The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1891-12-10
NORWEGIAN COURTSHIP,

Tall: Yes. very. She stood head
above the average man.
Slight: No. That is too poetical a
word TO be in any way applied to the
heroine Of this little tale, whose lean.
scrawny figure looked for all the world
like a series of badly connected angles,
and whose STOPPING shoulders and mar
row chest We're clad in a faded black
jacket.
This garment, with its rusty surface
and pulled seams, suited well the sad
looking woman into whose dreary life
came one little bit Of color, which shall
try 10 describe.
Her face correspondent well with the
rest of her appearance, for it was faded
and worn. and surrounded by fringe of
straight, dusty brown hair, pulled tight
" back from the sallow, weary face,
whose one redeeming feature was the
eyes-dark gray, and oh, so sad!
She had that expression Of wistful
waiting sometimes seen in the eyes of q
faithful dog who has lost his master, and
seems ever TO wait, always patiently, and
TO watch ever expectantly for the beloved
face.
She was a Norwegian, named Eta,
and lived in our family as cook for near
lyayear.
Weeks passed by and early autumn,
which had brought her to us, shed leafy
tears. and departed suddenly. leaving
us all unprepared for winters advent,
which announced itself in a cold, dismal
rain.
Up to this time Eta had never re-
ceiyed letter or any communication
from the ontside world. She never left
the house, and scorned the idea of an
afternoon ont. However, on this drizzly
day, there was a surprise, a great sur
prise, for Eta was discovered holding
an open letter tightly grasped in one
hand. But when she found herself re-
garded. it was hastily thrust into a
voluminous pocket in her skirt.
Now this pocket was marvel in it
self, as it could hold myriads of things.
Why, one day saw her produce a pill
low case, a workbox. scissors and brass
thimble at one fell swoop; at another
time-but i am wandering far away
from the letter and its consequences.
The mysterious epistle was seen sew
eral times again, and these glimpses
showed it to be worn and rumpled with
much reading. No doubt it would have
been read and reread out of existence
had not another, fresh and clean, re-
placed the first.
This took from the poStmaa, and 50
L. e., Ia char
acterless writing, the Christiania post
mark and Norwegian stamp. 1t was
followed a week later by another, then
another.
became interested. for felt l was on
the track of real, live romance.
The pale. tired face seemed TO grow
brighter in those days, and for the first
time Eta made frequent trips TO the
city. returning laden with bundles OF
every size and description. Ali her spare
time was now employed in sewing. Cali
Goes and prints were made and laid
aside. For some reason or other Eta
was replenishing her clean but scant and
somewhat dilapidated wardrobe.
Another link in the chain! thought L
and began TO imagine the arrival OF a
stalwart Norwegian lover left in Nor
way two years before, when she hsd
come 20 try her fortune in America.
Letters came more frequently, and
Eta grew correspOndingly brighter and
cheerier-she even seemed 10 try TO hold
herself more erectly, for often the bent
shoulders were suddenly Strengthened a.
she went about her work. Her voice
formerly so tired and hopeless, took on 9
more cheerful tone.
Not the least remarkable Of Ettas
peculiarities was her manner Of speak
ing; slowly and lispingly came the
broken English, which was at first Sc
hard to understand. Such a sad mix
ture OF her mother tongue and this new
strange language, such verbal combine
tions and misplaced plurals were never
heard before.
About this time / mentioned my TO
mantle notions TO my mother, but she
only laughed, being entirely unable tc
connect Etta's sad appearance with &
lover, Norwegian or of any other land
She called me a romancer, but ! still fell
sure was right.
Sooner than expected came the chanc'
to yindicate myself, for the next day n
] sat idly by the window, watching tn,
passers by, my attention was attractet
by a queer little figure way down ths
street, which came on toward the nous,
at rafting pace, gayly swinging hug
cane and putting vigorously at q mann
moth cigar. At a distance ii was i'm
possible TO tell whether he was boy o.
, man, such comical, little figure he was