The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-04

with moss, between which We're fields oA
 snow and ice. The air was intensely
 cold. As he looked around and took a
 few steps more there was the stiffness
 of death itself am the sun was a rcd
 blotch on the verge of the horizon.
 Changing the direction of his walk ha
 found himself in | few minutes amid
 groves of mulberry trees and fertile rice hetas, and drawing back d couple of steps from some Chinese laborers whom he saw approaching. he found tho scene again Changea
 He had now no doubt-he had the seven lea6ued boots on hs feet With joy such as he never had eX- pected to experience again, Peter now began a tour ef the world. seeking the most distant and least visited lands and devoting his mind to the study of tho
 flora and fauna of tho countries he vis- tied.
 From the equator to the pole. from tho now world to the oG, he was exgnged | constantly in repeating and comparing his experiments.
 he pitched on a lonely cave near
 Thebe5 as his home, his study and his
 headquarters. and there he deposited the collection of specimens. to which he con
 stantiy added. lie had picked ub friendless dog in hls travels. and this an
 mal guarded the cave during It's masters absencs and gave Jim a sympathy which mankind denied him.
 When Peter wished to walk as an or
 dinary man he wore slippers over his
 boots, and the boots thus covered had uo
 magic power One day he was attacked
 by bear Attempting to step across tn
 an island he fell Into the water one of his slippers having been inadvertently
 let on.
 .e scrambled out again, but took a
 sever cold from his icy path A fever severe cold from his icy bath A fever by rapidly wandering over the earth. At last he lost consciousness. when he came to himself he found that he was lying in
 u comfortable bed in q hospital. What l wns his surprise 10 see inscribed in let 1 terd of gold on q black marble tablet
 on the wall his own nameEPeter l SchleWihli
 lis nurse told him that he had been found lying i'll by the wayslde and ] brought toa this place, which was called 1 the Schlemihlum, and where daily the inmate. were eShorteI to pray for the soul of Peter aehlemihl, the founder and beaefactor of the Institution.
 \ benevolent looking man came to his
 bedside. accompanied by q beautiful lady
 in black. The man was Bendel and the
 woman was Minna. They did not recog-
 nize him, and by sMllfully worded ln
 qures he found that he Was in Beudels
 native town, where the faithful fellow
 had erected this hospiul with the money
 his master had left him.
 Miuna was widow, an unhappy law suit having deprived Rascal of his life.
 and Minna of most of her property. Her l parents were dead. and in widowed piety l she devoted herself to works of mercy, i anu tl prayers for Peter Sehlemihl. As soon as Peter wns strong enough i he arose one night HnobserVed. and, find- 1 ing all his belongings Tn little chest 1 by his bedside. put his boots. He left
 Il note for Bendel and Nina. which read :: : "Matters are better with your friend ] than formerly. He has repented. and ] his repentance has led to forgiveness. ] Then he departed for his cave near i Thebos, there 10 reduce to writing the re suits of his investigations. that future
 generations might profit by them as well as by the record of his own story, which 1 he also set down.
 HlnwennthwnfY.e gwy kyqJhn'::h