The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-09-03
JOHANNE.
[Anthonv E. Anderson. ]

One of the envelopes was large and vel
low and the other smaller and creamy
white.
The light from the chandelier was
rather dim, and she touno IL olnIcuIt
matter to decipher the superscriptions.
However. she soon discovered that the
xvhite one had "Miss Edith NJ. Ward"
written on it in bold, rather angular
hand.
She slipped it into her pocket with
subdued, alert air of being watched, which
was comical because it was so entirely un-
necessary.
The letter was from Jack Field, and
every one in her "set" knew he was heI
lover. She had seen the postman come
up the steps, and had flown to the door
lest anyone should forestall her.
Edith found the writing on the other
envelope harder to make out 1t was in
cramped, queer hand, by no means legi-
ble
The foreign stamp in the corner aided
her little
Evidently the sight of this letter pleased
Edith almost as much as the other had
done
"Ah, it is from Norway" she said to
herself II hope Sister Anna is confirmed
at last and is coming to America to make
johanna happy.
Johanne Knudstatter was sitting in
$500
a low key to herself.
The air was a Morse national hymn
indeed you could never have caught 10
hanne trying to sing anything which was
not Norwegian. Her love of country was
a sort of religion with her, and her love
for her sister was very much like it,
though far above it in degree. Every
thing connected with Norway was right,
and Sister Anna, too, could do no wrong.
Johanna was not pretty Her thick,
bare arms were rough and ungraceful, and
her face was red from constant and close
acquaintance with kitchen fires. Her
cheek bones were high and her coarse,
scant locks were of nondescript hue.
But she had beautiful eyes, large and
gray, and with dark, long lashes.
ooh, Norge er nit Hjem!" ooh, Nor
way is my homeD Johanne was singing
when Edith stepped into the kitchen, the
yellow envelope snugly slowed away in
her pocket
ave got something for you, Johanne,
she said, her brown eyes shining with
pleased anticipation. Guess what it is. :"
Johanne laid down her knife and apple,
and assumed an exaggerated expression of
thoughtfulness. She pursed up her
mouth, she closed her eyes for a moment,
and even folded her hands.
ais it "a kitten, Miss Edit" she
asked with puzzled air.
Edith laughed
"No, you foolish Johanne, it isn't
Kitten What should l be giving you
kitten for2 Here-youll never guess it;
it's letter from Norge.
Johannes eyes opened like flash.
& letter. Oh, gift i'm me, Miss Edit"
\ With fingers that trembled she took
small pair of scissors from her pocket and
cut the end of the envelope. Her hands
trembled even more when she read the
letter.
When she had finished she heaved a
deep sigh and her gray eyes were illum
ined
"Oh, Miss Edit! dis letter is from my
pastor, an my Sister Anna was conf1rmert,
and she stood high, an she is on de way
herel Oh, she will be here to- morrow"
"And she shall be my maid" cried
Edith, with sudden inspiration; she was
no less excited than Johanna. you can
have her near you always then, johanna.
ooh Gud is goot-Gud is goot!" the
warm tears coursing down her cheeks
"I'm so glad I sent her the money, Miss
Edit do de pastor he say she no can come
long, Miss Edit. but now she will be here,
an I be very glad all day. She hat no
fader nor moder, Miss Edit. only me, an
she mus stay in de pastors house till she
be big enough to come to me- She can
spe'k some Engelsk, too; dey learns it
dere
Edith had heard the whole story often
before, but she listened with the tears of
sympathy shining on her brown lashes.
"Oh, she is so YER pretty, Miss Edit =
NIT hair yust like gold or do sunshine, an
cheeks like a rose, an eyes-oh, nuts
prefer dan de sky in de himmelL Ak |
never see no prettier girls dan she, even in
de richest house
Her love made Johanne eloquent Edith
4 L 1,
love that made sister Anna so beautiful,
too.
"Hans viii be glad to hear de news, an
soon We can git married, wen we safe
1eetle more money, an Sister Anna can
lif NIT us. Ak, We viii be so glad all de
timel"
Hans Steen was the gardener, and Jo-
hanne and he were engaged to be married.
They had lived in the same parish and
had known each other since childhood
He was a stolid, slow man, with a
broad, emotionless face, and small, blue
white dashed eyes Edith had often de
clared her conviction that he was I'M
worthy of Johanne.
Mrs. Ward did not exactly approve the
plan of taking Anna Knudstatter as a
maid, but was won over at last; and
Annals position was secure when she ar
rived.
Edith he'd expected to see pretty,
rustic face, but was not prepared for the
vision of loneliness that threw itself with
the impetuosity of childhood on Johannes
neck.
Anna was very plainly but neatly clad
but her garments were unnoticed. She had
one of the most exquisitely pure blonde
faces Edith had ever seen.
The small features were perfect in
shape; her eyes were like Johannes, but
they had the advantage of beautiful set
ting. and so appeared to be larger and
longer-lashed, and deeper gray. In re
ality they were almost exactly the coun
terpart of Johannes
I shall be afraid to ask her to dress my
hair, said Edith, looking at Anna with !
pleased wonder She is the most grace
full creature / ever saw. Is she not per
fectly lovely, mamma?"
The happiest woman in Boston for at !
least a month was Johanne Knudstatter. |
She had smile on her face from morning |
till night, and she hummed Norge er nit
HEM with redoubled enthusiasm and pa |
trfotism.
Anna. too, seemed well pleased with her
new home in America. She spoke English |