Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1888-11-01
A Brothers Keeper.
4 WOMANS WORK OF LOVE AND DUTY
BY MARY HARTTELL CATHERwooD,
AUTHOR OF "CaAQJB-O' DooM," STEPHEN
GUTHRIE" TIVE LONE MANS
CABIN" AND OTHER SroR Es.
copyrighted, 1857, tyns A. NJ K,iiogg Neuspa.
pr C0mpdHy.l

[Copyrigltea, 1857. tyns A. ~ K.hogg Neuspa-
pr compaayl
"Pretty soon voice near the Troll said !:
who knows, Troll, but you may conquer
this Maelstrom and quiet its rage for the
remainder of the centuries.
she looked around and saw white child
you have worked in the quarries and knit
your strength says the child, and / can
show YOU the way to the ore-dwarfs, and in
their furnace you viii find hammer and
anvil ready for any body who wants TO use
them. Never mind what any dwarf does,
but take your heart, your brain, your hands
and feet one after the other, and beat and
temper them on the anvil
- They are all flesh objected the Troll.
"a nice temper l should beat into them on
metal
" THE hammer and anvil arc not metals
says the child. You make yourself able TO
rise through the Maelstrom'
$50 the Troll went to the furnace Of the
ore-dwarfs. He saw them fuse and force
into upper rock and soil the metals for which
men dig. The black fellows would seize jets
of fiery liquid, and leaping like meteors,
fling them to force their way upward. They
looked curiously at the Troll and made
faces. But without speaking to them, he
went to the hammer and anvil which the
child showed him These tools, while he
worked with them, passed through all the
colors of the rainbow. They must be made
of light, he thought.
''He beat away en- his heart, but the more
he thumped the larger it grew, and when
he put it back into place it pushed out his
chest and lifted hiia Off the ground At
that tho Troll dropped his tools, dashed out
of the furnace and threw himself across the
reservoir. which opened into the sea, sure
that he could face the Maelstrom. His light
heart carried him straight up the whirlpool,
but before he had risen six fathoms he was
pounded and sufYocatcl the sea threw him
back into the reservoir and shook her
witch fist AZ him through the opening, as
II saying: is that enough for your
''The rrea liIaped back to tho furnace,
whore every grinning dwarf capcred at
him But no hammered his brains and con-
densed them until they became magnetic,
forcibly Drawing or rcpelling objects and
when he put them b9cL in his head he saw
himself differently, and did no: attempt the
whirlpool again until he had followed all
the child's Notwithstanding his hands
and feet to an ar1ber glow, the very tint of
light under water.
'.Then he crept out and launched into the
base of the Maelstrom. But it beat him
down, and dashed him across the face with
bodies and stung him with sea-nettlcs, un.
til he threw up his arms and was sucked
among tie dead in the reservoir, scarcely
able to lift his nostrils over the brink. So
stubborn was the Troll, however, that he
crept again TO the furnace, and this time the
=.
face, and bent over and slapping themselves
and twisting their tiny black noses in de
rision.
without watching them, the Troll ten-
pered himself q third time. And after that
trial Of the Maelstrom he would not have
lifted finger for his life and the whole
world besides.
'sThe child came and smoothed his bruised
limbs, saying Poor little hill Troll
"'l'm ready to die, said the Troll. But
after he had rested long time he addedl
IN die trying it, though.
cover and over he tempered himself, over
and over he tried the Maelstrom, astonished
to find how life and determination did linger
in him, until he rose through the whirlpool
and drew up calm under his feet To this
day the Maelstrom remains conquered, and
is no longer dangerous except i'll winter
storms. And the whole worldwide did not
care pin for the Troll when he was beaten
just to death in his subterranean reservoir
could not praise him enough"
prolonged snore from Nose covered the
climax Of this story. Adam dragged him
up blinking like an owl.
''T'who0-ool'' initiated Adam. ''Wakc up,
chicken-eater. The story's told and tho
polasses is waxin'. You help me sling of
these kittles"
.'You mustn't let such back-achey,
gruesome yarns get into your head, Miss
Phoebe" said Tom Holmes 1T isn't
healthy Lies not tug; it's pretty much
as one makes it, Here's Painter ovor the
Hollow. He could be living like decent
Christian, but shuts himself up like wolf.
What if things haven't gone "a suit him. 4
man can't boss the wovLd. A man expects
to be trod on once In awhile, but let him
take it with good grace and kick back if
he can, and if he can't, grin about it."
'sPeoplc who are out of the water can give
such lucid instructions how to escape
drowning" retorted Gurley, you've al
ways had good time yourself.n
There was some hustle in taking of the
kettles and helping the sugar. The party
shifted about. talking. When Gurley
brought Phoebe White her saucer of sugar,
she said TO him.
II wonder what that hermit is doing
across the Hollow! May be he's sitting be-
fore his fire with his heart all bitter"
perhaps he isl said Gurley, smiling in
diligently. "Ive been down in the mouth
myself when was lonesome"
Tom Holmes looked at her with the
amused contempt which experienced people
always bestow on visionaries.
900 over and invite Painter to join us,
Miss Phoebe" he suggested
i'Td like to go and carry him some sugar,
just to let him know there were human be-
ings in the world who could take a thought
for him"
'sDo it," said Tom. Sim curious TO know
how he'll receive you"
II will, y returned Phoebe White, nettled,
'if some one pleases to show me the path.
Nose, you forfeited your hat. Redeem it by
going across Black Hollow with me-"
II don't care nothin' about that old hat"
replied Nose, slouching into the lodge with
a jarful of the grained sugar.
''What'l you be up to nextln disapproved
Randy.
Nobody will go with her" said McArdle,
easily. at is too absurd"
''Not at all absurd, said Gurley ready
with another saucer Of sugar "Will you
take my arm, Miss Whitel know every
stepping-stone in the Black Hollow
s -. a. : Tn..~