Year: 1877

vate will sit down together, and the great
man of the district will not lind himself i'll
at ease when he eats his supper with small
farmer, the latter, meanwhile, being per-
fectly hospitable, never servile, and rarely
uncomfortable, whenl face to face with a
man Of superior rank.


The good wife Kristne now coming
forth with a welcome, these four people
shut out the evening after entering the for
ester's house, aud Lotte and her mother fell
to work preparing supper.


The red-checked coarse white cloth was
soon upon the table, the wooden spoons
and platlers laid, and the big tureen, lively
with pattern of wild flowers, was ready
for the soup.


Not much of meal-but plain soup, the
beef which made it eaten with vinegar and
oil, black bread and strong cheese, the
whole washed down with some blackish,
sour country wine-yet the old judge
thought he had never eaten such a meal.


To tell the truth at once, the old judge
was in love with Lotte, though she was on
ly sixteen, and the old gentleman was by
that time fifty-eight, If day.


"Ilay me, good judge, you will sleep Till
late in the morning." said broad-chested
Yeri, when they were saying goodnight.


"Oh, nc" replies the judge, wishing to
cut good figure before Lotte 81 never
was more active than 1 am. shall be up
with the lark, and before any Of you"


Nevertheless, though they softly called
him three times, he never woke, and, in
fact, did not present himself, until the for
ester's breakfast had been waiting whole
hour.


The forest girl had been out aud away
for hours, and as he saw her, with the fresh
morning color on her face, aud holding out
TO him bunch of wild flowers which she
had gathered, he decided that pretty sirl
looked better at sunrise even than by sun
set.


That was the beginning Of it.


Tho prim housekeeper wondered what
became OF her master, until all capacity OF
astonishment was lost, while good Yeri
and his wife, though they were wonderful
ly benefited and honored by the old judges
friendship, we're marvelously puzzled to
find an answer to the riddle why Matre
Seller came TO their hut four and five times
in the week.


One day barrel OF rikvlr, a capital wine
IN those parts, would be sent with Maitre
Sellers compliments, aud, within a week,
an admirable present of sausage would be
received.


The gravest condemnation of the poor
old judge, and the best proof of the hon.
esty of the old couple, Yeri and Kristine,
were to be found in the fact that the latter
never suspected the real basis Of all these
civilites on the part of the old gentleman.


As for trout, the good woman Kristine
was weary OF cooking it, SO much Of the
fish did the good old judge bring TO the
chalet.


He never said much to Lotte, spoke like
q father to her, aud certainly never enabled
the pretty girl 10 guess what was in his
heart.


This life went 10 the end of June, when
the tall mountain grass was ready for the
scythe.


The old judge, however, bad never slept
at Yeri's except upon that one particular
night when first he visited the forester.


He did not know that he had been put in
Lotte's room-he supposed it the guests
cham ber.


But upon that particular night in June he
had made up his mind to speak To Yeri,
and then it was he found that, judge and
orator as lie was, he could not plead for
himself.


"What ails the old judge, to-night1"
thought the forester. "He does not seem
himself"


The time went on, and when at last the
judge decided that he would defer it until
the morning the forester made the discov
cry that /; was dark and the moon would
not be up for two hours; SO the good
judge was invited TO stop for the night.


He had no idea that his remaining put
the primitive family TO any inconvenience,
no more than at the moment he learned lie
took Lotte's room from her.


But, in fact, the young goat-herdess was
carried off to her mothers room for the
night, while the forester made himself up
a bed of furs, etc., on the ground of the liv-
ing


He thought the girl looked pale and anx-
ious, bat he could not detect that she was
in deep tribulation.


A little while and the forest hut was quite
quiet-not light to be seen.


Now they have habit in parts of Switz-
erland of cutting the high grass by moon
light, the belief being common that the
grass so cut makes better hay than that
which falls beneath the scythe in sunlight.


The old judge, unable to sleep, was turn
ing over in his mind what he should say
on the following day to the forester, when
he heard the tinkle Of the COW bell, the
numbering of heavy wagons, and the rattle
of talking and singing voices, all Of which
gradually approached.


Not ignorant of the custom of moonlight
hay-making, the old judge found the rus
tic sounds rather soothing than not, when
he thought he heard a tapping at the win
dow.


He listened, and the soun d as repeated.


He knew that the window was ten or
twelve feet from the ground, and that it
could only be reached either hy ladder or
by climbing the vine which grew on the
wall about the lattice.


A thiefH What thief would tap at win
dowr What could thief hope TO steal IN
that poor place, unless


The old judges heart began TO beat high.


And as though in reply to his thoughts,
soft pleasant voice called, as the tapping
was heard again, "Lotte -


He moved off the bed (for he had laid
down in his clothes, too weary with think
ing over the grand question even to un-
dress,) aud drawing near the window, he
saw by the light of the moon, which had
now just topped the trees, that black
haired and extremely handsome youth was
clinging TO the vine, his bright eyes eagerly
fixed upon the window.