The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-09-05
TIE GnURIHG VILLA.
Ey :. A. s.ifTcHEL.
copyright, 1893. by American Press Assc


Whose is that yiiia:" asked Il tour
list. pointing Ia d residence ssu The Lake
of Come. The liersoa questioned re-
piled by stGry. And this is tie story:
Two men stood Gu he steamboat
landing ut Menaggio. or the northern
shore of the lake Herman Trupp. the
elder. said 10 the other, u yuungSter of
twenty:
MARTIN. | have something to say to
you. You know how near us is the
boundary line of Switzerland. Well.
fer years imvFheen smuggling goods
over the border to the lake and once
across it have had no trouble in sell
ing them III Italy. But the govern
ment revenue boat which they haze re-
Gently put On the lake turned IFS
searchlight on me last night while pull
ing boat lead from shore to shore.
| was stopped and arrested. | will be
tried fined aud imprisoned | made a
mistake | should have divided my
profits with the revenue officers"
"WeIl:" SAID the ether.
ACG " III - I.Stl& y FHIiFHiS tx At'>SHCL'
but you and she are both too poor to
marry Will enable you TO wed. l
have hribel the officers to give me but
six months imprisonment and to ac-
cept a substitute. If you will serve
my term for me | will give you 5000
francs"
Martin Gruring was thoughtful for
time then said, Il will talk with
Sophie about it."
That | must forbid" said Trupp.
y would not trust woman with such
an important secret"
But what will she think?"
'Oh. you can tell her you are going
away for short time to earn the
wherewithal to set up housekeeping
The result of this proposal was that
Martin acted as Trupp's substitute in
prison, first telling Sophie the story
that had been suggested. he had no
sooner been imprisoned than Trupp
told Sophie that her lover was deceiv-
ing her-that he had committed a
crime for which he was being punish
ed. To prove what he said he took
her TO the prison where Martin was
confined aud showed her her lover be-
hind bars Then he held his wealth.
100000 francs, up before her as a bait
and succeeded in catching her for his
wife Soon after the marriage the
couple disappeared from the Como re-
gion.
One summer an elderly American
gentleman and his wife rode up in
their automobile to a hotel in Inter-
laken. Switzerland. and called for 4
guide. One was introduced, and the
American engaged him to conduct him
self and wife to the summit of the
Jungfrau Then the landlord said that
he had been d mountaineer in his youth
and only one guide was needed. He
would himself act as such. The party
after proceeding on the mountain rail-
way to the snow line started from
there TO rake the ascent of the peak.
the guide III front. the lady next, and
the husband in the rear. all bound to-
gether by q rope.
At ore place in the ascent their path
led along the edge of a rock that
sleped nearly straight downward OH
both sides. Suddenly beneath the
Americans feet the ice gave way and
he went dewr His wife fell on her
| face. and the guide. realizing that she
would be pulled down by her husband,
let himself ever the other side for a
balance. Suspended thus he at once
set about cutting steps and soon Sc
cured a foothoid. But the American
was a heavy man and the rope was
crossed a sharp rock and the efforts Of
the man hanging over the chasm to
save himself gradually wore it thin.
ard al last it broke. He slid down
thousands eff feet below to his death.
Meanwhile the Guide. foreseeing
what Ea.. eventually happen and
knowing that when the rope broke the
shock miellg diSIodge the lady. had
been hacking the ice with his ak and
climbing until he had secured a firm
position When the rope parted she
| fell toward him. and. catching her he
l1lltQ5 dSSSllI 1HlO pOSlllOd. dO4.
when she was sufficiently recovered to
stand. he cut his way up to the edge of
the rocls and the two began to descend.
Reaching a point OF safety, the lady
fell in a faint The guide caught her
in his arms Placing his fask-all
guides carry Gasks-to her lips. she re-
vived and met the two eyes of the
guide looking down into hers. But
she saw only the horror of her hus-
band suspended over that awful abyss.
She shuddered and moaned.
Sophie, said the guide with a
world Of sympathy.
There vas something in the voice
that, striking a familiar chord. served
to turn her vision from the horror SO
recently experienced. She saw q
young face grown to middle age. Then
the expression of pain returned. but
this time from a different cause. She
saw the lover of her youth as she had
seen him III 4 felon's prison. He 6i-
vined her thought.