The Cook County herald., 1901-03-16

sorno German toy, md gazed around
him at the placid ii gSes the modest
hamlet, the church and 81 few villas
dotting the slopes beyond, and then
af az to the White ST ining cireleSo OF the
eyerlasting hills, clad In their spotless
nantes sc eternal snow, he felt that
he had entered into one Of those quiet
| nooks where Nature bids her weary
chtld come and rest.
| THE invitation, in this case fell on a
responsive heart w Weary and way
worn, footsore and heartsick, Herbert
Give had Just returned from aimless
| Wanderings III the East. He had fol
lowed no route, being guided by no
purpose. His only idea was to escape
from curious eyes and busy tongues, to
bear the bitterness Of his sorrow alone
Ito forget, il possible, amid strange
scenes and distant climes, the folly of
his love, the madness of his pursuit
and the agony Of his loss.
But the spell was upon him still.
Spite of every effort to put this bealti-
full, my ysterio from his mind, Sybil
reigned still in his heart Its sovereign
mistress, its crowned queen. He had
sworn to himself never again to seek
her. He had resolved to pluck from
his breast the mad hope that, like some
sweet yet poisoned flower, was blight
ing all the energy Of his life. He had
determined, once for all to turn his
back upon the dead past ana leave it.,
buried in oblivion forever--to face the
future bravelys and manfully, and live
out his life as nobly as he could, dreary
and loveless though it should be.
And it was in pursuance of this res.
olution that had come to him that he
was going home, after. months Of pur-
poseless wandering, that, seemed as
he looked back upon them, like 8the
phases of a feverish dream. He was
going home-the home he had almost
learned to think Of as an unreal vision
of the past-the home where all his du-
ty and his life-work lay. az asas ss
But he knew nothing Of the dark
cloud that lowered on Give Towers.
It had been months since tidings from
America had reached him, and heSfelt
as il there were no need of haste. n He
could yield to the Whim Of the moment
that prompted him to enterainto this
quiet valley and rest-rest, before he
had turned his back upon the dream
land of hope forever-rest before he
climbed the cold, dreary heights of a
future that seemed typifed by the
snoW-c1ad peaks that lifted their bar
ren SUBMITS inehis path. IS
The little inn was a very model of
tidiness and comfort; the hostess was
brisk and loquacious; and as Herbert
trifed over the bountiful repast she
set before him, he was soon made ac-
quainted with all the points of inter-
est in the neighborhood Of st. Goth
ard, for the little hamlet took it's name
from the celebrated pass that was near
by. ~"
Monsieur was Americana All, many
very many Americans had stopped
there the past year!.- One, tWo-ah, as
many as thrae! Perhaps monsieur was
a friend of dis Col. Laponte, who had
taken the Vile du Lac. which mon.
sieur could see from his windows. All,
such a beautiful place! Twas a pity
to have it left vacant so long" $#%
Herbert listened with vague interest.
And then good Dame Marguerite, de-
lighted to have 50 attentive listener
went into long dissertation on the
beauty of the villa, the loneliness of
madelnoiselle, and the generosity OF
the brave monsie IT, her father
Laponte? Laponte? The name was
familiar to hin. Where had he seen it
before? It seemed to belong to that
dreamy half remembered past-the
past he had put behind him forever.
And partly from this. dim memory
lingering in his mind-party because it
was the only spot Of interest near
Herbert strol1ed out that evening"
when the moonlight was silyering the
brows of the distant mountains, and
bent his steps toward the Vile du Lac.
1t was a lovely spot, the deep noun
tain lake mirroring inssits apellucid
waves the cloud, the sky and shore;
the tiny island, that seemed almost to-
float upon the dark blue waters, bear
ing the beautiful little villa, that, with
it's points and turrets, and cupolas,
glistening in the moonlight, looked like
some quaint German toy, and the great
White peaks beyond, framing the
whole, formed a picture fair to look
upon, even in a dream. :
He sat down on the fir-clad Shore
and was taking in the beautiful scene
as one of those
ss'Tfo ha,1Srt an n, aii,,, S,.I;i> 57=oijS ii