The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-04-24


/ when she was df.ssed she crossed the roor
| and opened the lattice. A low wall hrnk
/ from her lips as she did so, for it was snow
| ing fast-fns spow, which meant that
! would probably snow for many hours Hos
/ greatly Donsdiot danger would be increase,
| by tins she dared not think. She knew to-
we'll that she hadnot a moment to lose If sh
would save lis lie. NOisiessly she shut ant
! barred the lsttice, and striking light madt
Der way to the ktchen. Then she qaickIl
put some food ard bottle OF wine 10 bas
ket, which she hstsned on her shoulders
and taking stitk in her hand, she prepared
to depart. The-Iock pointed 80 half past
nine, but Donsiio had already been two
hours en- rotts As she placed her hand or
the door she Locked up mechanically at the
picture above ie 1t was rude eolorod
print of Judas c;sting down the silver befOrs
the Elders and Pharisees. Underneath it
were engraved the simple, awful words of
the Gospel: BE found no lace of repent
ance, though b, sought it carefully and with
tears
The picture had hung there since Lisel
could remember and the words were famil-
10 I to her, too. Yet she now seemed to
know them for be first time. and shrsnk
from their terrible Significance as from a
blow % pitifd, merciful Jesus, she cried,
falling Oh her Knees before a crucifix In the
corner OF the room, have mercy on ME I
Pity mel Let ae not be too late !
Then sprinsiR up she extinPuished the
light, unbarred he door, and closing it noise-
lessly behind hir. began her walk to the
scnlern. 1t va not dark night, although
it was snowiDgfast, and she pursued her
way with the seady. unhsstinR, uuresting
step OF the TfoIese mountaineer, q step
that literally SENS to 'devour' the way over
which it passes and which brought her soon-
er than she th'0ght to the point where
CLEAN of lightfaliBR across her path show
ed her that sts was standing before the
church of SanA Maria Sssr. That solemn,
ever burning lgbt. symbol of the greatest
mystery of Christianity. is douoly solemn to
one who passts the church as she did, in the
deep stiffness of the night, when all the
world lies sstep. 1t flooded her troubled,
trembling SOB, with faith in Him who never
sIumbers or aeeps and. approaching the
yyindo-- opposi;e the altar, she fell on her
Hnees. There was the tranquil, chanesIess
interior bef0s her, the lamp burniag before
the altar, tn eTueifix, and stretching out her
hands towah it, she broke cut involuntarily
into prayer % bsrmherzigeI Jesu,' she
or'eo' aGla wild, vain girl. but pity me
Let me but had him alive, and l offer up all
my good looks that have been so vain of,
my life-all. I vow to be vain no more. Ny
lair that1 gloried in, will cut il off and
bind 1t about the crucifix if | but find him /
live
Then crossing herself, she rose and pur- (
ued her way down the mountain. Her rosa
was hanging round her neck and she took 4
of and began to tell 1t as she walked. /
ssssze - zsess-s yss hssare as -ste ,praved l
that night. hrryinR onward Witt sneuIsn
and terror liner heart. So, absorbed in her |
dread anxist she fastened on, down, down /
through, thesombre, solemn pine forests, |
past sleepis cottages were the watchdog /
would rouse imself for a moment, but hear /
ing the murhred Water uuser, or Heili- /
ge JungfrauDitt for uns. as she hurried |
past, would5 tranQuilized by those tamil- /
lar sounds, nd sleep again. Down, and I
still down, Trough Ieafless vineyards and /
groups OF bse chestnut trees at last, till /
suddenly shswoke as from q dream to hear
The green, ced Eysaek rushing at her feet,
and 10 knowthat part of her journey was
accom- plished She crossed herself and
thanked God but in another moment she
lad stepped pou the bridge, her rosary was
'gain elippiugthrou2h her fingers, her soul
'oing Up In esnest prayer as she hurried on.
And low she tad still four hours steady as
ent before be-, and still she pressed on and
p, glad for moment when a distinctly felt
Hence assured her that she had passed high
nough to be beyond the sound of the rush
1g river our srs 1Ssfs Il F1 T6S ,R5sXsr
a. a. ass11yeT which menaced her low
r. For through It all, through the cold, the 4
ast-fiying snow, the solemn. awful stiffness /
{ the night, the rising remoIse which quick
ned her flying feet and charged with pas
lonate intensity the old familiar prayers 1
Thich fell unceaSihEly from her lips through /
II this she felt she power Of the love which 1
he had never before acknowledged TO her
elf Suddenly she paused. Below her lay !
orests and the farms, and directly before /
ier the rocky heights of the Scblern. The /
now had ceased falling. and the starlight
has wonderful ttsrlight of the Tyrol-gieam-
d oh the bare stern roeEsY 90 the snow /
bat Iay dazzling white on every ledge and /
revi~s. and on ne snarp, inaccessible peaks
which reared themselves against the sky.
Shs had dobeA Nothing now remained I
'efore her but be ascent of the Pigeons |
breast, as the Awer tutting cliff OF the
'chiern is called 1t was there that DoDadio /
Foui0 ne found 4 he had not returned al. |
esoy' OUT She Kew well that in that case |
he would hApa met uTn. - ..
limb the rocks, looking carefully for any /
ign az footsteps as she did so. Rut none
appeared. Tfs5scw was fresh aud undis- |
urbed as lad fallen. Evidently no foot
rad recently passed over it but that proved
1othing except tAt Donadio was, as she al
ready knew, two hours in'sdvance OF her,
Tor the snow hsdfallen until within an hour
The work OF Climbing now became very
difficult, and abSrbed all her attention, so
tha. she started when something soft and
cold brushed AGAINST her forehead, and then
her heart stood fill with fear. From dry
branch which juAed above her head hung
bunch of artihcia' flowers with tinsel leaves
the same, she ftt sure. which DonadIo had
worn in his hat be evening before She
thrust them into llr bosom, aud then, halt
ing moment, thrsw all the power of her
lungs into long Jodeli' which rang thre'
the night like trumpet call. and was echoed
and re-echoed by tie rocky heights. No Ty
rolese ever fails answer Jodel.' and
Lisel paused and isteped long after the last
faint, vanishing edho had died awsy. Nots
sound in reply. and she advanced and then
paused again, and lifting up her voice, sent
forth another ringiiR. piercing cry Dous-
dio = And hesnlw clad heights again re-
pested in lingerfF, dying echoes, Dena
dior Then the atful silence of the night