The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1884-03-27
HILDA'S STORY OLA DAKOTA CLAIM,


and raises in that remarkable territory
some of the finest wheat that is raised
in the world. Part of the winter Of
1882 he spent in the east, and often
came to my rooms where we enjoyed
many pleasant hour together. Dur
ing these interviews learned many in
teresting facts connected with the every
day experience of settlers in the west.
One incident in his frontier life
amused me very much, and will re-
peat 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, is
about 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, l 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 small affair,
of the class known in that part of the
country as 'shanties.' tits tight board
ed and banked up about the sides, and
is probably warm and cosey even in our
bitterest winters. Pete had set out a
few trees in front of the shanty ,Aelms
and cottonwood, and had built lit
tie arbor over the door, under which the
bench was placed There was few
flowers in boxes near by, and an old yell
low cat was almost always stretched out
at full length in the doorway. 1t is a
pleasant, home-like little place.
"a few rods from the house was q
straw barn, with a heavy log frame,
that Pete had built. 1t was completely
buried in mountain of straw. One
evening, after I had become quite at
home with my neighbors, l ventured to
"Well, Pete, 1 suppose you became
acquainted with your wife in Norway?
Perhaps you have known each other
since you We're children?
pete was smoking his long pipe.
He did not reply, but laughed quietly.
1 glanced at his wife and saw that she
was smiling, and had roguish light in
her eve as she looked at her husband.
This excited my curiosity, and I
said to her, How is it, Mrs. Nelson?
Have you known Pete since he was
little boy?'
"Oh no.
"Then you came over on the steam
er together from Norway
"Oh no, and she laughed outright.
"Did you meet him on your way out
West?'
"No, no, no.
"You must have found him here,
waiting for you, them 1 continued,
laughing.
NO. he was not here when I come,'
she said, as she walked over to where
Pete was sitting and sat down on the
ground at his feet. Shall I tell, Pete?'
she asked, looking archly into his face.
Pete kept on smoking, but nodded
spontaneously.
His wife laid her hand on his knee
and for moment was thoughtful and
quiet. Perhaps she was getting to-
gether her somewhat scanty collection
of English words.
well" she said at last again, Look
ing intso Peete,s face face and smIiing, I 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 older than twenty-one.
Rather frank confession, I thought;
but she evidently had no sensitiyeness
about her age, and went on.
$50 1 takes this quarter. But not
come and really live here. Only I put
up little house, and sometime come
here with my farder for one day, Or for
two day.
"So by-an'-by Pete he 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 pillow and dig well.
$50 my farder he come here and he
gay to Pete, $50 away, you bad man!
You no see first house what built before
you Gomez"
"And Pete say he no care for house.
"You must live on quarter when you
want getit Nobody live in those house.
I 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 I come and stay in first
house all time.
"sThan 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.
"s"No," my farder say to him one
day, at 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 90 away that time, and plough
some more, and build straw barn and
buy COW. And sometime hope he go
away and leave land for me, and some
time'-here she looked up again and
smiled at Pete, sometime 1 hope he
come back to see us some more, and not
go away. And [ sit at window Ahd
watch Pete build house and barn, and
plough, and say
"Pete have good house and barn,
but he all so lonesome widout some
wife"
"My farder say always Pete is bad
man. But know he not bad man.
'"Then he comes again, and he say,
eff you go away, give you hundred
dollar. for not have any more trouble"
"But my farder say, 'No; this land
my daughter land. But if you go away
I give YOU fifty dollar for not to have
some more trouble"
'"But he say no, and he go off again.
SO then he build more bigger house,
and buy hens, and plough some more.
And he come again,
"And this time he walk right up and
stand close in front of me, and look at
me so want to run away. But sits
STILL