, 1885-06-21
JOHANNA.


49, 49,
low and the other smaller and creamy
white
The light from the chandelier was
rather dim, and she found IL n difficult
matter TO decipher the superscriptions
However. she soon discovered that the
white one had Miss Edith NJ. Ward"
written on il In n bold. rather angular
hand.
She slipped ii into her pocket with "a
subdued. alert air Of being watched, which
was comical because 1t was so entirely IN
necessary.
The letter wss from Jack Field. and
every one In her set knew he was her
lover. she had seen the postman come
up the steps, and had iown to the door
lest anyone should fOrestall her.
Edith found the writing on the other
envelope harder to make out 1t was In a
cramped. queer hand. by no means legi-
Bile.
The foreign stamp in the corner aided
her a 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. 81 hope Sister Anna Is confirmed
at last. and is coming to America TO make
Johannc happy.
johanna knudstatter was sitting in
the kitchen pairing apples and singing in
a low key TO herself.
The an swas 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 fur above it in degree. Every
thing connected with Norway was right.
aud AtaNAr an. TO-, --tsI 10 a., -
Johanna wa not pretty. Her thick.
bare arms were rough and ungraceful. aud
her face was red from constant and close
acquaintance with kitchen fires Her
heck bones were high. and her coarse.
scant locks were OF IA nondescript hue.
But she had beautiful eyes. large and
gray. and with DARK, long lashes.
~Ch. Norge er NIT Hjcml" (Oh. Nor
way is my homeJ ohanne was singing
when Edith stepped into the kitchen. the
yellow envelope snugly slowed away in
her pocket
I've got something for you, johanna, y
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 c en- folded her hands
ais 1t "a Kitten, Miss EditgH she
asked with y pu zled air.
Edith laughed
mo. you foolish Johanne. il isn't a
kitten What should l be giving you a
kitten forl ~here-youll never guess it,
its a letter from Norge ="
Johannes eyes opened like n fash.
"A letter. Oh. gif i'm me, Miss Edit"
With fingers that trembled she took a
aR,.ft t4afr ,f u,fueNru Fras,, bar naatrat arl
cut the end Of the envelope. Her hands
trcmbled eyen more when she read the
letter.
When she had finished she heaved a
deep sigh and her gray eyes were illum-
ined.
aOh. Miss Edit dis letter is from my
pastor, an my Sister Anna was contirmert.
and she stood high. an she is on de way
here 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. -Iou can
have her near you always then. Johsnne. "
"oh. Gud is goot-Gud is gootl' the
warm tears coursing down her cheeks
I'm so glad ! sent her the money. Miss
Edit. do de pastor he say she no can come
till she DO connrmert Dat seem pretty
long. Miss dit. but now she will be here,
a n l be verr glad all day. She hat no
fnder nor moder, Miss Edit. only me. an
she mus stay in de pastors house I'LL she
be big enough to come to me. She can
spe'k some Engelsk. too dey learns il
dere.
Edith had heard the whole story often
before, but shc listened with the tears OF
sympathy shining On her brown lashes.
"Oh she is so YER pretty. Miss kdit'-
nit hair yust like gold or do sunshine. an
Al.ul~a l1~w q 800 49, As~Aa wA..s.
prefer dan de sky in de himmelL Ak. /
never see no p%rettier girls dan she. even in
dc richest house. "
Her love made Fohanne eloquent Edith
could not help wondering If II was her
love that made sister Anna 50 beautiful,
too.
"Hans viii be glad to hear de news. an
soon We can git married. wen we safe a
leetlo more money, an Sister Anna can
III nit us Ak. We will be so glad all de
timeln
Hans Steen was the gardener. and 10.
hanne aud he were engaged to be married.
They had lived in the same parish. and
had known each other since childhood.
He was a siolid. slow man. with a
broad emotlonless face and small. blue.
white dashed eyes dith had often de.
clared her conviction that he was un-
worthy OF Johanna.
Mrs Ward did not exactly approve the
plan OF taking Anna knudstaiter as a
maid, but was won over at last, and
Anna's position was secur when she Ar.
rived.
Edith he'd expected to see a pretty.
rustic face. but was not prepared for the
vision OF loneliness that threw itself with
the iml etuosity 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 hac the advantage Of a beautiful set
ting. and so appeared 10 be larger and
longer-lashed, and a deeper gray. In re
ality they were almost exactly the coun-
terpart Of Johannes
Il shall be afraid to ask her TO dress my
hair, " said / dith looking at Anna with
pleased wonder "Sbe Is the most grace
full creature | ever saw. il she not per.
fectly lovely, mammal"
The happiest woman in Boston for at
least a month was Johanna knudstatter.
She had a smile on her face from morning
till night, and she hummed Norge or nit
Hem with redoubled enthusiasm aud pa
triotism.
Anna too. seemed well pleased with her
new home In America She spoke English
almost as well us Johanne before she
came. and she improved rapidly.
he WA a source Of constant wonder
and asthetic delight 10 her young mis-
tress-for J dith was nominally her mis-
iress. though the lines were not very
tightly drawn.
Anna soon strutted about In some OF
Edith's cast-of gowns, and aped Edith's
little airs to perfection. She was vanity
%personifed and had not been In the house
q week before she had cut oil her smooth
A satisfactory glass of soda or mineral
water can be obtained at Pcabody's for
Eve cents. Try it,