Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-02-24
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Copyright, 1909. by American Press Asso-
ciation.
Chamonix is little village In q val
ley of the same name surrounded by
the Swiss Alps. The chief occupation
Il the young men of Chamonix is that
Df guide to tourists.
One Of these guides, William Lubken,
came home one evening from conduct.
Ing a stranger on a mountain climbing
expedition without his Charge. He re.
ported that the stranger had been
caught in an avalanche and carried
over a precipice. Lubkin at the begin
ming of the SHOWS movement, which
was slow, had succeeded in reaching a
rock, to which he chung. The rope By
which climbers are always united
broke. and the stranger had been borne
sway from him. The broken part Of
the rope he showed in evidence of his
story.
Albert Twingle started a suspicion
that Lubkin had cut the rope to save
himself; that Lubken had frayed the
tut part to show that it had been bro
zen. This suspicion grew till It was
believed by many Of the villagers,
though the guides who at any time
might be liable to the same charge
would not heaS Of 1t. Lukben never
recovered from the obloquy cast upon
him. He left Chamonix. and the place
knew him no more.
One day twenty years later a trav-
eler with white hair and beard came
to Chamonix. All the, guides were
anxious to be employed by him, but
he engaged none of them. He sat all
day looking up at the mountains and
the glaciers, apparently suffering from
melancholy. While he was at Chamo-
nix a traveller appeared and asked for
guide. Albert Twingle, now nearing
an age when guides usually give up
calling requiring both nerve and
strength, was engaged. He started
with the traveller to explore the Mer
de Glace. In the evening Twingle re-
turned and reported that while the
stranger was attempting to look down
into a crevasse the ice had broken and
he had fallen between the cold jaws.
When he told the narrowing story to
the assembled people the man of mel
ancholy-a name given to the unknown
stranger-was sitting, as usual. on the
porch Of his hotel. He spoke the first
words he was known to speak since
coming to Chamonix.
"You lie! You have murdered and
robbed him!'
Twingle was horror stricken at the
accusation, but could not prove that
It was false. The other guides took up
the matter in his behalf, and it was
agreed that one of their number should
be lowered into the crevasse to bring
up the body. The lot fell to one named
Obers. and the next morning all went
to the crevasse. the man Of melancholy
going with them. The sacrament had
been administered to Obers before his
dangerous descent, and as he was
about to put the rope about his waist
the man Of melancholy seized it and.
encircling his own waist. said:
"Do you think am coward to
make this charge without bearing the
brunt Of a conviction or an acQuittal."
There was something about the man
which. surprised as they were at a
mere traveller volunteering to undergo
such an ordeal, awed those looking on.
They were superstitious people, and
many Of them crossed themselves,
thinking that he who made the offer
was some guide returned from his
white tomb under an avalanche or the
devil himself. No one opposed him,
and. having placed the rope around his
waist, taking bell In one hand and
an alpenstock in the other to push him
self from the sharp ice edges, he was
slowly lowered into the crevasse.
Three times he rang his bell and each
time was raised and revived from SUI.
location. More and more the rope
was paid out. while the women prayed
and the men listened for some sound
from below. Six hundred feet had
been paid out when there came a
Jerk on the rope. and the men began
to pull.
The weight was doubled.
There was GREATNESS silence while
the men pulled. but when the man OF
melancholy came to the surface bear.
ing a human body shout arose from
among the onlookers that long rever.
berated among the surrounding cliffs
The tourists watch and money were
found on the body. Twingle was in
nocent.
The people crowded around Twingle
to congratulate him, but he broke
away from them and strobe toward
the stranger.
I'm heavens name, who are you p
he cried.
"Who am L? l am the man whom
years ago you accused Of cutting the
rope that bound me to my charge.
am William Lubkin."
Had an avenging angel come from
heaven to punish Twingle the scene
could not have been more awe inspir.
ing than the sight of this man who
had indicated the name Of one who
had blighted his life. Twingle's eyes
fell to the ground: his head sank upon
his breast; then, staggering, he left
both his vindicator and his friends
and descended alone into the valley.
Silently the people gathered around
the man Of melancholy. Some Of the