Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-27
me if you could give him position of some

me If you could give him position OF som
kind in the Office or the factory"
The manufacturer, bridling his impa
thence, fixed his eyes with startled glanc
upon Gunnar.r The Morse type in the you'll
was unmistakable, the frank blue eyes, hal
appealing in their trustfulness, the blond
hair brushed back from the forehead with ,
sort of rising wave. the short, strong, regu
lar teeth, and certain amiable rusticity il
manner and bearing, Norman saw, perhaps
even more; but knowing that his uneasy
conscience was apt to play him tricks, ht
dismissed the memories which rose up be
fore him.
what can the young man do?" he asked
in matter-of-tact tone, turning to Lawson
"Oh, I guess he can do almost any
thing"
"That's the same as to say that he can dc
nothing"
ST reckon that he can earn his board an6
lodging, and that is about all he expects tc
do, for the present"
Every well, I'll find him a place. 1t il
pity he doesn't understand English"
"You may we'll say so, and he was born
in the State of Minnesota"
"Gleat Scottl Don't know the work oi
those blasted parsonsl A native of the
OulbCu OtdbCS, 4OOl 4O JSoAo OlQ, WuO uOCsu
understand the language of his country
You'd have to travel all over the globe to
find another case like it. But those little
Lutheran popes, they know what they are
about. For the moment their people learn
English and can assimilate American ideas
they are lost to the parson. They can no
longer be guided and bullied and threat
ened with eternal damnation, if they think
a little for themselves, and indulge little
heresy on the subject of the infallibility OF
the Norwegian Lutheran Synod"
This was, as Lawson knew. a sore topic
with Norman. He was intensely American
in sentiment and rallied against the Norwe-
gian clergy for isolating their countrymen
from the national life and discouraging
them from learning the English language.
"I'd pay that young fellow good salary
if he had had good English common
school education" he went on Indignantly,
"but in order to keep his pure Lutheran
faith undiluted, he has been allowed to
grow up in ignorance in parochial school,
fed on the husks of doctrinal squabbles, and
studiously kept an alien, in the midst of
this rich and beautiful country, to be a
citizen of which ought to be source of
pride to any man."
AohoOu uhO udu always bIlCu W Keep y
safe middle ground on this question, being
a Norseman among Norsemen and an Amer
lean among Americans, regarded it as i'm
prudent to commit himself and therefore
only nodded an equivocal approval and
murmured:
HIN, yes; that's factI Shouldn't won
der"
1t was soon settled that Gunnar was to be
employed in the factory at salary of S8 a
week, with the promise of advancement as
rapidly as his usefulness warranted. He
had sat gazing silently at the big railroad
map which covered one wall of the Office.
while Lawson and Norman settled his fate, be.
ing unable to comprehend their language. It
was relief to him,ro follow the thick red
lines across the continent; intersecting with
thinner red lines and black lines; for it en-
abled him seemingly to divert his thought
from the all-absorbing consciousness which
glowed and labored within him, that this
was indeed his father. Indignation, on his
mothers account, was at first his uppermost
feeling; but, on the other hand, it seemed
difficult to believe i'll of man with a face
like that of Mr.. Norman. If he was a
as Gunnar was compelled to be-
lieve that he was, he must have found it
terribly hard work. For nature had never
meant him to be a scoundrel. Yet, the
more he was to blame. The thought oc-
CURED to the young man, and had no sooner
occurred than it took complete possession of
his mind, that he would avenge upon this
heartless adventurer the sorrow and suffer.
ing he had caused his poor, abandoned wife,
during all these years. But to
do this. he must follow Nor
mans example. He must disguise
himself. What form his vengeance was to
take, he could not decide on the spur of the
moment. But he would unmask the i'm
postor; hold him up before the community
whose admiration he courted, as the black
hearted monster he was. And to this end.
be would instantly set about learning En-
ylish. He would devote all his energies to
It, and accomplish it in the shortest possible
time.
He started palpably, while nursing this
passionate purpose, when Mr.. Norman ad-
dressed him; but understood presently that
be was to write his name in a book. His
transparent face bespoke the turmoil that
agitated his heart. he began to divine
hat Lawson, who was probably the only
one in possession of Mr.. Norman's secret.
mad made it as profitable to himself as DOS
'ible; and that now, when the manufacturer
was beginning to tire of his blackmail, he
was turning it to fresh account in similar
with the opposite side. All
,hese reflections flashed through his brain,
Is be received the pen from Lawson's hand.
He stopped down over the ledger and wrote:
Finn Varsko.
Norman glanced cursorily at the sigma
ure and closed the book.
Finn Varsko," he murmured. ''that is a
curious name"
VII
Two years passed rapidly and Gunnar be-
,ame proficient in English. He took a
essnn of one hour avery eueninn from h;a