The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1903-01-08

our cipher i"lrgramS wnS handed to
me. II rnn: "llri@hi. five feet eight ::
dark. clean Shnvrn. spare. good voice.
musical: tattoo portrait ON ri.Nt up-
per wrist. travelling in Europe: whrrc-
ahnuls unknowu" Well. n,r new
friend r"rrcSpunhri pretty we'll. 80 FAR.
10 his description.
1t Wa$ hali an hour before Nine Du-
tour appeared. clad in u hrwiirhin"lv
>nlhrl and w0rlilnnnlikr r0Siumr the
promise of which her performance ON
the SNOW utterly hcl;vd
''Oh. monsieur. iii piiy. ON, moment: ::
WAS ever poor woman 80 puifrh, she
would rN"lHim. "Nuu ra;n ram Mp ice
mountains. huE hc mrr,ful and look
ut the view. ihai ! may hrcHihr.
To feel irriiH,cd Wa> brutal: convent
walls d" n"i prud,icr d"rp-chrSict
frcr-lilMhrd climbers such oS her native
hills uf .trran had uHdr my EirStinc.
Sill il WAS disappointing tn see my
hrid' only as one Of four black dots on
ihr SHOWS whitrnrSS. the advance
parry had taliru both guides during
Ia" nest part uf the morning.
= lunch time. nj last. they awaited
us "i Il luiIr plateau. into which The
pain N:drmrd before The sleeper part
of the ascent began
Instantly ! observed that not Hans
and NmHlrr. but TWO new guides. were
unShould"ring the Baskets
~ Thousand apologies. Three OF NV
r"unlrymrn who arrived late last night
were anxious to attempt tho Kurhans.
MI
fenced guides" explained the Prince,
following my eyes. "'rhn, with us
they nr" only part OF the misc; IN scene.
aud my friends arc pressed for time.
is my plea for forgiveness"
'Of course. il doesn't NATTER I'rincr,'
said KirStinc
"Of course not" added.
ifiit The Prince must lnvr known
that he was watched from THAT mo-
nrnt.
After lunch ltirstinc and | made COZ
fee. while Stcphanir aud Prince iii
tongratHn smoked many cigarettes
"What nice picnic il is" said my
wife. "Thc Prince is SO merry and
charming. and he has been telling me
al about the revolution and his lost
quite TO Ike him"
"Kirstinr." said softly. and stuop-
inS low over the little briZi"r Twill
YOU u0 something for me-
saw my wifr's expression change
suddenly. She nodded.
"Thc sun will he hot on the sleeper
path. If il makes your head ache you
will have 60 RETURN"
Looking in her eyes SAW she under
stood ...
\ moment later handed ihc Prince
the coffee cup.
"Makr Il long arm. rrincr.'
laughed, leaning across the tahlccloth
which WAS still spread on the SNOW.
AS he did so | saw his riGh, wrist
whit" and bare between the bronZrh
hHnd and linen cutr.
Thcrr WI$ no tattoo mark,
Suddenly | heard Il cry from '1iir-
%iu": SHE had fallen dangerously near
The plairnu's edge.
AS ran TO her she struggled up.
40. l'in not hurt. Maurice. only
;ripp"d on something: it must have
hrrn Il stone.
"N"s. I think i, was Il stone. said
Mime. Dutour. n$ stopped To brush
the SNOW from Kirslinr'S gown.
Tia, is absolutely my last clear roe
ullrctiou. The next is Il bliuding cloud
OF Sn"w~-chut ching Il crumhlin% white
hess fal lin" falling darkness.
When | crrpt out of l.at strange
blank | felt numhcd and stunned. My
first impulse was 10 rise. In rrd-hoi
physical anguish / realized thar |
could NOT movc-my right side WAS
helpless,
The sweat stood on my forehead.
With held breath and clcnchrl teeth |
made another cffort-mrrcirul heavens.
Then lay without other thought tham
my fierce agony.
Slowly -~cruclly- slowly-.it lcSscncd
to the bcarablc. and | began to think.
7 was now lying on Il tiny plateau sim
liar to that whcrrOn we hnd picnick"d
so gayly. Il series Of which. I knew.
formed the pathlCSs side Of the NcnnCr.
What had happened? With my LEFT
hand assured myself rcvcrishly Of the
>Nrri'' o. INC *" Papers. anh Oh" re.
mrluivrvd with Il tMob OF satisfaction
that whcu fell the Prince had been ut
thc other end Of the plateau The melt
ing snow on the trcachcrous edge must
have broken under my weight. =
What was that? In the clear air [
heard 81 chipping sound, and. looking
up, saw my wife alone on The preci-
picc. cutting each foothold. "A move
mcnt might be fatal. | closed my eyes.
held my breath, and prayed for the
first time for years prayed God to
give her steady head and hand-just
that. no moreover and over again.
sudden blunt thud--Kirstinc's Ice
| axe had failed beside me.
In that supreme moment | met my
wifc's brave eyes, as she stood cling
ing to rock about twenty feet above
me.
"Thank God, Mauricc! I knew Tic
wouldn't let you die" =.
"Oh,. Kirstinc. Krstinci why did
you come" was all could say. =
because Stephanic pushed you over
I saw her, dc. it. They are coming ur
from below now. They never imag
4 nj