Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1885-04-17
TWICE SAVED.

Frank de Naud was climbing up q
particularly stiG part of particularly
stiff hill. Sometimes he called in the
assistance of the Alpine-stock he held
in one hand, but just as often he clam
bered on and up without it. lie was
handsome and a well-made man; any
one could see that at a single glance
though he was but a chamois.hunter
His face and hands were brOnzed with
the sun and exposure to the weather
but in his cheeks the red blood of
health mantlcd, and his dark eyes
looked ever so soft and good-natured,
and when he smiled, as occasionally he
was doing now, there was a right
merry twinkle about those same eyes,
and he showed a set of teeth as white
and even as a bats.
Why was Frank de Naud smiling?
Well, one reason was this-he was
singing and the song lie was singing
necessitated an occasional smile.
Parenthetically, let me tell you that il
spoke volumes for the strength and
vigor of his lungs, that he could sind
at all while climbing so steep hill !
But he had am bound to sav--QIk
ocner rcason for smiling, Tor Il az 8
de Vaud was going to see pretty, ,littfS
bright-eyed Johanna, the goat-herdE
daughter, and Johanna loved honest
Frank, and he knew it right well.
They were going to be married before
great many months were over, and
his chief reason for visiting her cot
tage to-night-she dwelt a long. long
way up the hill-was to press her to
"Name the day, the happy day"
as the song says. He stood at length
on the lower edge of kind Of broad
table-land A rayne ran right down
through the very centre of it, a gorge
canon, call it what you like, only 50
deep was it that you could barely see
the tips OF the giant spruces and larch-
es that grew in it.
Other trees grew sparsely here and
there all over the table land. High
up on the far-oH horizon rose the
snow-clad jagged peaks of the Alps
tinged with the carmine of the setting
sun, and the clouds and mists that en-
veloped them beneath were also tipped
with red, shading off lower down into
purple, then into gray But it wasn't
on the mountains, nor on the clouds
either, that Frank was gazing, but on
the charming little chalet still lower
down. 1t was half buried in brusby
trees and there was smoke curling w.
from it,
On went Frank de Vaud continuing
his song. He said kindly good night
to beyy of girls who were waiting
for the cows to come home, still
higher up he met the cows themselves,
and stood aside till they passed
Then he must shake hands with the
herdsman, and the herdsman laughed
and said:
a know where you are off to, Frank
Vaud, l know. We will soon all have
a dance All! l know; ha! ha! don't
deny it. We all know. Good night,
Vaud."
Well, Johanna was waiting for him,
and they met as true lovers who are
/ betrothed, and soon to be wed, usually
do meet. They did say that Johanna
was the prettiest girl in all the canton,
and think they were not far wrong.
Her dress became her so, too, and the
modest way her hair was done up, and
her sweet voice, and her deep blue
thoughtful eyes, and the blush upon
her bonny face, and and-but there.
suffice it to say, she was charming
little mountain maiden. and no one
could blame Frank bit for loving
! her.
But could she name the day, think
you? Not she.
"Oh! l don't know" she always ans
wered bashfully. "Well, then she
added on this particular evening say
in six months time"
"Ohl dearest, we don't know what
might happen before then, said fraAk'
somewhat thoughtfully.
Frank de Vaud was right.
But" he said, remember, darling,
I'll claim you to the very day Sobe
Aaady."
Frank de Vaud was out aii'eSt
every day in the mountains a 'Ty
daring hunter. hel And avery SUCCESS
tal enc TOO, Ills guni though w~'o'