Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-08-10

golden chain upon her.
Truly, men are splendid people, "
thought she
Now the hunter began to sing The
tree had listened many times to the
song of the finch and thrush, but she
heard now for the first time something
very different from bird songs.
"Listcn, Hans" said the girl when
the hunter paused in his song. Your
song reminds me of something. l know
people say-that III the autumn you
go secretly into the woods for game. Let
the poaching go. The forester is your
enemy. You know why, and if he
should meet you poaching in the woods,
then-heavens my Hans! if you should
be brought to mo with bullet through
your breast"
The young man bent over the girl,
who leaned carcssingly on his shoulder
and kissed her lips.
"People talk too much. Don't believe
everything they say, sweetheart" And
putting his arm around her they went
singing through the forest.
When the couple disappeared among
the trees, a man in hunter dress crept
from the bushes He carried his gun on
his back and a knife in his belt His
face was white and distorted He went
up to the beech tree and beheld tho
heart that Hans had carved He laughed
wildly and drew out his knife to destroy
the writing, then, changing his mind,
he thrust the blade again in it's sheath
Shaking his fist threateningly in the di-
rection where the couple had disap-
peared, he muttered, grinding his teeth,
eff l meet you, you pD&clcr, oaly once
on forbidden ground, you G'l have
heard the cuckoo sing for the !,,t time "
With these words he went into the
woods.
And the tree shook her head sadly
The beech tree got many Il sight Of
the faces of the children Of men in the
course of the summer-thc poor women
gathering leaves or dry bark, the berry
piclers, foresters and pilgrims. But the
most cherished amid the guests who
gathered under her lcafy roof were the
youth and brown haired maid They
made weekly visits to her, spoke of their
love, embraced each other, and day by
day the beech tree camo to love them
more.
One morning before sunrise, when
the mountains were just casting off their
gray mist caps Hans came alone. He
carried a gun on his shOEldcr and step
ped as lightly through tho nnderbrush
as if he would take his sweetheart by
surprise. This time his coming had
nothing to DO with lovely Eva--but tho
stag comes this way to drink
AT the foot Of tie trco the hunter
paused and stood as rlUtiOnless as the
beech herself. The cool morning wind
blew, and the mist disappeared in heavy
clouds, The gay birds tl:ticr and sang
about the stream. Tho underbrush rus
tied, Hans raised his gan A shot rang
out OH the clear air. Hams dropped his
gun, spr@ng cOnvulsiyely into the air
and fell to the ground. A man strobe
hastily from the thicket with smoking
gun in his left hand The beech tree
knew him we'll The huntsnan bent
over the murdered man. ''It is all over
with him, be said, and taking his gun
he vanished into the bushes
The bright sun rose and shono upon a
still form with set white face. Sorrow
fully the tree bent over and wept bitter
tears, and the little robins few up and
covered the dead face and staring eyes
with leaves and twigs. In the afternoon
some woodcuttcrs came that way and
found the body.
'Ho has been shot while poaching,
they said, and taking him gently up they
bore him to the distant valley. An old
man fingered by the tree He drew his
knife and carved il cross over the heart
that Hans had made. Then he took off
his hat and breathed a prayer. The
leaves Of the green crest rustled, for the
tree prayed, too, i'll her own way.
For many summers Oh the anniversary
of the death of the murdered man, the
maiden came to the seat, knelt down
and wept and prayed, and every time
she was paler, more fragile. One day
she did not come, and the tree murmur-
cd, "She is dead !" and so it was.
Years passed. The beech had become
q mighty tree. Her bark was covered
with brown moss. The wild vines clus-
tered about her trunk, and heart and
cross were both nearly covered A man
came one day and made third mark on
the bark, and the tree knew her time
had come. She bore the sign of Eer de-
struction-she must soon fail. Farewell,
thou green and sunny fOrcst She lad
not long to wait for the woOdmon, who
came, and with cruel axes cut into her
very life.
A gloomy, glowering man in hunters
dress, with long gray hair and beard,
directed their movements. The beech
knew him right we'll, and he appeared
to recognize the tree. He came close to
her and tearing away both moss and vine
he saw that heart and cross were safe.
Here it was, he muttered, and horror
shook his very frame. Back, Herr For
ester! Back - cried the men. "The tree
is falling!'
The warned man stepped back, but it
was too late. With dcafening crash the
beech fell to the ground and buried the
forester under her corpse Whom they
picked him up, he was dead. The beech
had crushed his head. And the men
stood i'll circle roundabout and prayed
for his soul From the German.
The Correct Thing.
She (from the newspaper)-Colorado
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