Evening journal., 1909-09-01
THE GRURING VILLA,
BY r. A. mitchell.

ciatlOn.
Whose is that villa?" asked a tour
ist. pointing to a residence on the Lake
Of Como. The person questioned re-
piled by a story. And this is the story
Two men stood on the steamboat
landing at Menaggio. on the northern
shore OF the lake. Herman Trupp. the
elder said to the other. youngster OF
twenty:
Martin. have something to say to
you. You know bow near US is the
boundary line Of Switzerland. Well
for years | have been smuggling good
over the border TO the lake and once
across It have had no trouble in sell
ing them 10 Italy. But the govern
ment revenue boat which they have re
Gently put on the lake turned IT.
searchlight on me last night while pull
ing a boat load from Shore to shore
! was stopped and arrested. ! will be
tried. fined and imprisoned. ! made
mistake. should have divided my
profits with the revenue officers"
"WellI' said the other.
"You wish to marry Sophie Reusser.
but you and she are both too poor TO
marry. will enable you 70 wed. !
have bribed the officers to give me but
six months Imprisonment and to ac
cept a substitute. II you will serve
my term for me ! will give you 5000
francs"
Martin Gruring was thoughtful for
a time. then said. Il will talk With
Sophie about It."
THAT | must forbid" said Trupp.
Il would not trust a woman with such
an important secret"
"But what will she thlnk2"
"Oh. you cau tell her you are going
away for a short time TO earn the
wherewithal 10 set up housekeeping"
The result Of this proposal was that
Martin acted as Trupp's substitute 10
prison. hrst 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-ihat he had committed a
crime for which be was being punish.
ed. To prove what he said be took
her 10 the prison where Martin was
confined aud showed her her lover be-
hind bars. Then he held bis wealth
100000 francs. up before her as a bait
/ and succeeded 10 catching her for his
wife. Soon after the marriage the
couple disappeared from the Como re
gion.
One summer an elderly American
gentleman aud his wife rode up Il
their automobile to a hotel in lnfer
laken. Switzerland. and called for
guide. One was introduced. and tn
, American engaged him TO conduct him
self and wife TO the summit Of tb
I Jungfrau. Then the landlord said thu
he had been a mountaineer in his yout
and only one guide WAS needed. II
would himself act as such. The part.
after proceeding on the mountain RAJ.
way to the snow line started froI
there to make the ascent OF the peat
the guide in front. the lady next. an
the husband in the rear, all bound tt
gether by a rope.
At one place IN the ascent their pat
led along the edge OF rock thu
sloped nearly straight downward o.
both sides. Suddenly beneath th
Americans feet the ice gave way an.
he went down. His wife fell on be
face. and the guide. realizing that sh
would be pulled down by her husband
let himself over the other side for
balance. Suspended thus he at one
set about cutting steps and soon st
cured a foothold. But the America
was a heavy man and the rope wa
greatly strained. At one point
crossed a sharp rock and the efforts G
the man hanging over the chasm
save himself gradually wore it thii
and at last 1t broke. he slid dow
thousands Of feet below to bis death
Meanwhile the guide. foreseeii
what must eventually happen, an
knowing that when the rope broke q
shock might dislodge the lady. ha
n been hacking the ice with his ak al
H climbing until he had secured a Or
II position. When the rope parted 81
II fell toward him. and. catching her. /
Il lifted her again into position. The
II when she was sufficiently recovered
II stand, he cut his way up tofhe edge
4 the rock and the two began 10 descen
n Reaching a point Of safety. the lac
4 fell in a faint. The guide caught b.
in his arms. Placing his fask-a
guides carry flasks-to her lips. she r
\ vived aud met the two eyes Of Il
guide looking down into hers. b
u she saw only the horror of ner hu
band suspended over that awful abys
She shuddered and moaned.
\ "Sophie." said the guide with
y world Of sympathy.
There was something in the vol
that. striking a familiar chord. serve
10 turn her vision from the horror
n recently experienced She saw
II oung face grown TO middle age. Th'
Il he expression Of pain returned. b
n bis time from a different cause. 81
q NV the lover Of her youth as she hi
ieen him in a felon's prison. He
N lned her thought.
II do you know" he said that
y -ent TO prison voluntarily to serve {
III arm OF anotherf"
NJ NO. Whose termT'
III Never mind that To take the pla
III T a smuegler was paid a sum
III money which would have enabled
Ill marry"
llll Another look of infinite pain pass