Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-12-29
A PERILOUs WOOING. :
4 Morse Folk Story by BjoFnstgerme
R1OPm9nn.

peace was gone on Husaby farm The finest
boys of the parish wrangied and fought there,
night after night Ii was worst on Saturday
nights. but then old Junt Husaby went to bed
with his leather breeches on and birch club
at his elbow Have got giri.'' he said, Il
SHAH KNOW how to take care of her.
Tore Neset was only squatter's son. There
were people, though. VINO said that he came
oitener TO see the. farmers daughter on
Husaby than anybody else. Old Junt did no.
like his talk and said il was not true for he
had never seen him there. But people smiled
70 one another and limited that If he looked
better into that corner where AsIang sat- in-
stead oi squabbling with those who strlItted on
the open floor, he would have found Tore
Spring came, and when the cattle We're
dIiyen up on the hills for grazing Asiaug fol
lowed to take care of them Hot lay the day
over the valley, bui the clitf rose coolabove the
Sunsmoke. and when from IFS top the cow
be lis tlnkled and the watchdog barked and
Asiang sang and played on the ljur, how did
the boys feel toiiing i'm the meadows below.
The hist saturday nght.they all took to the
elf. one faster than the other But still more
last they came back. one after the other. Jus
where the path turned the hammer some one
stocd and look hold of them. one by one as
they. came. and wheeled them downward
making his words we'll remembered: "If.you
choose 10 come again, You shall he still better
served.
As far as people could understand. .,ere was
| III the whole parish only one who had the
proper hand for such piece of work. and that
one was Tore Neset. BuI all the rich farmers
sons thought it rather mean that he. the squat
terS son. should Ike his stand next TO her, As
arg Husauy.
The same thought also old Junt when he
heard it, and he thought further that if no one
else could master that chap. he would try. and
those SONS of his. Junt had begun TO grow old.
but although he had passed the three-score. he
still liked 10 try wrestling match with his
oldest son when sometimes the company
seemed To him to become sleepy.
Up to the Husaby grazing grounds there lei
only one pathway and il started Just i'm front
Of husaby fam. Next Saturday evening when
Tore intended 10 take this way and already
felt little more quick-footed because he had
cleared the stables, one rushed upon him and
grasped him by the throat. What do you
want?" said Tore and threw the other to the
ground SO it rang through his body. That l
Shall tell YOU" said another. and gave him a
blow from behind; it was the brother. And
here is a third. said old Junt and clasped him
around the waist.
Tore grew stronger with the danger: where
he hit ii was felt. And he was timber like a
willow wand: he bowed and bent: where
blows fell he was not: where blows were not
expected, he hit. But at last he tumbed. over
matched. and sound thrashing he got. though
afterward old Junt often said that he had
never had a finer lad to deal with. The three
Kept on till the blood came, then Husaby said
stop. and added Shrewdly: - Now, if next
saturday night YOU can cheat the old HuSaby
bear and these cubs of his. you may have the
lass
Tore dragged himself along as best he could ::
when he reached home he lay down. Much
was spoken in the parish of that fight on
Husaby farm. but every one said: What
did not say so. and that was Asang. She had
waited for him that Saturday night. and when
she heard of the meeting between him and her
father She sat down and cried, and said to her
self: If l cannot get Tore | shall not see
another glad day in this world
Tore was laid up for the whole Sunday, and
on Monday he felt that he must still keep the
bed. Tuesday came, and what a fine day it
was! 1t had rained during the night, and the
cIiif was green afreSh. The window was open
and the smell of the foliage drifted i'm. Upon
pli hn hal lie fiprG1 aI ar,I nhnI,
singing. Had it not been for his mother who
sat in Inc room. he would have cried.
On "Wednesday he was still in bed. but on
hun sday he wondered whether he could not
be al right till Saturday. and on Friday he
was up. He remembered now the words
viii Junt had said - If next Saturday night
cubs of his, You may have the lass" He looked
away TO the Husaby farm time after time. II
don't think there will be any more beating he
said.
Thare led. as above mentioned, only one
pathv ay up to the Husaby grazing grounds:
but one who dared might get up there, though
around a small land-slip and mOoring at the
foot Cf the cliff one might get up, though the
wall was so steep that il had seldom been trOd-
den y the goat, who else is not very particu-
saturday came, and Tore was out doors the
whole day. Never was such day. The sun
played, so the woods danced and every now
and hen some one sang and called upon the
cliff He sat in front Of the door when dusk
came and dewy mist crept upward along the
hills. He looked toward the cliff all was quiet
there. He looked toward the HuSaby farm.
and then he jumped into the boat and rowed
around the slip.
Upon the cliff. before the hut, sat Aslang.
her day work was done She thought that
other people come. and she let loose the dog
and strOlled away. She sat where she could
look down into the valley, but there stood the
look down there just now. Then she moved
away, and without any more thought she came
and sat down on the opposite side of the cliff
There came peace to her from the long view
of the water.
While she was sitting there she thought she
se and she Ssb with
away into the calm evening. She found that
she liked to hear herself sing, and when she
came to the end of the first verse she began
had sung that verse it seemed to her as if
somebody was answering from far below.
Dear me. what can that be?'' she thought,
her arms around a tall birch-tree which stood
there and trembled over the abyss. She
looked downward but she saw nothing. The
ring. Sic sat down again and took was Sp her
song But this time somebody answered with
the same time and much nearer. ASlang
sprang up and leaned once more oyer the
ledge: Then She saw a boat moored at the
foot of the cliff, but so far below that il looked
like a nutshell. She drew the eyes upward
and caught sight of a red cap climbing the
naked wall. ''WhO can that be-" she asked.
and made a long leap backward. She dared
not answer, for she knew full well who it was.
She threw herself down on the green sward
and took hold of the grass with both her hands.
as il it were she who must not miss the grasp.
The roots lOOSened; she shreked, thrust her
hands deeper into the soul, and prayed to God
Almighty tOh help him. Then she felt that this
was truly to try God, and could not be expected
to he granted. But only this one time" she
burst out, hep him, oh! only this one time!"
She claSped the dog as if he We're Tore she
would hold fast, rolled with il over the green
sward. and thought that these minutes would
never come to an end.
But suddenly the dog sprang up, stared to-
ward the ledge wagged his tail, and barked;
turned back to Aslang, jumped with his fore
paws into her lap and barked: twisted round
again and barked with frantic reStleSSnaN.
while red cap arose above the ledge, and
Tore leaped to her bosom.
There he lay for a whole minute. Neither of
them spoke, and when they begun t. talk
there was not much wit in what they said.
But old Junt. when he heard about il, said
word which was not unwitty. He threw his
fist down on the table, and Numbered through
the room: There is might i'm that boy, and
the girl shall be his.''
He Won His Bet.