The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-05-29


tell me Tint Xavier and Marie had been
called out three times from the altar.
"At first I only ridiculed tho idea,
bat later Twas convinced that il was
only TOO tue. ''Sai''p;s's2si- $50 - y
''Do you see that blade of grass there,
sirf Whichever way the wind blows
strongest that way it blows-a picture
Of wOman's heart From that day
lost my faith in humanity.
"Oh, but 1t was fearful blow 30 mel
I thought was going to lose my mind.
Only one thing seemed plain to mo
most sec The miserable pair and aveuge
myself
'The day on which they were to be
married / was on my way home I had
asked foT no furlough- had thought OF
mono All unwittingly I had become a
deseTten
"At last was within sight of my
goal Already could hear tho church
bells ringing and shuddered at their
tones They were tho funeral knoll OF
my FOOLS happiness Oh. how Ionsed
/ for wingsl Perhaps could got there
| yet and seop this horrible thing, aud
then But no; strength failed me- My
Limbs were like lead, and only with
difficulty could I drag myself along
when ! reached the church, was
too lateL Tho bridal procession w>ns t1st
coming out. can soc them now as if 1t
had happened only yesterday. Oh, that
thundezbo(t had fallen from heaven
and transfxed them ALL But ah, mol
Tho sun up there shone brighter than
ever, tho birds sang In tho greoA linden
trees, and underneath them the villaee
musicians struck up lively waltz
ut was as if everything had oon-
sIired together to mock me. / could
bear it 10 Longer. In rage I picked
up Stone from the road and dashed to
ward Xavier. One Shrek, then another
and then nll was STILL
"You killed him?' said ], borrtfed
Killed him? A fortnight later 1
found myself imprisoned In fortress
Today, by particular favor Of the kaiser,
am again FREQ ragged ant hunter.
And Xavier? Do you sec, sir, that big
house over there? It is the finest In the
neighborhood- There my brother lives
with his vito and several children. Be-
hold tho righteous reward which heaven
metes outl Vengeance ia his, our pos
tor would tell us Can ono be surprised
That have lost my faith?''
The ant hunter pressed his hat low
upon his forehead, gruffly bode me
gpodby, then struck into the path among
tho bushes on our left which Led over q
stony hillside to an isolated farmhouse,
where he hoped, without doubt, to dis
pose of his curious wares
Lost in thought, picked my way
hn 70 he ~
whose church stoeples were reflected in
every direction ny the glowing rays of
the sun, which, i'll its setting. looked
like magnificent carbuncle
Slowly and laboriously the dark she'd
o&vs climbed from the valley up the
mountain But no sweet, refreshing
breeze announced the approach of evcul-
ing sultry, oppressive heat hung
over tho entire region, and q black cloud,
like o chariot drawn by invisible horses,
cnI1o up IN the fnrthest west as the ntl-
vance guard OF nienncing storm.
S. is one of those pretty little villages
which these high mountains hide by the
fa.ndred among their valleys. Its lar
gest building. next to the church, Is its
tavern, which offers tho friendlieet OF
hospitality. Upon its sign Is blazoncd
channels, the future ornament of the
Alps as yet, alas, mythical creaturel
AS l entered tho public room In my
comfortable negligee there upon tho CEN
ter table was already burning tho pc
trolcum lamp-an article now to be
found in every PEASANTS hut By coz
ncr table sat several peasants, with their
beer mugs before them I stepped past
them toward an open window and look
ed cut.
1t had already grown very dark, and
the whole heavens, as far as the eye
could reach, were envcloped in black
dangerous looking clouds. Every now
and then there would be bright flash
ON tho farthost horizon where the noun
tain peaks kissed the clouds, and then
would come response tn low, heavy
gTowls from unfatbomable abyssea
Scarcely 10 minutes later wild hur-
ricarc WIS i'll full blast Heavy drops
fell patterin9 upon the ground Light
ming flashes came thick and fast, and
from tho church tower pealed forth the
storm bell.
hinges, and a man, bent and dripping
with min, appeared within it Without
word he stepped in and retired
quickly to q dark corner. 1t WIS the ant
hunter
The landlady sat by tho stove and
knit Only from time to time, as IN es-
pecially binding flash would shoot
across tho heavens, would she let her
work fall In her lap and make quickly
the sign OF the cross. She had indeed
noticed the new guest but evidently