Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-10-31

though she starts at the sound of his
voice, and Il passing paleness crosses her
handsome face. She goes OH before
them, chatting indefatigably all the
way.
1t is so much better for two people to
go thus, with one trusty guide, than to
loiter in parties. she says, as they are
crossing the meadows in the valley.
There is less danger of accident with
fewer travellers together, except ON tho
high peaks, where the rope is useful.
And so lls leads them on, stepping
over the furious river and climbing the
precipices by rugged path, now wind
ing amid the frs afld now through the
verdant grass until they reach Montau
vert, where you can stand ON the edge
of the plateau and look down on one
side into the frozen sea and on the other
into the vale of Chamouni.
From the surface of the sea of frozen
pillows the granite needles rise toward
the sky, void of snow or ice, bidding de-
fance alike to the lightning and the
tempests and the glacier sweeping past
their base. They are grand, impressive,
sublime, says Gisela, leading her COM
panions by the side of the ice, where
the rock and gravel are raised in a gigan-
tic furrow by the frost and the av-
alanches and the crystal ocean grinding
down its mountain bed; then, taking
them out a little upon the bosom of the
frozen sea and showing them the assures
and crcvasses where the ice glittcrs
clearer and up from the depths rolls the
thunder of the ice masses falling from
the roof of the crystal cavern at the foot
of the glacier, where at intervals, bend
ing low, you may hear the ripple of the
rills that are fastening down to join
and issue in the cold and muddy torrent
of the iceborn Arve.
Then upward again, past the violet
and gentian sprinkled verdure of the
lateral moraines and the gorgeous beds
of rhododendrons, to which the bees of
Chamouni resort for honey, past the
grassy slopes where the shepherds drive
their herds across from Montauvert
every year, Gisela leads them, talking
fast but thinking faster, until they
stand on a narrow ledge of rock at the
foot of a glittering snow slope that
overlooks the Glacier des Pelerhines
and the cascade of that name.
Speak softly here, she says, lower
ing her voice to whisper. 1.-THE snow
is insecure, and sudden jarring of the
air will surely bring al avalanche upon
us. l have heard the shepherds and the
guides caution each other against this
place, for once before snowslide swept
down here. 1t was the wind made by
its swift descent that snapped and felled
the trees yonder. ="
Athelstan gaZed down at the twisted,
broken and Frustrated trunks with
suddenly awakened fear. They are
mutcly, fiercely, eloquent of what fate
awaits him and his wife should word
be spoken heedlcssly or foot ring in
cautiously against stone.
why have you brought us here,
then?'' he asks in a whisper "There is
no special view."
NO, m'sieur, but there is special
danger. l have waited for your return
these many years. | have wished that
we might meet here, with a certain
guess why?"
Her voice rises recklcssly an inf1exion
higher. There is a flush of color upon
her brow. Her attitude is one of graft
fed revenge.
"How can guess, Gisela?'' he stam-
mers.
His face is blanchcd; his eyes dilate
with H,nol !,yhol .,
. from her husband to the girl with terror
stricken amaZement.
"What does she mean, Sydney? Ex-
plain it TO me-. ~
'She is mad, Ethcl!" he returns, col
lecting himself little. Come, we
will 80 back 1t is timc.''
"You will not, cries Gisela, raising
her voice until it becomes Shrek
''Tou will not. You will not escape my
vengeance so easily" Long smolder-
ing rcsCntMCnt at her base desertion has
burst forth into tie quenchless flame of
hopeless jealousy, and she is careless
what she does-carcless of her own life.
lyon made me love you," she goes
on ficrccly, that summer so long past
now; made me give up Giotto and grieve
my parents and cstrange my friends for
your sake, and now you think to live
happily with your English wife.
lyon do not know that Giotto killed
himself Ill his jealous anger, that my
mother died of broken heart, that my
father died poor because | left them to
90 after you-though my search was
vain. You do not hear the cry for retri-
button that rises from the ground where
they sleep. You do not, but l do. Ha!
ha!'
The sound Of her laughter rings
among the rocks and down the stepping
wales and i'll and out among the vast
snow masses piled around the crags.
Tha ere is Il trembling movement Oh the
face of the slope of dazzling white above
an ominous, slipping, sliding sound.
Quick! Hasten!' cried Athelstan,
seizing his wife's arm. 1.-THE balance is
disturbed; the avalanche is upon us.
There is not a moment to be lost.
Hasten"
They hurry to the left, where the
ledge broadens out upon the plateau--tO
the right it narrows more and more
leaving Gisela standing motionless,
hurling her derisive mirth at them.
surely they will escape. The distance
IS not far
But the great snow sheet, fiinging
rtoEes end trees and frost spray far be-
fore IT'S rhundCrous advance, is gaining
fast upon them. 1t rushes headlong, o
mass of OvCrpOWering majesty, terrible