The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-11-24

poured in upon us, and Eta sLwed stead
lily on. Each afternoon Auguste 1--WE
learned his nance appeared, apparently
propelled by the regular motion of the
big cane. Somehow he always seemed
like a piece of machinery, for his appear
ance never chagged-always the snuff
colored suit, theflittle hat and the but
tonholc bouquet; and lie seemed to go
and come mechanically. enveloped in a
cloud of smoke pulled from the big cigar.
Eta owned one thing strangely out of
keeping with her othef possessions. 1t
was a large gold watch. attached to an
old fashioned chain, from which dangled
two or three odd, foreign looking charms
of fire workmanship. She was very fond
of it, as it had belonged to her mother,
and wore it always, till at last it seemed
almost a part of herself. Seeing her
without it one day, 1 exclaimed imme-
diately, as | thought she must have
lost it.
She waited a moment before replying
and then said slowly, II haf lend it to
my cousin"
She then told me that Auguste was a
barber by trade, and had come to Amer
lea with money she had sent him for the
trip.
After the disappearance of the watch
Auguste came less frequently, and as
time went ON seldom appeared oftener
than once a week. There was no more
sewing, and Eta began to look more as
of old. Little by little the happy light
faded from her face, and the gray ayes
became sadder by contrast, perhaps,
than before.
A time came when weeks passed with
out a sign of the little Norwegian, but
one day a letter arrived for Eta in the
same crooked writing. Some time later
in the day, going into the kitchen, 1
found Eta leaning on the table, the let
ter crumpled in her clinched hands and
her face buried in her arms.
1 touched her gently on the shoulder,
but got no other response than the low,
stifed sobs which shook the poor, thin
body from head to foot. At last she
raised her sorrow stricken face, and lift
ing her eyes to mine said slowly, with
her lisping accent, II hat to go way; L
hat sorrow, great SORROW"
She would tell but little of her story.
She was to have married her cousin in a
few weeks time, but he had tired of her,
and that day a letter had come from
him, first begging her to forgive him
and then telling her that he had sold her
treasured watch, and by the time she
got that letter would have sailed on a
vessel bound for Norway.
Shall you, too, go homer" l said.
Slowly and sadly came the answer,
"No," and / felt that with the utterance
of that little word she gave up all hope,
and renowned forever all thought of
the happiness she had been picturing for
herself the last few months, as she sat
sewing steadily, only pausing nov and
then, with a little flush in her pale
cheeks, to softly steal a hand into her
pocket and touch the letters she always
carried there.
Next morning Eta could not be found.
In a corner of her room stood q little
hair trunk labeled with a Norwegian
address and filled with the garments so
recently finished. 1t was corded up and
sent to Christiana; it may have reached
it's destination or it may not, its fate is
as uncertain as Etta's own. The poor
woman, tired, disappointed and hope
less, had vanished that night, taking
with her little else than her sad, sad
thoughts.
I often picture her with her STOPPING
shoulders and pallid, tear stained face,
every vestige of love and hope gone out,
wandering away into the night and gaz-
ing up at the stars, 80 serene and far
away, as she murmurs, "Forsaken, for-
saken."- = - T--.axyAN -