Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27
ysarning for her los. and erring

passionate yearning for her lost and erring
husband.
And SO it came to pass that Gunnar
found himself one day on the road to the
nearest railroad station. tingling in every
nerve with a sense of adventure. He ar.
rived on the following day without accident
in Chicago, and was utterly dewildered by
the grandeur and the noisy turmoil of the
great metropolis of the West. The smoke
oppressed his lungs. The shrek Of loco
motives on the lake front made him blind
and deaf, and the underground buzzing and
humming of the cable cars gave him head
ache. How could he hope to track his
fusion? His first task, however, must be to
find himself boarding place which might
be used as base of operations in his ex-
the city, called Wicker Park. he stumbled
upon a kindly policeman, whose face re-
vealed his Morse blood, and to him Gunnar
con6ded his perplexities, and was directed
to cheap and respectable house kept by
the widow of Norwegian apothecary. The
floor of the hall was covered with oilcloth
and an odor of cooking was perceptible as
soon as the front door was opened; but Gun
mar was not fastidious, and, moreover, the
kindly grace of the landlady, Mrs. Tonne
son, would have reconciled him to worse in
conveniences than culinary odors. At the
dinner table he was introduced 10 about 20
people, mostly clerks in stores, and
recent arrivals from Norway, all
of whom scanned his rustic attire
with supercilious mien. There was particu-
larly young lady, the daughter of Mrs.
Tonneson, who made him uncomfortable by
the critical and half amused expression with
which she regarded him. His ears burned
and his face glowed with the consciousness
that she found him queer, but he was not
angry with her-only desperately deter
mined to learn the ways of the world, and,
if possible, to make her his teacher. She
appeared dazzlingly beautiful to the guile
less young fellow. Her straw-colored hair,
with lot of frizzy curls hanging down over
her forehead, impressed him particularly.
Her features were small and fine, but there
was consciousness of the admiration she
excited in the way she carried her attractive,
blonde head. Perhaps there was even
touch of petulance in her motions like that
of a spoiled child, who knows that every
thing it does is becoming. But Gunnsr was
not discerning enough to detect something
q trihe STACEY in this assumed youthfulness,
nor did he observe the languishing look that
stole into her eyes at odd moments, alternat-
ing with look of dreary fatigue. She wore
a long thin gold chain about her neck, to
which watch was attached, stuck, in Morse
fashion, into the belt that encircled her
waist. Many an admiring glance was
stealthily sent toward her by the younger
clerks, whom she studiously ignored. But
shs lirted with hysterical liveliness with a
student recently arrived from
Norway, whose deep beer base and jaunty
had evidently made an impression
upon her. 81
The next day he went in search of his
friend John Lawson, whom he found in q
dingy grocery shop on Milwaukee avenue,
looking far less dazzling than on the occs-
sion of their last meeting. He communi-
Gated to him his purpose to seek his father,
and asked Lawson it he could now recall
The name by which he was known. The
grocer, seating himself on barrel of -four,
ell into brown study.
"What'll you give me?" he asked, sud-
lenly lifting his head, "if put you on
your dads track?"
"Give you'll" repeated Gunnar, feeling
-ather crestfallen, ~ dom know that have
anything to give you"
"Well, you must be smart enough to know
hat Hans Matson will scarcely thank me
or putting the old woman on the scent of
lim."
"Do you mean to say" exclaimed Gun
lar, wrathfully, ''that my father is scoun-
lrel?"
"Hush. hush, young man; not so fast 1
aid nothing of the sort"
Guhnar was in sore perplexity. A host
# new ideas rushed in upon him. If his
ather was living under an assumed name
t was quite obvious that he did not wish |
lis family to find him. It was odd that |
hat view of the case had not presented |
tself to him and his mother-his poor |
mother who supposed that shame, poverty |
II misfortune kept him from returning to |
Ter! Well, come what might, he was re-
olved to sound the mystery to the bottom. |
"Then you won't help me?" he said to |
lawson, who was yet sitting on the -four |
'arrel, trimming his nails with q pocket |
,nife.
THAT depends upon what you'll give"
nswered Lawson, intent upon his task.
81 have nothing to give. I have scarcely |
nough to get along, until I get something |
o do"
Twill you give me your note of hand for
5O0, payable In nve years, Tor value re-
eived, if the clew furnish you is correct,
he note to be cancelled if my clew is not
orrect?"
"But suppose am not worth $500, in five
ears?"
"I'll take my chances on that"
Gunnar pondered for some minutes, then
nth reckless fling of his head, held out
is hand and said:
rWall einoa fhoro 30 NJ a. rrov,
ose shall have to agree to your terms"
Lawson rising stuck his knife into his
ocket and grasped his visitors hand.
''Wait a minute" he said, land I'll 20
18th you."