The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-04-23
HILDA'S STORY.


the world. Part of the winter of 1882 he
spent in the East, and often came to my
rooms, where we enjoyed many pleas
ant hour together. During these inter-
views learned many interesting facts
connected with the everyday experiences
of settlers in the West.
One incident in his frontier life amused
me very much, and | will repeat it, as
nearly as possible in his own words,
for the benefit of the Companion readers.
''My next neighbors," he said, ''are a
young Norwegian and his wife. The
man, whose name is Pete Nelson, isabout
thirty years old tall, broad-shouldered
and good-natured His wife. Hilda, is
several years younger a bright, smiling
woman, and full of life.
Sometimes, after work for the day
was done, | used to walk over to Neil
sons and sit on the bench outside the
house, and chat with him for half an hour.
The house itself is a small affair, of the
class known in that part of the country
as 'shanties.' It is tight-boarded and
banked up about the sides, and is proba-
bly, warm and cosy even in our bitterest
winters. Pete had set out few trees in
front of the shanty-elms and cottonwood
and had built little arbor over the
door, under which the bench was placed.
There were few flowers in boxes near
by, and an old yellow cat was almost
always stretched out at full length in the
doorway. 1t is pleasant, home-like lit
tie place.
ga few rods from the house was a
straw barn, with a heavy log frame,
that Pete had built 1t was completely
buried in a mountain of straw. One
evening, after | had become quiet at
home with my neighbors, L ventured to
say:
Well, Pete, suppose you became
acquainted with your wife in Norway?
Perhaps you have known each other
since you were children2'
"Pete was smoking his long pipe. He
did not reply, but laughed quietly. l
glanced at his wife and saw that she was
smiling and had roguish light in her
eye as she looked at her husband.
This excited my curiosity, and said
to her, How is it, Mrs. Neilson2 Have
you known Pete since he was a little
boyF
'''Oh no..
"'Then you came over on the steamer
together from NorwayY
"'Oh no, and she laughed outright.
GO Did you meet him on his way out
West2'
"'No, no, no.
"' You must have found him here,
waiting for you, then,' l continued
laughing.
"'No, he not here when 1 come, she
said, as she walked over to where Pete
was sitting and sat down on the ground
at his feet Shall 1 tell, PeteN she
asked, looking archly into hfs face.
pete kept on smoking, but nodded
good d-humoredly.
4" His wife laid her hand on his knee
and for a moment was thoughtful and
quiet. Perhaps she was getting together
her somewhat scanty collection of Eng
lish words.
Well, she said at last again, look
ing into Pete's face and smiling, l come
to here with my farder and my mutter
and my sisters. My farder take quarter
section, and then he say:
"'" Hilda, you take quarter section
too. You more old than twenty -one. ~
Rather frank confession, thought ;
but she evidently had no sensitiveness
about her age, and went on:
so l takes this quarter. But I not
come and really live here. Only put up
leetle house, and sometime come here
with my farder for one day, or for two
day.
@ So by-an'-bye Pete ne come here,
too. And no more good land left; and
he know how nobody live here, so he
build house here, too, and live here all
times and plow-and dig well.
- So my farder he come here and he
say to Pete, SEQ away, you bad man
You no see first house what built before
| you GOMEZ"
80 And Pete say he no care for house.
"You must live on quarter when you
I want get it. Nobody live in those house.
live here all time. Quarter section
mine," he say.
:" So they shake heads and talk loud
! and shake fists. But Pete he stay.
- He never see me. He think my
farder want this land himself So then
my farder and | come and stay in first
! house all time.
- Then Pete he come to there, and he
say, $50 away go away Do not live
on my land. 1t is not you's land" He
say many such things.
"''"No," my farder say to him one
day, sit is not my land
- ''Then Pete look surprise and say,
"If not you's land, then go away"
- But my farder shake head, and say
very loud, "Not my land, but my daugh-
ter land"
. Then Pete he look at me, sit in dark
corner, and he more stonish. But he 60
away that time, and plow some more,
and build straw barn and buy COW And
some time hope he go away and leave
land for me, and some time'"here she
looked up again and smiled at Pete.
Some time l hope he come back to see
us some more, and not go away. And
sit at window and watch Pete build
house and barn, and plow, and l say:
"'''Pete have good house and barn,
I. l..