New-York tribune., 1902-12-21

ITcelioSI alteEHcon NH seemed seven times
frosted and wind blown, that Hessington
glad to find himself in the valleys once |
more, and in the vicinity of a Gasthaus He |
went through the porch with more romance |
in him than BELTS well grown young English |
man, ready for his food. and asked the landlord |
for meal
Eggs. ham. anything you've GOT he said. |
Also a bottle of the red wine?'
Hessington would have been content with |
beer, but the landlord shrunken little fellow |
bearded like Santa Claus was insistent See . |
he said, having vanished and reappeared in a |
twinkle, with a dusty bottle in his hand; see |
il IS not Rhein wine. 1t is red, also sweet |
yet not too sweet. 1t is grown not so far away
in soil rich fairy tale
II try it, said HessingtOn, smiling
1t puts spirit into a gentleman walking
sad the little man, confidently. But again.
il is possible that the Herr would wish a bed
for the night, since it is already late?"
But there Hessington firm He wanted
10 see the forest land in its cover of snow Inv !
the light of the moon, and there was a hotel
some SIX miles further on where he intended to
stop He had written TO engage a room.
said the landlord. We that dwell bv the
Brocken know it. There are tales-ach. the
Herr does not believe them, But il is easy to
lose ones way in the Harz And with this
snow on the ground''-
To all Of which Hessington listened. smiled
and was adamant In the end he was left alone
IN the taproom to eat and drink in peace.
Presumably it was the change from the sharp
OUTSIDE alr-or else the red wine-that made
him feel sleepy. Otherwise he would not have
sat SO long after his meal wondering why the
little landlord had a look of Santa CLANS or
what the tales that he had spoken Of or
half hundred idle things. Hessfngton said
this 10 himself when at length ha shook off his
dfowsiness and found it much later than he ex-
pected- Fearing to be further importuned into
HtoPpllg, ne lalo ten mark piece on the table
ana, without sumnoning his host, stepped out
into the night.
Stiffness had fallen with the dusk, and the
white woods seemed spellbound. 1t occurred
10 Hessington, at the end of some half hour or
so OF walking, that after ALL there was moth
ing surprising in the fact that these same
woods We're once accounted fairyland packed
with spells and inevitable wiies. A man lost in
them might easily stumble upon some wizards
palace, or lind himself at drawn swords with an
ogre on behalf OF some peerless princess. Still
more easily might a lose his way. In
deed, now that he came 10 think of it. he was
not at all sure that he had not lost his.
AT this point in his reflections Hessington
had just reached the top of a ridge of the
mountains from which he could see the country
sloping white in all directions, except where
talI trunks of trees shone like ebony in The
forecast light Of the yet unrisen moon. So far
as he could judge, he the road still. but
somewhere at this height he dimly recOllected
he ought to turn off to the left. And he real
lied with sudden absurd conviction that he
had no means of ascertaining where his road to
the left lay.
Everything was snow-path, hill and frost
alike.
santa Claus was right" ne murmured dis
gustedly, as, after two or three Intellectual at
tenpts to discern the crossroad. he found him
self still at a loss. And shall have TO go back
and sleep there after all Confound,"
Everything snow, but in his search he
had forgotten its bewildering properties Now
in the suppressed light ne could not even make
cut the road he had been on The town he
had left was as little TO be located as the inn he
was making for. And when he moved on to keep
himself he had no idea if he was gong
forward back in a circle. The likeness OF
the snow was everywhere
Hessington calculated that he must have
walked for about hour from the time he lost
himself before he caught sight of any cheer1ui
thing Then quite suddenly lights CLEANED out
from some habitation not mile away, and with
n change from despair to lightheartedness-
either Of which frames Of mind would have as
tonished him on any less magical night-he in
stantly concluded that he had struck the hotel
he was in search Of The conclusion was 1ust-
fed in a minute two, when man, CARVING
a flaming torch, ran up to him out OF the DARK,
ness and said with mixture OF oellghL an1
respect: ~ - 1.r+
"Ach sir IL is your excellency come al last
We were afraid that on such a night youi ca
eeIlency would perhaps miss the road
sFYou got my letter, them" said Hesslhstoh'
we'll pleased. 40 ,- roo,n &c
prepared, Karl Ludwig ia h;+
Tiessington hattered himself that ne hdu hI'
on ouite the right sort Of old fashloneo hoS
,itaF1a inn as the man went ahead or MIN Win
The torch apologizing for his presurnptoh anu anu
c.llinp al intervals some comrades Wilose
torches Hessington could see haInlng at lit M
-. IN +he distance If he was thought worthy
of three four outrunners 50 10 SPedh, IA III Ia
I;I,e1,y 10 fare we'll, though the bill Shouio
tn y1ade out proportionately He was a lltlle
D..,,feI7ad al the size Of the hotel When lhey
cot M to it and at the lights streaming iIoiti
a. windoWs 1t looked, indeed, more lAe q
cactIa than an inn, having tuifetS anu d -
,.ooat round and courtyard OF soiile SiHe' III
- -aco1lactad that the gulde Dook hdu "ldii