Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1881-06-08

j-Wly man, OedtA 1CSen aC C1uoS COUAu
not match it. It was a sweet face tc
hang in a locket."
With great simplicityhe had expressed
my thought.
"Now, your wife, said in banter,
ing way; II dare say she is a smart girl,
given to teasing you, and coming to meet
you with your son on her back, and then
you three romp away home again"
A sigh of anguish burst from the hon.
est fellows bosom, and for the first time
it dawned on me that in some way was
blunderingly torturing him. I began to
talk of other things, and strolled away
with my bride on my arm until
reached little gritty stone yard, where
a gritty fellow with dusty eye-lashes
used to sing at his work of making
grave-stones. He was at it still, evolv-
ing a Roman-nosed angel in smock
frOck from block of granite. He was
by all odds the merriest fellow in Blooms.
bury, and the gossip of the county.
He had many things to tell relative to
his trade, and many inquiries to make
relative to the rascals it was my business
to hunt down. He declared himself very
sorry that circumstances had made a
stone-breaker of one whom fate clearly
meant for detective. He had pair of
pinkish eyes, deeply set under shaggy
brows, and face brim full of dupicity
and conceit. He could climb like cat,
he told me, and could scale ichened
wall like lizard.
Presently he said that he had seen me
talk to man for whom he had a great
contempt-the blacksmith. This was
very droll. I foresaw that the stone
breaker must have at some time injured
the Norwegian.
He told me at great length long
scandal in which Jansen had mixed him
self up. He had married half-idiot
girl and fathered her child, whose father
no one had ever seen or heard of, and
carried around with him ponderous
threat to kill any man, woman or child
who should speak lightly of his wife.
All that say makes him great ass
this blacksmith more so because
he is poor man and keeps his idiot
like lady, with white ringed fingers
and in stuff gowns instead of insey; and,
bless you, he has given up all his ways,
dropped all his pipes and drinks at the
public house for the sake of wench who
utters nothing but signs. This Norwe-
gian of yours is prime calf, Mr.. Detec-
tive.''
This Norwegian was lord, demi-
god, philosopher, a humanitarian,
whose bulk overshadowed puny men,
such as the ave-stone-maker and I, as
great tree would overtop sumac.
Now I could understand all the mean
little daggers I had driven into his heart
while ago-this great, splendid fellow,
who wore his heart in his sleeve for |
jackdaws to pick at. Bit by bit during
the next two days I gathered the whole |
sad history of his marriage. There had
been no courtship at all. The poor
girls people had cast her off, being puri-
tans who wore gray gowns and slept in
nightcaps. She had not friend in the |
world, and was in sore strait, being in
urgent need of women friends and medi-
cine. Ugel Jansen went to her with the
smoke and grim of the forge on his face
and hands, and spoke very feelingly and
simply to her. She went with him to
the minister, and Ugel's sister with
much horror, but wholesome fear of
Jansen, took charge until all was over.
Daily and hourly Ugel watched by her,
asking nothing in return, and by and by
he gave the baby whom all hated his
big brown finger to hold, and the little
fellow slept in peace.
All this made Ugel the sport of the
village and furnished the town an ever
lively scandal, but it was talked of in
smothered way. Jansen had the strength
of an OK and kept it wholly to lavish on
one man when he could find him. II
conceived the notion to help him in this
project.
My mare understood her business we'll
enoug about this time to cast shoe.
Jansen was not at the forge, the shop
was closed, and I was directed to his
house, a retired little spot, with clus-
ter of Glove pinks in tiny plot in front.
The poor wife's baby was iu-dying-
with bunch Of Glove pinks on his pill
low and Jansen's finger fastened in his
cold little fist. Mrs. Jansen sat still and |
gazed vacantly at Ugel, while he shiv-
cred as with an ague. Perhaps he had |
prayed to God to take lack that child. |
He had done nobly by it, though, and
now he was even sorry.
It was the same pure pale face of the
organ loft, surrounded by q tangled mass
Of curls of rare dead gold hue, and the
sight of her gave me a pang. Jansen
unlocked the little hand and scattered
the pinks recklessly. Then he bent over
his wife and said soothingly: "Come
out into the air, Adelaide-Jane will
take care Of baby-he will be all right
Dow."
She got up mechanically and they met
me at the door. The sight of me had
strange effect. She began to remember
days before her sorrow. She put her
hand to heart, and with a great cry fell
at Jansens feet. Afterwa1n she was sane
and begged of him to let her go away at
once-f forever. She thought he must
loathe her. He held her futtering little
hand to his lips while big tear fell on
their wedding ring:
"You' We had great black wrong, lass;
when have righted that you may go, if
you wish. Until then I am your broth
higher nor better. 1 am
not fit for such as you. Such as I am
you have me bound, body and SOUL"
He came away with me, and in the
shop began to whet up huge knife.
"The poor little wretch be gone now"
Jansen referred to that other mans
child. He smiled in an ugly way at the
broad, keen blade of the knife, and
passed his fingers down it caressingly.
Long ago." he said, speaking with a
bitter taste in his mouth, "Adelaide had
spells of sleep-she could not wake.
She slept in q little place in the turret of
her fathers house. He was the curate
here. He is q damned devil, though"
Jansen began at the knife again.
"Some one scaled that wall. must