The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1901-03-23

sturdy help, is at hand. Once snore!'
Here. herer' cried the faint voice
at the right Of the rock Il al, we'll
nigh persisted, w no is 1T that has come
to aid me? Who are the brave men
who have dared storm like this to
save a friendless man r.
ssTis /, monsieur, said the guide, as
he and Herbert lifted the giant form
| Of Col Laponte from its recumbent po-
sitionssI /, Jean Baptiste FeYre, your
faithful servant, and this brave young
monsieur, who 50 kindly gave me
his" 5sss s8# $&ts
Herbert Oliver As the helpless
man was lifted in those strong young
arms his dark eyes fell full unon his
sayior's face Herbert Cliye!"fh he re-
peated, hoarsely. 4. Y ou--you! What
avenging fate has sent you herey'
III II came to save your life," was the
quiet reply-"a life which is dear to
one who is dearer than life to me-.
"And you have periled your life for
me-for met" repeated the helpless
man, in a husky whisper. ''For me,
the sworn and eternal enemy of you
and yours?'' n 4. i
N"Of my own will I have made no
man my enemy" answered Herbert,
gravely. "What I have done for you
would have done for any fellow
creature in peril. This faithful fellow
beside me has the only claim on your
gratitude. He knew the dangers Of
the search; did not. ~ =
~ II told monsieur said the honest
= ruyE iYpr to4i o1,
his fair dealing-"I told monsieur the
risk, and he took it all. We cannot go
back this evening, but there is a hut
mile away from here, to which we can
carry Monsieur Laponte till the worst
Of the storm is passed" ~ I
ooh, see, he has tainted! Thank the
good God, we came not moment too
soon!' -
Not moment, for the powerful man
lay in their strong, brave arms passive
and helpless as child. Thus they car
ried him. painfully and perilously,
through the driving SHOWS, until the
deserted hut was reached; and through
the long, dreary hours Of the stormy
night that followed, while the winds
roared wildly through the mountain
pass, and the dull thunder of the ava
lanche resounded ominously around
them, they watched beside the couch
of straw where the dark-broWed man
lay motionless and silent-buried, so it
seemed, in heavy stupor from which
he could not awake. .~>
What he saw, what he heard, what
he thought and felt, in that seeming
trance, no mortal ever knew. Once
only he started up wildly, and, as Her
bert fancied, whispered hoarsely his
fathers name-the name Of Robert
Cliver' e. ~
BY the morning the storm was over;
the sun rose in unclouded majesty over
the snoW-clad heights, and a party Of
stout young men from the neighboring
valley came up to find the brave res
cuers, whose story had reached fitting
ears at last. -
The still unconscious patient was
borne home on a litter, and with the
bright sunlight gliding the dazzling
peaks around, and the blue of an Alp
inc sky above-with the Christmas car
OILS of the gay young mountaineers ech-
DING from the icy crags, and the sweet
peace that follows noble deed filling
his beast, Herbert found no terrors
in his second journey through the
mountain pass. 59
There seemed strange stiffness in
the little village as he reached it-a
sort of Sabbath hush in the air. Good
Dame Marguerite forgot her matronly
propriety, and fairly Rugged the re-
turning wanderer as he crossed the
threshold.
"Ah, Monsieur Give, Monsieur Give!
to think my sharp tongue should have
sent you and poor Jean BaDtiste on
such search! All, maderno: selle heard
Of it, you may be sure! Poor made
moiselle, who is nearly wild with ter
ror and grief. All, ali, forgot the let
ter monsieur was waiting for is here.
All, mon Dieu, how black and sad it
looks! And Dame Marguerite turned
the black-sealed envelope over in her
hand. II trust it has no sad news
from monsieur's home" ~
Herbert broke the seal with trem-
bling hands; then sunk, with a low
moan, into the seat behind him. His,
father was dead-the master of Give
Towers was peremptorily summoned
home! Tx