The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1885-04-09


noe worth double the money.
One beautiful afternoon, when high
above the mountains, he shot up a
chamois a long way down beneath
him. 1t was no easy task to reach it,
but he succeeded at last. He sat
down beside 1t. He lit his pipe. and
began to dream and build castles in
the air, or, if he did not build castles,
he imagined one sweet little chalet,
which would be all his and Hullo!
was that shout from this crevasse
far. far below? He listened. Yes,
there it was again, ringing and clear,
though, owing to the distance, no loud
er than the voice of a midget.
"Help! Helpl Coo-ee. Help! Help"
De Vaud looked over the ledge and
saw dark figure in the snow.
"IIullop ne shouted. "I'll go back
for assistance. Keep up your heart.
Wait"
And away went Frank, leaving his
gun beside the slain deer.
"Wait. indeed!" growled little Mr..
Poddlesby to himself. an haze to
wait. What fool I was to como away
without a guidel 1 shall lose a good
dinner, tool"
Little Mr.. Poddlesby hailed from
Ealing, where he had fine house and
all kinds of fine things. his uncle hav-
ing died heirless, and left him wealthy.
So Poddlesby required to he clerk no
longer in the city, He determined to
see the world!
A very vulgar, self-conceited little
fellow, I'm sorry to say, was Poddles-
by. He had had an idea even when a
poor clerk, that he was rather attract
I i've than otherwise to the fair sex, but
now that he had riches. he deemed
himself irresistible. He joined an Al
pine club, and it used to be his boast
that he never required guide.
Hence we find him at the bottom OF
the crevasse, where, had he not been
found by Frank de Vaud, he would
certainly have perished before morn.
ing. and become food for the eagles.
In three hours time Frank was
back with assistance, and Poddlesby
was safe. but more dead than alive
He was then carried to the nearest
chalet. the goat-herd's, where pretty
Johanna lived.
"1'll be as fresh as daisy to-mor,
row." said little Poddlesby as they put
him to bed. |
But he was not so. He was down
with fever, and for weeks he lay
'twiXt death and life. When at las,
he became convalescent, nothing could
exceed the kindness of Johanna's pa
rents to him, nor, indeed, of johanna
herself.
'But of course 1 shall pay them wei
for it, said Poddlesby to himself.
But was this gratitude, reader? !
trow not.
Poddlesby was somewhat surprised
when, on bidding his host and hostess
good-by, the crisp bank-note he triet
to slip into the hand of the latter was
firmly but respectfully declined.
They had only done their duty, sale
this honest couple; if they deserved
any reward at all, it would come from
Heaven.
"Well," said Poddlesby to himself
that evening, when he found himsel1
snug in his hotel, in the town down ir
the valley, ~ don't feel over-strong
I'll stop here few months and fish
and do the civil to that charming Jo-
hanna. A sweet child she really is
and can't do less after all their kind.
nesses. I'll take her everywhere ant
show her everything. She is too goot
for that lout of a Frank. Pm not
sure that won't marry her myself"
Have you ever seen tiny cloud
reader, rising over the sea, or over the
hills in mountainous land? Up anG
up and up into the blue sky, getting
bigger and wider and darker every
minute, till at length the storm breaks
and the thunder roars, and all is chaos
and destruction. Just such a little
cloud began to rise between Frank de
Vaud and Johanna on the very day
that Poddlesby commenced paying at
tentions to our innocent Swiss maiden
He brought gift of rare fruit, more
luscious than any which Johanna OF
her parents had ever eaten before. Il
must have cost golden gulders. She
couldn't offend ny refusing to accept
it.
This was the thin edge of the wedge
After this Poddlesby asked Johanna's
parents--and he asked so prettily--it
she might be his guide among the hills
now and then; he was studying bot
any, he said. Old fraud that he was
he did not know fir cone from q
hazel catkin!
have now come to the disagreea
BILE portion of my little tale. and viii
hasten over it. Poddlesby made him
self very great favorite with Johan
mas parents, and they always thought
their child safe when with him
Meanwhile the cloud grew and grew
'twixt Frank de Vaud and his be.
trothed, for he was jealous of the in
sinuating Saxon, and at last the storm
burst, and--the lovers quarreled ant
| parted.