PART V.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVI, Issue 31, 23 November 1888, Page 25

PART V.

George Fa3ch had every reason to be content with the way in which he had managed his business at Z jrich ; and yet, as he travelled b tck to VJayenfield, h'j wai m a dcspoudiug mood. All the way to Zurich his pister had talked about Anna. She said she hii tried her utmost with the gnl, au 1 that bh'j grc.v worse and worse.

" She isreckLss aui thoroughly uureli ibk," the said; and she gets more stupid every day. If you were wise you would put her into a reformatory wituout delay."

George Frfsch shrugged his shoulders. •' She is affectionate," he said, bluntly, "and she is very tins' lfish. I should be souy to seed her fioin home."

Ch:i->tina held up hei hand?

% - 1 call a eirl selrhn who gives so much trouble. Gretchen has to wash three skirts a week for Anna. She is always spoiling her, clothes, i, on the contrary, call h^r very seliiah, brother.''

George Fascu shrugged his shoulders ; again remembered the red and erc:a .ipron, aixl he supposed that (Jhiisdna must be light ; and now, as he travelled back alon.', he ask.cd bim-df what he must d_>/ Certainly he saw no rciso i why he should place Anna in a reformatoiy — th >t would be, he thought, a buie way of making her unhappy, ar d perhaps even desperate ; but (Jhiistina'a words had sho^n him her unwillingness to be plagued with his daughter's ways, and he

ehrank from the idea of losing his useful housekeeper. He had been accustomed to depend on his sist r for th • management of the inn, and he felt that no paid housekeep -r would be able to fill Christina's place. Besides it would cost more money to pay a stranger. Yes, he must send Anua away, but he shrunk from the idea. There was a timid, pathetic look in ihe girl's dark eyes that warned him against parting her from tho9e t-h; ljved. After all, was she not very J ike her mother? And his sweei lo^L wile ofien told George Fasch how dreamy, and heedless and s'upid she had been in childhood. He was bu c that Anna would mend in time. If only he could hit on some middle course at present. The weather had been fine at Zurich ; and he was suprisel, when be quitted the train, to see the long wreaths of white vapour that floated along the valleys and up the sides of the hills. It was clearer when he had crossed tt,e river ; but before be reached Malans evening was dialing in, and ever) thing grew misty. He had made his purchases at M,i3enfeld so aa to avoid anolh-r stoppage ; and with his heavy loaded snap on tns back he t ok. a bypath th\tt skirted Ma^ns and led him straight to the bottom of tho descent without going through the village. Tuere was a group of trees just at the foot of ihp path, wh:ca increased the gathering g oom. " My poor child will ba tire I of waiting." he thought, and ho began to climb the a^ceat more rapidly than usual. All at once a faint ciy reached him, he stopped and listened, but it did not come again. The way was veiy slippery, he thought ; bis feet seemed to be clogged with soft earth, and he stopped at last tv lake breathe. Then he heard another cr>. and the sou id of footsteps behind him.

Some one was following him up the dangerous ascent. And as bia ears took in the sound he heard Anna's voice some way below.

" Father ! fa; her I stop ! stop 1 " she cried ; " there is a landslide above, you cannot climb to-night." George Fasch b topped. He 6hut his eyes and opened them again. It seemed to him that he was dreaming. How came Anna to be at the foot of the pass if it was not possible to climb to tha top of it?

" What is il,i 1 , Anna ?Do you mean that I must come down again ? " he said, wondering'y. " feß, jt't ; the path ii destroyed." And once more he wondered it all this could be real. " Father, cm you comedown with t^e pack, or will you unfaaten it and leave it behind ?"

George Faach thought a moment. " You muvt go down first," he said, " and kesp on one side ; the distance is short, an I I think I ein do it but I any slip by the way.' ' There were minutes of breaihless suspense while Anna stood in the gatheriug daik less, and t ci tDe heavy tootsteps ceased to descend and she fouid heiself suddenly hugged close in her fattu r's arms. "My f^ood girl," he smd, " my good Anna how did you come here ?"

Anna could not speak. She tremblei like a leaf and then she. begau to cob. The p> »r was complete^ exhaußtel by the terrible anxiety she had gone through and by fatigue. " I thougnt I was too lite," she sobool ; '• it looked so dark. I feared you could not gde ; I cried out, but you did not answer. Oh. father!"— bhe caught at bis arms — " if 1 had been really too late '"

Her head sank on his shoulder,

George F&sch patted her eh( ek. He was deeply moved, but he did not speak ; I.c wou.d hear by and by how it had all happened. Presenily he said cheerfully : " Well, mv girl, we must let Oretchen wonder what his happened us tc-night. You and I will get beds at Malans. My clever Ama has done enough ior one d-u."' Ihree years h »vu pahse l since Anna's memorable journey. Her Aunt Christina has manud ajd she has goi.e to live in Ziuch ; Anna is now alone wuh h> r fa'her and Gretcheti. Sn- 1 has developc 1 in all wajs ; that hurried ] jurney to ihe loot of the mountain hai beea a mental tonic to the girl. .iue hud learned io be s-'lf reliant in a true way, aa 1 bhe has f >und out i he truth of a very old proverb, which gays : ■' No one knows waat he ein do till he tries.' 1