The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1915-02-04
Agatha 5
Wedding Gift
By EuyNIce BLAKE

By EUNlCE BLAKE
The passes in the Swiss mountains
have doubtless been used BY man ever
since he began to travel. but In former
times they were crossed very different
Y from the present. During the MID
die ages small parties o. even individ-
uals would cross the mountains %
foot. usually conducted BY . guide. /,
During that period when william
Tell - supposed to have shot the apple
from bis sons bad. IN the S11laeo e
Altdorf, where " 6ousiGhedI lived Q
young Swiss named Friedrich gohm.
His occupation was to guide pessons
over tho St Gothard pass down into
northern Italy. then bring others hack
to Lucerna Friedrich loved and was
loved by Q young girl named Agatha,
and they were only waiting TN he had
made one more trip over the pass to b
married. Then he was intending to
build boat on the Lake Of the Four
Cantons In which to carry passenger
back and forth between Fleweln and
Lucerna
One day came Leonardo MorellL Q
Florentine who had been to Paris with
some Jewels which be had sold and
was taking back the gold he had ~
ceived for them. He engaged Fried
rich to conduct him across the pass
to the point on the Italian side where
now is the mouth of the tunnel, whence
he could proceed by road to Lugano.
All day guide and man toiled up the
mountain and In the evening rested
at an inn on the Italian side. The
merchant carried his gold in a leather
bag sewed to a belt at bis waist
When be entered the Inn and the land
lord conducted him to his room sohm
tossed his bag on table. causing the
gold pieces inside to give out the sound
of coins. This excited the cupidity Of
the landlord, and during the night,
when the merchant was asleep. he stole
into the room and took his gold. Then,
In order to avert suspicion, he opened
the door to the guides room and drop.
ped one Of the coins on the floor.
In the morning the merchant made
a great ado about his loss. and tho
landlord suggested that he search the
guides room. OF course q piece Of
gold was found on the door. Fried
rich protested his innocence. but was
unable to make the merchant believe
that he was not the thief. The guide
consented to continue the journey to
Lugano. where he would give himself
up. preferring this course to being q
fugitive and an outlaw.
1t was the month of May, when The
snow in the Alps Is melting, and In
certain parts Of the Journey the guide
and the merchant Travelled Joined BY
a rope. In passing over narrow path
where on one side was a precipice tho
snow gave way and the merchant
would have gone down with It had MOI
the guide braced himself 80 firmly ~
to save him.
Sohm was 30 grateful that he offer.
ed to forgive Friedrich the theft Of his
gold provided he would return one.
half Of it. Friedrich still insisted that
he knew nothing about the money, that
the landlord must have stolen 1t and
proposed that they return to the inn
and investigate the matter. To this the
merchant consented. and they retraced
their steps. When they reached the
inn they accused the landlord Of the
theft and declared that II he did not
restore the property constable would
be brought to take him where he would
be tried.
The landlord was much agitated at
this. for in those days criminals were
usually put to the torture to make
them confess. However. he stuck to
his denial. claiming that the coin found
In the guides room was proof positive
that he was the thief.
The inn stood on southern expo
sure which in summer was free from
snow. but though 1t was now getting
thin the ground. or, rather. the rock ON
which it stood. was still covered The
day had been very warm. and since
the departure Of the two men in tho
morning the sun. shining through the
thin atmosphere, had left several bare
spots. Friedrich just before sunset
went out on the ledge, where the ltal-
ian sunset was spread ont before him.
to think of some plan for ending the
gold which he believed the landlord
had hidden. While sitting there va.
ter was trickling from the melting
snow. Before arising to return to the
inn space had been uncovered and.
looking down beside him. he saw what
at first he believed to- IN. yellow
stone. but on closer inspection proved
to be gold coin.
Friedrich's first Impulse was to &c.
cuss the landlord anew. fortified By
this proof, but he was not used to act.
ing on impulse. Instead. he. went to
the merchant. told him what he had
found and suggested that the thief had
buried the gold in different places I'M
der the snow and Il they waited tin
the sun uncovered the ground they
might recover It all.