The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1895-02-06
..,Jade objections.

ther that he had better stay where no
was
The man insisted, however-politely
enough, must admit-and so we start
cd, he looking rather wild, as if he
didn't appreciate that domestic scene,
and l feeling as if I'd willingly give
up the Simplon and everything else to
spend a day in that quiet chalet, with
that pretty girls gentle. kindly face
besming upon me. There was sadness
about the girl that won me as much as
anything else.
But we hadn't been gone more than
half an hour from the chalet when i
understood what it all meant.
By this time we were about IL. 600
feet above the Saltined stream, which
brawls from the high Alps at the bot
tom Of this fearful ravine- We were
on tho old road. Just a mule track
scratched IN the side of the perpendicu-
lar rocks only four or five feet wide and
with this alarming precipice to the
right
One of Us had to precede the other,
and it was who took the lead.
was still thinking more of the pref
ty girl than tho scenery when i felt
cruel blow on the back of my head 1t
laid me down in an instant, more than
half unconscious. Twas ro5bed-watch,
purse, passport and all except the re-
volver, which | carried on the hip.
Then the wretch tilted me over the
rock, and il seemed TO me was dead.
But Of course / WASH { dead, though
il was well on in the afternoon before
| could stir TO realize it / had caught
in one of those gnarled old fir trees
which grow out from the Simplon rocks
almost at right angles to them. My God,
what a position it it was, TO be sure! A
fearful depth of sharp mountain side
below me and the Glisshorn's precipioe
across the ravine, with the roaring
stream in the gully.
Well, gentlemen, / got out Of that
hole-I don't much care to think how
and late in the night / crawled back
10 Brieg, locking, as they told me, like
a dead man. But ] said nothing about
my adventure, for though 1 owed Ca
teTina's father something considerable
in the matter of vengeance was loath
20 do anything to cause pain to Caterina
herself You see, l knew now what
her entreaties had meant, and loved
her all the more for her tears on my be-
half
The next dsy, bruised and aching as
! was, l returned TO Sion. had plan
in nay head.
Istaid at Sion a fortnight until was
fairly fit again. Then l returned to
Brieg disguised out of all relation to
ths other fellow who was supposed 10 be
rotting in the icy cleft through whicn
the Saline runs TO the Rhone.
Another thing. had got from Gene
Va pair Of excellent handouts. You
can guess for whom.
This time / spent the night in diff
ferent hotel ! did not care 10 run the
slight .isk OF being detected in my dis
guise i might have been awkward,
you see.
and SO the following morning | set
cut agsfin as had set out before.
Now, gentlemen, you will not think
me q very soft SOFT Of coon, hope,
when / sag the nearer got to the little
village with the small white church in
the midst-the village TO which Cate
rina's fathers chalet belonged-the less
resentment felt for the old mans past
murderous attempt upon my life. l car
ried a scar OF two as the result of that
knock ana that horrible tip over the
cliff, but | was more affected by the
thought of seeing Caterina again. And,
sure enough, / soon saw her.
The man was toying with an AK upon
q pine log in front of the house / saw
his teeth gleam at me while | was yet
some little distance away. You see, ]
had made myself into q middle aged
person Of great respectability and ap-
parent wealth. German botanist or
geologist or something Of that kind.
iattered myself should prove an ire
sistible bait
And so did.
MY friend" inquired Of him be-
fore he had the chance to speak. ''is
there not a short cut TO Berisal from
here?''
Yes, SIR" he replied promptly. 81
shall take the liberty Of showing it 20
you."
/ had changed my voice as well as
MY appearance. 1t seemed to me un-
likely in the extreme that Caterina
could recognize me, and yet ere the man
could get his coat and take his stick. a
yiliainous sort of club, who should look
ont but Caterina herself
1 tell you, gentlemen, was near Civ
ing up my little plan of revenge at sight
Of her or at least of compromising it
then and there. She was the same Ca
seEiRa. with a difference-there was
more sadness in her than before. And
when she cried, Father, do not go, "
this time also il exacted all my self
control 10 help me to dissenbie.
We began orr climb. NheE wc
reached the old mule track, / declined
TO 90 first We had little wrestle in
politeness. as it appeared, but won the
day.
Ny gentleman stopped nearly at the
very spot which had seen my misadven-
ture and turned upon me, with plea
OF fatigue. 1t was just here, too, that
designed giving him his punishment.
"Yes. we viii rest" said. And
then in my natural voice. as / covered
him with revolver and held ont with
the other band the bracelets l had bought
Tor the purpose, bade him slip his
wrists into tii2 things.
/ could have enjoyed the rascal's dis
comfort1re if he had been any ones IA
theE except Caterina's. As il was, ]
had 20 keep my wits about ne. When
he had got over the first shock at the
sight Of me iand il was a genuine shock
to himJ. ne was clearly bent on trying
TO get NE over the precipice a second
time
But l did not allow him the smallest
opening on that score. | had him hand
cuf5ed and then set him to return before
me to the chalet His cloak gave him
cover for his shame in case we should
meet any other travellers.
There was some fine drama in the
scene that eBsHed when / had thus
brought him back TO his domestic hearth
Look, girln' he cried to his daugh-
ter, raising his nianacled hands when
Sse SisTe inside the house.
As Tor rgc could only add, ''It is
l, p" and hlHsiIed as spoke.
Ca5eTina seemed for q msI3eat than
deTstTgck- ! might, if / had MOI been
in love, have expected q joint attack,
in which / should assuredly have been