Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-11-14

my own! We held our breath to explain,
| and in almost ne time at all discovered
that we were both Americans. Strange
discoveries followed-they always do.
Miss Skeletons father had been volun-
teer captain in our army, and I myself
had been within rifle shot of him when
he fell at Vicksburg.
Her mother, native of Bleiberg, took
this only daughter and returned to her
old home, stopping at the solicitation of
friends, first for months, and now it had
been for years. Then I recalled what had
been puzzling me for an hour. / had
seen the name of Shelton before some
where.
Who was pensioner 1904 but Elsie
Shelton-why had not thought of that
before2-wite of captain Shelton, killed
at Vicksburg In June, 1858. How ex-
tremely singular! We both exclaimed.
Mrs. Elsie Shelton, was soon informed,
was not remarked.
1.-The object of my journey was soon &C
| compisheu. ! might return home at
once. did not, however. Besides, Miss
Shelton insisted that I should SO on and
visit pretty Bleiberg with her mother and
herself. 1 was easily pursuaded.
Why had the consul's letters not been
| answered. l asked as we made turn
in the road. "Oh," said Miss Shelton.
mother and were both coming next
week to z, to visit relative there,
and so she proposed answering in person.
Besides she is not so poor that she cares
dreadtully whether Uncle Sam stops the
ten dollars or so month or not.'
BY noon the church steeple of Blei-
burg was in sight, and in an hour the
driver blew shrill note or so on his
horn, the villagers FASTENED to the win
dows of the houses as our four painting
ponies passed on gallop, and the little
old postmaster lifted his blue cap, and
gave us salute all round. Mrs. Shell
ton was living with friend, then ab-
sent, in a substantial two-story stone
house not far from the post.
"This is Mr.. -" said Miss Shelton,
laughing, as she presented me to her
mother, ''a real American; and, Just
think, he has come to ask if you are
married"
The good looking, embarrassed little
widow soon unraveled the nonsense with
which Miss Margot was Sc eking to over
whelm Us, and l was welcomed not only
as an American, but as one who had been
at VIcksburg.
When the dinner was over l strolled
out through one OF the lovliest situated
villages OF the Alps.
The view down the valley we had just
assembled was enchanting. Behind the
pretty town and edged by green mead
ow sloping upward, was forest of tall,
dark frs, and above this an Alp, ang-
ling up the side of steep mountain,
known to all tourists as the Rigi of the
Kernthal.
1t was only the 25th of February, but
the sun seemed as warm as in midsum-
mer- The grass, so wonderfully green,
was high enough for pasture, and
violets and daises peeped out every
where.
1t was dangerously warm, in fact"
muttered the little postmaster In the blue
cap, as handed him letter to post to
the consul at z, saying everything was
well, but couldn't possibly be back on
Saturday.
dangerously warm, because there had
not been so much snow On the mountains
in fifty years as now, and already people
began to hear of avalanches falling out
of season.
Bleiberg. however is safe enough,
thought to myself, as 1 glanced up the
sides of the old peak where, sure enough,
there were oceans of snow and Ice glis-
tening in the sunshine, But it was a
mile away, and between pretty Bleiberg
and it swept like dark veil, the forest
of tall fir trees.
Il don't like tits too warm-and
there's no telling" continued my would
be pessimist of postmaster. 81 haven t
lived in these regions nigh to fifty years
for nothing. Showing all winter. and
hot sun and daisies In February, aren t
natural. 1t means avalanches to some
body somewhere"
1 had almost forgotten that, as I left
the house of my fair entertainers, 1 was
informed that it was carnival-day in the
village, and that at three o'clock I must
be on hand to see the procession. It was
already after three, and hurried back
to be offered good place to see from, at
the upper chamber window of Miss Mar
got, where, joined by her mother, we
awaited the boys in striped trousers and
masks,and the men with music and flags.
1t was novel sight, as the long process
sion filed up the road and approached
the house where we were waiting. The
contrast of tie bright colors Of the cos
tunes and flags with the green foliage
| and the greener grass at the road-sides
the comparative silence, disturbed only
by the echeing of the notes of music from
the lofty rocks; the seeming dimlnutivc.
ness of everything the men, of the
| thread-like roads, of even the houses ano
trees, as seen under the shadow of the
towering mountains all added impress.
slveness to the thing.
There were possibly a hundred per-
sons in the procession, with score O.
boys following at the sides, and all tht
villagers looking on. Suddenly the mu
sic ceased; there. was an awful whizzins
in the air; a cry Of "Avalanche!" Java
lanchep' and an instant roaring and crack
ing, as of falling forests. In ten shor
seconds an awful flood of snow, manglet
trees, ice and stones passed the house 1ik
the swell Of mighty sea. Everythin.
shook. The procession disappeared as j
l.