The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1880-04-16

the exact language he used. but so long
as keep to the main points of the his
tory it doesn't much matter, does it
In q few minutes Fritz recovered his
wits and made haste home. for he feared
his mother might be alarmed at his long
absence. She was not, however, for she
supposed that he had risen early, as he
sometimes did, aud taking a piece of
bread in his hand, had followed the goats
up the valley, breakfasting by the way.
She met him, full of wonder at a strange
thing that had happened.
"Such queer mist filled the valley
just now" she said, Il could not see
the sun at all. l feared storm was
coming, but presently it rolled away all
in a minute, and left the d:v as fine as
ever. Did you notice it? l never saw
anything like it before
Fritz let his mother wonder, and
held his peace. She would think that
he had fallen asleep and dreamed it
all. he was sure; in fact, after little,
be himself began to believe that it was
a dream.
But dream or no dream, the strange
thing was that it came true! From
that time on the climate of the I'm
lucky Valley seemed to change. Years
passed by without single drought OF
inundatiOn. When the pastures below
were parched with thirst, rain fell on
Fritz's fields, keeping them green as
emerald. All his crops succeeded
his goats and sheep gave double share
of milk, and little by little he grew
rich.
''The Lucky Valley" people now
called the once unlucky spot, while to
Fritz they gave the name of "The Fa-
vOred of the Saints" Year after year
his gains went on increasing. Grad
ually all the land in the valley became
his. except one tiny strip, there at the
upper end, which belonged to a widow,
poor as Fritz's mother was used to be.
This strip Fritz desired to buy, but the
widow refused to sell. though he Of
fered large price. She had come
there q bride, she declared, with the
myrtle-crown on her head, and there
she wished to die and be buried when
her time should come. The memory
of his own poor mother, who had died
some time before, might have made
Fritz pitiful to this lonely woman, but
his heart had grown hard with con-
tinued prosperity. and it angered him
to be opposed. So when after many
attempts she persisted in her rcsolu-
ton, he tried harsher means. The
widow had debts. These he bought UP,
and when she could not pay he brought
the pressure of the law to bear, and
turned her from her home.
1.-THE very night after he had watched
her depart, weeping and broken
hearted, as he lay on his bed, feeling at
last that the valley was all his own, the
Little White Door opened on the cliffs
far above. and out came the clouds.
"Not pink and purple now, smiling
and full of good will, but black and
Like q flock of dark vultures
they swooped at the sleeping valley.
Floods of rain fell, fierce winds tore and
raved, the river rose and burst its
bounds carrying all before it, and Fritz.
awakened by the fearful roar, had Just
time to escape from his bed and gain
the nearer hillside. when the waters
struck the chalet and bore it away in
ruins down the valley, as though it were
no more than q bubble of foam. The
crops were swept of, the flocks drowned
in the fields. Fritz chung to a tree
trunk through that fearful night, listen
ing to the hiss and rush of the flood,
and the bleatings of the drowning
sheep; and ever and anon it seemed as
# shapes, dimly seen through. the
swooped at and buffeted him,
while voices cried in his ear, Promise
breaker! Widow-spoiler! Is this the way
you keep faith with the clouds?'
"When morning dawned it revealed
} scene of ruin. Not blade of barley
in the meadows, not blade
Of grass in the fields. The labor of
years had vanished in single night.
1T served him right" said l.
"Ah. my lady," replied the old
shepherd, "God is more merciful to
sinners than we men can be. Fritz was
not wicked at heart. He saw his fault |
now in the light of his misfortune, and
vas sorry for it. Gladly would he have |
made amends, but he was poor now as
he poorest, for the waters lay over the
earth, and did not run of, as waters |
do. The fertile valley was |
Become a lake, into which points of |
and, fringed with broken and battered |
rees, pushed themselves. 1t was sad
light:
.sNews of the disaster reached the |
over valleys, and the kindly peasants
locked to help. But what could they
10 till the water receded? Nothing.
they could only say comforting words
md return to their homes, leaving Fritz
% his fate.
"He waited many days. then he
ormed bold resolution. He determ-
ned to climb the cliff once more, knock