Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-10-20

ing up and down my side, ana that I was
inten sely thirsty
Il started to rise, but couldn't, for II
gave me such pain that for a moment
Thought l would faint. So, making the
best Of bad matter, lay back again and
set my wits to work to discover where
| was.
| Il was very STR Of one thing; I was
on the ground. Have you ever lain upon
the ground for several hours with broken
legs Nor 1t isn't very pleasant. PRETTY
soon began to remember little about
my nights adventure, and then it ALI
| came back to me.
| well, was not dead surely. That was
some consolation, and SO, opening INV
| knapsack, l took out my brandy flask
After taking deep draft l felt consid.
erably revived, and next fished out of nv
bag confused mass of cold chicken rye
bread and sausages.
had Just begun my meal when heard
voice calling me from behind. Heayensl
| could never finish a meal in peacee
Are you hurt, STRIP asked somebody
| behind me.
"'Ch, no; just broken back and a rib
or two gone answered savagely. And
then curiosity got the better of me and
lookei up and saw
"a girls"
"Ohw
But you should have. seen heri Tall,
grace III, elegant, handsome, mag''-
Look here, Alburg, if you think 1 will
believe everything you tell me Won are
much mistaken. A lonely mountain. a
broken leg, all right; but the beautiful
girl Is putting it just a little strong, isn't
It'll" '0A
Don't interrupt" said the count in a
very dlgnified way. You may imagine
that was rather startled; and to tell the
truth was somewhat embarrassed at the
steady look of those beautiful'-
Leave out the adjectives."
hose gray eyes; but you should have
heard the wonderfully
IF you please, Alburgn
The softness of her voice as she kpelt
down by my side and said, Can not help
you, STRIP"
"Atp'
-" Is there any water near ut handp I
made reply, hastily putting my brandy
fash out of sight
Goa, yes and she ran away, only to
return in few moments with her pretty
i mean her hat filed with clear spring
water. She propped me up against a rock.
.
quenched my thirst bathed my head, which
was really aching terribly"
"Of course"
And then she told me how she was
going to Erlachen for the doctor, as the
man who had gone last night had not re-
turned, poor fellow, and how she had seen
me lying there and had come to my aid.
Then you come from Sena Juliaa'
ayes
1T was my turn then to tell her of thu
occurrences of the past night, and when l
had finished this and we had made a lunch
on the poor remains of my breakfast, l
felt so much recovered that was able to
hobble slowly along with the assistance of
Marsa'
"Marsa?"
That was her name, she told me-"
And how about the broken legs"
''Oh, forgot. 1t was not broken after
all, but only sprained, and though it gave
me much trouble, still Marsa helped me,
and"--
81 see"
"My leg did hurt me quite a little at
first, but with frequent rests we had gone
a good distance, when suddenly the path
made sharp bend to one side and widened
out. We were in Sena Julia.
ut was as if all life had suddenly de-
parted from the place, and my ears were on
the alert to catch any sound of JOY or note
OF welcome. None came, however. Spell
bound we stood and watched the melan-
choly aspect.
"All at once loud groans came from a
neigh boring cottage, and then curses and
shouts of delirious laughter. 1t seemed as
If bedlam, held in allegiance by the lack of
sound, had broken loose. From every
house there issued strange noises, as of
souls struggling with their death agonies,
peals of laughter and curses, till the air
was rent with the horror of the plague and
filled with the infection of the pestilence.
Never did work as / did in those few
awful days which followed. Their memory
can never efface from my mind, for even
now l often wake out of deep sleep with
perspiratio starting at every pore, endur-
ing again in fancy the suffering of those
terrible hours.
'Marsa showed great courage, and soon
developed into an ideal nurse, dreading
nothing, constantly by my side, minister
ing to the many wants of the diseased with
all the tenderness of a true woman. Shrink
ing from no danger of contagion, she never
once ia iled in consoling and giving rest.
"And then came a time which l can
never recall without trembling. for Marsa
herself was stricken at last and for. day.
her life was in the balance. Many and
many n time / despaired of her life, but
her constitution, though wasted by the
ravages of disease, finally conquered, and
/ had the pleasure Of seeing her daily grow
more strong and healthful, and not long
after we were able to leave the dismal scene
of sick ness, for help had begun to arrive
from the surrounding villages soon as
the news of the pestilence had spread
I'VE we're married here at Geneva some
days ago; and now, Annerly, comes the
reason have told you this story.
my mother, with her ridiculous no
tons o. our rank, will never forgive her
son for this mesalliance, as she would cali
it. She was earnestly looking forward to
my union with the Princess Elsa; in
fact, it has been her chief hope for many
sha lna1ys not hing of /