Evening star., 1909-04-18


Eta was always SO neat in her dress that It
must have been dreadful thing to see her laid
there" he went on. She fell just inside the
door Before she drank the poison she must
have looked once at the top of old Corvatsch
She thought of me, / am sure; for she had my
letter in her pocket telling her that ! was at
Pontresina with my voyageurs. And she
would think of you too,-her lover, her prom
ised husband"
Bower cleared his throat He tried to frame
denial; but Stampa waved the unspoken
thought aside.
Surely you told her you would marry her.
Herr Baron?" he said gently. WAS it not to
implore you to keep your VOW that she jour
neyed all the way from Zermatt to the Ma
loggia? She was but child, an innocent
, and frightened child, and you should not have
been so brutal when she came to you in the
hotel. All. well! 1t is all ended and done with
now. 1t is said the Madonna gives her most
powerful aid to young girls who seek from her
Son the mercy they were denied on earth.
And my Eta has been dead nlong years,
long enough for her sin to be cleansed by the
fire of Purgatory. Perhaps to-day, when
justice is done to her at last, she may be ad-
mitted to Paradise Who can tell2 1 would
ask the priest; but he would bid me not ques-
ton the ways of Providence"
At last Bower found his voice Eta IS at
peace" he f1uttered I'VE have suffered for
our folly, both of us. IL could not marry her.
1t was impossible"
Stampa did look at him then,-such look
as the Old Roman may have cast on the man
who caused him to slay his loved daughter.
Yet when he spoke, his Ms words s, were measured Ms
Bower. Nothing is impossible to God, and He
ordained that you should marry my Ettal
Il tell you" began Bower huskily; but
the other silenced him with gesture.
They took her to the inn,-they are kind
people who live there,-and some one tele-
graphed to me. The news went to Zermatt
and back to Pontresna / was high up In the
Bernina with my party: But friend found
me- and ran like madman over ice and rock
in the foolish belief that if only held my little
girl in my arms / should kiss her back to life
again / took the line of bird. If l had
crossed the Muretto, l should not be lame to
day but took Corvatsch in my path, and
fell, and when saw Eta grave the grass was
growing on it. Come, The turf is sixteen
years old now
Breaking off thus abruptly, he swung away
into the open pasture. Bower, heavy with
wrath and care, strobe close behind. He strove
to keep his brain intent on one issue,-to pla
cate this sorrowing old man, to persuade him
that silence was best
SOON they reached path that curved up
- ward among stunted trees. 1t ended at
iron gate IN the center of a low wall. Bower
shuddered. This, then was the cemetery He
had never noticed it, though IN former years he
could have drawn map of the Maloggla from
memory, SO familiar he with every twist
and turn OF mountain, valley, and lake. me
sun was hot on that small, pine sheltered hill
lock. The snow was beginning to melt. II
clogged their feet, and left green patches where
their footprints would have been clearly
marked an hour earlier And they were not
the only visitors that day. There were signs
of one who had climbed the hill since the snow
ceased falling.
Inside the wall the white covering lay deep.
Bowers prominent eyes, searching everywhere
with furtive horror, saw that little space had
been cleared in one corner. The piled snow was
strewed with broken weeds and tufts OF long
grass. 1t bore an uncanny resemblance to the
edges of grave. He paused, irresolute, un-
nerved, yet desperately determined to fall In
with Stampas strange mood.
There is nothing to fear" said the old man
gently. They brought her here You are not
afraid, you who clasped her to your breast and
swore you loved herr
Bowers face deathly pale before, famed
into sudden life The strain was unbearable.
He could feel his own heart beating violently.
What do you want me to do" he almost
shouted She Is dead My repentance is OF
avail! Why you torturing me in this
manner?"
'"Softly, son in law softly You are dis
turbed. or you would the hand of Provi-
dence in our meeting What could be better
arranged? You have returned after all these
years 1t is not too late To-day you shall
marry Etta"
POWERS neck was purple above the line OF
= his white collar The veins stood out on
his temples He looked like one in the throeS of