had not exaggerated that was a dan
- - gerous woman, quite fit to come betwee
a a man and his quiet happiness yet min
D Cling with his feeling of resentment wer
those of admiration of the fair woman
10 and pity with the poor widow and he
;. orphan baby Boldl's idleness was in
+ great measure the cause of this new evil
= that the father understood a radica
y cure for mental disease was hard bodil
: work, and accordingly, Boldl was ser
up the heights to superntend the Gu
S ting of the trees. an office which the f;
e. ther filed himself many another year
Boldl was up on the mountains a
as day, experimenting the work, and hea
n tily joining in the same his strong arm
er and firm hands managed the pondero,
d hatchet, the hard grinding saw. Il
lighter bill-hook, with the same ski
and understanding as any other harC
b. laborer trained to the work from chill
us hood upwards. Coming home at mig
te. he looked over-tired and exhauste
~ ~ wanting rest as badly as any one mig
Il after long days hard labor. and
-er walk Of some hours home.
We Supper and prayers being over al
everybody in the house fast asleep. BOl
a tossed about on his bed feverIshly the
=: was no rest for him no other help b
in getting up again and roiselessly stei
,ok ing out at the back door. leading il
tor the wood. He must satisfy himself
lP to whether Fronts lamp was still alig
s;v sa Cloaked with the deep shadows of mig
vas he ventured to creep up close to the h