Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-12-03

the fall Of the rivers? Yes, it will be
fine today if Gsela says so.
And the tourists hope it will be fine,
for they are going to the Mer de Glace,
which is a days excursion from Cha
mount, where they are staying. Mrs.
Athelstan has not been to Switzerland
before and is delighted with all she
sees Her husband has memories of q
visit in the hygone years and hopes the
sunbrowned woman with the flashing
eyes-who insists ON guiding them
does not remember him. She does nos
appear TO recognize his features at first,
though she starts at the sound Of his
voice, and a passing paleness crosses her
handsome face. She goes on 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 the
high peaks where the rope is useful
And so she leads them on, stepping
over the furious river and climbing the
precipices by rugged path, now wind
lag amid the frs and now through the
'-r',i' It grass until they reach Montau-
.ert, 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
billows 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 little upon the bosom of the
frozen sea and showing them the assures
and crevasses where the ice glitters
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 narrow ledge of rock at the
foot of 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. ''The snow
is insecure, and sudden jarring of the
air will surely bring an avalanche upon
US. 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
mutely, fiercely, eloquent Of what fate
awaits him and his wife should word
be spoken heedlessly or foot ring in
cautiously against stone.
"Why have you brought us here,
then?" he asks in whisper. "There is
no special view" "
"No, m 'sieur, but there is special
danger. I have waited for your return
these many years. l have wished that
we might meet here, with a certain
death quivering above u.s. Can you not
guess why?"
Her voice rises recklessly an inflexion
higher. There is o flush of color upon
her brow. Her attitude is one of graft
fed revenge.
"How can I guess, Gisela?" he stam-
mers.
His faco is blanched; his eyes dilate
with dread. Ethel, his wife, glances
from her husband to the girl with terror
stricken amazement.
"What does she mean, Sydney? Ex-
plain it to me-
"She is mad, Ethelp' he returns, col
lecting himself a little. "Come, we
will go back. 1t is time"
"You will not, cries Gisela, raising
her voice until it becomes shrek.
"You will not. You will not escape my
vengeance SO easily" Long smolder-
ing resentment at her base desertion has
burst forth into the quenchless fame Of
hopeless jealousy, and she is careless
what she does-careless Of her own life.
"You made me love you," she goes
on fiercely, "that summer SO long past
now; made me give up Giotto and grieve
my parents and estrange my friends for
your sake, and now you think to live
happily with your English wife.
"You do not know that Giotto killed
himself i'll his jealous anger, that my
mother died Of broken heart, that my
father died poor because / left them to
60 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 do. Ha!
haP'
The sound Of her laughter rings
among the rocks and down the stepping
wales and in and out among the vast
snow masses piled around the crags.
There is trembling movement ON the
face of the slope of dazzling white above
an ominous, slipping, sliding sound
"Quickl Hastenr" cried Athelstan,
seizing his wife's arm. 1.-THE balance is
disturbed; the avalanche is upon u.s.
There is not a moment to be lost.
Hastenw
They hurry to the left, where the
ledge broadens out upon the plateau-to