Show i 0 0 0 0 0 i C Uz I o I II T I I j ii I dj i I r j 1 N Iii L I i Ft PART II Q you remember suddenly ex expired x before she had quite told the dwarf the of at the rock And this filled him with grief and anxiety for tor he loved the gentle Elvina and for her sake longed to save the tho village from the terrible flood 1100 which his had foretold and which he could not prevent without learning the tho halfre secret about the rock The rhe villagers alter after the death of his old saw nothing of ot for tor many weeks and when he went into the village and the children were about to tantalize him as usual Elvina rushed forward and protected him They all liked Elvina besides was she not no the tho daughter of ot the Mayor Mayo So they allowed the tho dwarf to go his way in peace and once more he had to thank the pretty girl for lor her bel kind nose ness In return he lie told her of or what the ancient dame had said to him and she was grateful Indeed and inform ed her father f ther the Mayor who was very ver seriously alarmed for tor he knew what havoc the mountain floods had done to other villages All AU through the summer went exploring the mountains to try to find the rock his mother had referred to Sometimes he spent whole nights and days das on the tho banks of ot the mountain lake feeding upon berries and goats milk In his hl anxiety to discover the tho secret Once or twice hr hn r ncr iii a r ti r ncr iii a r ti n d ed e d to Delly dalo dale worn out and tired and the tho vil lagers wondered why he lie was always up in the mountains for they could often otten see seo his poor dwarfed figure climbing slowly from tram peak to peak On the occasions of his visits ho he was always kindly greeted by Elvina whose friendly smiles gladdened his heart and he went away more firmly resolved than ever to save her and therefore the entire village from the tho flood rho The summer passed away and the rains begun began to descend and the dwarf began to despair of ot ever finding tho the rock roc Ie when one day as he lie was seeking shelter from a very hard downpour of or rain he lie missed his foot toot ing ins and rolled down the mountain side aide until he fell into a sort of ot cavern where although half hal stunned he man aged agod to creep into a dry corner In the morning when the sun un was up he examined his hiding place and found ho he was Immediately immediate 1 beneath a gigantic rock that rested on two ledges of black stone Instinct told him that here was the rock which he had so o long been seeking He saw at once that if It a flood reach reached ed d this point It would diverge and overwhelm the village But if It the rock could be removed then tho stream would rush down the channel which was now and had for tor centuries been b en blocked blo ked by this enormous rock He hurried down to the village and seeking out Elvina begged her to go gound gound und see the rock lock and she went Then the Mayor and chief villagers went and were convinced and only Stor Stormont Storman Stormont mont man t who was angry because the dwarf had discovered what he lie and other young oung men had sought for In vain and because Elvina was ever a warm champion of ot the dwarf laughed at the tho idea and walking away called them all a pack of ot fools tools and gulls The Tho season as mother had predicted was the wettest for years The rain came down In blind bUnd ing InE tot torrents rents and the Mayor was at his hl wits end what to do At last the dwarf said Let ULet all the horses borses in hi the village be harnessed together let lct a chain be fas fastened fastened as round the rock and then let all the steeds be urged forward Again Stormont laughed and as he was one of the richest grape growers in the country countr the people had to listen to hint him but he Ie had no sensible suggestion suggestion tion to make So the Mayor called a meeting In the Town iown Hall Han and told them of or the dwarfs proposition and somewhat shamefacedly the villagers remembering how they had treated the unfortunate cripple agreed that as it p Iz 2 b was the only plan to save them all It should be tried Already the lake was trickling over overend find end If J the earthwork should give way the rush would come Just as had suggested the thc rock was wa wn chained round and the horses harnessed there thereto to and none too soon for the waters high in the mountains were giving forth angry And at the very first tug at the rock the dam dais began to weaken and a heavy stream gushed forth with violence For over an hour amidst the greatest excitement that al 01 almost almost most amounted to a panic the horses cheered on by the men struggled with th thi gigantic stone At last it showed signs of ot moving aa DI a the waters came nearer and nearer and Stormont finally began to lo take an Inter Interest est cst st in the work but his otters offers of ot help were too late to do him any good How However However ever he Insisted on all pushing his way closer cloter to the rock than was waSt really safe in order to see If 1 it was really shifting from its position A long pull and a strong pull pun and anda a pull all together you ou know usually brings about successful results So the rock with a sound as of thunder rolled from the ledge crushing reckless Stor Stormont Stormont Stormont mont beneath its enormous weight just justas as the lake lal e burst and with the fury of ot ofa ota a thousand seas roared down the moun tain tam side into the open channel and thanks to the dwarf the vii vil 4 asa S SS ST S T V f r M Ai 2 i iV V 7 I I I I z X i A At t I I II I 1 L lage luge was saved sa ed All AU along had loved loyed Elvina but now Elvina for tor the first time made madean an open declaration of her hr h r love for him and her ber intention to marry the Dwarf Hero of ot Her father tried to dissuade her from her purpose promising to make Quan tock as rich as he lie could desire to be beIt beit It If only he would reconsider her deci decision decision sion But no My Elvina Is with the true heart of one who has nut suf with one who has proved himself a hero So It ended by the prettiest girl in becoming the bride of Quan tock the dwarf dwa f S J F |