The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-06-16

De Vaud looked over the ledge and
saw dark figure IN the snow.
"Hullol" he shouted. "I'll 90 back
for ,o ;, sss's'1nce. Keep up your heart.
And away went Fratk, leaving his
gun beside the slain deer.
swat. indeed!" growled little Mr..
P"ddlesby to himself I'll have to
wait! Whst fool was to come away
without guide! l shall lose a good
dinner, tool"
Little Mr.. Poddlesby hailed from Eal-
ing where be had fine house and all
kinds of fine things, his uncle having
d,d heirless, and left him wealthy. So
Poddlesby required to be clerk in the
city no longer. He determined to see
the world!
A very vulgar, self-conceited little feds
low, I'm sorry to say, was Poddlesby.
He bad had an idea, even when poor
clerk. that he was rather attractive than
otherwise to the fair sex, but now that
be had riches, he deemed himself ire
sistible. He joined an Alpin club, and
j. used to be his boat that he never re-
qui,ed guide.
Hence we find him at the bottom of
the crevasse, where. had he not been
found by Frank de Vaud. be would GER
tsinly have perished before morning,
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.
herds where pretty Johanna lived.
"I'll be as fresh as a daisy tomorrow"
said little Poddlesby as they put him to
bed.
But he was not so. He was down
with fever. and FIR weeks he lay 'twixt
death and life. When, at last, he be-
came convalescent, nothing could exceed
The kindness CT Johanna's parents to
him, nor, indeed, of Johanna herself.
"But, of course, / shall paw them well
for it," said PoddlesbY to himself
But was this gratitude, resder trow
not.
Poddleshv was somewhat surprised
when, on Kidding his host and hostess
good-by, tue crisp bankno,e he tried to
slip into the hand OF the la ter was firmly
but respectfully decli ,ed.
They had only done their duty, said
this honest couple. II they deserved
any reward at all, it would come from
Heaven.
"Well," said Poddlesby to himself
that evening, when be found himself
snug in his hotel, In the town down the
valley, 81 don't feel over-strons; I'll
stop here few months and fish. and do
the civil to that charming Johanna. A
sweet child she really is, and / can't do
less after all their kindnesses. Ill take
her everywhere and show her everything
She is too good for that lout OF Frank
I'm not sure that won't marry her my
seli."
Have you ever seen tiny cloud read.
er, rising over the sea or over the HIS
in a mountainous land ? Up and 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 snch little cloud began to rise be
tween Frank de V,ud and johanna on
the very day that Poddlesby commenced
paying attentions to our innocent Swiss
maiden He brought gift of rare fruit,
more luscious than any which Johanna
and her parents had ever eaten before.
1t must have cost golden gulders. She
couldn't offend by refusing to accept it
Thi. was the thin edge Of the wedge
After this, Poodlesby asked Johanna's 3
parents-and he asked 80 pretlily-if
she might be his guide among the hills
now and then; he was studying botany,
he said. Old fraud that be was, be did
not know fir.cone from hazel catkin
| have now come to the disagreeable
portion OF my little tale, and will hasten
over it. Poddlesby made himself very
great favori,e with Johanna's parents.
and they always thought their child safe
when with him. Mean while the cloud
grew and grew 'twixt Frank de Vaud
ana hrs be,rothed. for be was jealous of
the lnsinua,ing Saxon. and at last the
storm burst. and-the lovers quarreled
and parted.
Frank spent most of his time among
the mountains now. He loved that
somewhat ancient gun of his more than
ever. But Frank seldom sang. The
joy and the happiness seemed clean gone
away from his big heart forever and q
day.
He gave the little chalet, at which be
had spent so many a pleasant evening, .
very wide berth indeed. He could not
bear the sight of it He would not have
gone near it for worlds He dreaded tn
look upon Johanna, lest the old love
should return with such force that he
might be constrained to make a fool OF
himself-that was how lie pbrased it,
make fooloi himself, trample on bis
pride. and own he had been wrong and
unjust IN his jealousy.
But was be unjustf He often and
often asked himself that question. What
right had she to accept tie gifts of that
hateful Saxon7 How dared she-the
affianced bride Of Frank de Vaud-ac-
company Poddlesby 10 his wOnderings
amout the hills and on excursions with
him on the lakes2 Nay, be had been
wronged;- be never, never, never would
forgive her.
Supplemented, innocent Johanna,
sbe, and even her parents, had accepted
presents from Poddlesby. and she did
not like to seem ungratetul. What harm
could there be. she often asked herself,
in acting as guide for the poor little En-
glishman in his rambles over the hills
and in bis studies2
All! but many night, for all that,
Johanna sobbed herself to sleep
Oae autumn day, Frank, lying on h's
side on bank Of snow, upon which the
sun was beating so warmly as almost to
soften it, spied something black in
crevssse far down beneath him Pres
eu,ly be saw something move, next he
heard halo.
at is." cried Fraak: emo. it cant be