Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1891-11-13
LOVE CLIMBS THE HILL.
A NORWEGIAN ROMANCE.

ItOHi 'hc tlillc tHaU Aslang WAS qultc
grown up there was no longer any
peace or quiet at Ilusaby. In fact,
all the handsomest young fellows in
the village did nothing but fight and
quarrel night after night, aud it was
always worse on Saturday night. As
laDg's fa. her, old Canute Husaby,
never went to bed on those nights
without keeping on at least his leather
breeches and laying n good stout birch
stick on the bed beside him. "1f
have such a pretty daughter" said
old Canute, 81 must know how TO
take care of her"
Thor Nesset was only the son Of a
poor cottagcr, and yet folks said that
it was he who went oftenest TO visit
the farmers daughter at 1lusaby.
OF course, old Canutc was not pleased
TO hear this. lie said il was not true {:
that, at any rate, he had never seen
him Il ere. Still they smiled and
whispered TO each other that if lie had
thoroughly searched the hay loft,
whittier Aslang had many an errand,
he would have found Thor there.
Spring came, and Aslang went up
the mountain with the cattle. And
now when the heat of the day hung
over the valley, the rocks rose cool
and clear through the suns misty
rays, the COW bells t;nkled, the shep-
herds dog barked, Aslang sang her
''jodel'' songs, and blew the COW horn,
all the young men felt their hearts
grow sore and heavy as they gazed
1pon her beauty. Aud on the first
Saturday evening one after the other
they crcpt up the hill. But they came
down again quicker than they had
gone up, for at the top stood man
who kept guard, receiving each one
who came up with such warm re-
ccptiOn that lie all his life long re-
mcmbered the words that accompanied
the action: ''Comc up here AGAIN
and there will be still more in store
for vou!"
All the young fellows could arrive
but at one conclusion, that there was
only one man in the whole parish who
had such fists, and that man was Thor
Nesset. And all the rich farmers
daughters thought it was too bad that
ihis cottager's son should stand high
es in Aslang Husaby's favor.
Old Canute thought the same when
he heard about it all. and said that if
there were no one else who could check
him he would do it himself. Now
Canu.e was certainly getting on in
years; still, although he was past 60,
he often enjoyed a good wrestling
match with his eldest son whenever
time indoors fell heavy on his hands.
There was but one path up Tie
belonging to Husaby, and it
went straight through The farm gar
den. Next Saturday evening as Thor
was on his way 10 the mountain, creep
ing carefully across the yard, ,hurrying
as soon as lie was well past the farm
man suddenly rushed at
him.
"What do you want with me?"
asked Thor, and hit him such a blow
in the face that sparks danced before
his eyes.
''You will soon learn that" said
some one else behind him, and gave
him great blow in the back of his
neck. That was Aslang's brother.
"And here's the third man," said
O,d Canute, and attacked him also.
The greater the danger the greater
was Thor's strength. lie was supple
as willow, and hit out right man.
fully; hc dived and he ducked; when
ever blow fell it missed him, and
when none expected il he would deal
a good one. lie stopped down, he
sprang on one side, but for all that he
got terrible thrashing. Old Canute
said afterward that ''he never fought
with braver fellow" They kept il
mp till blood began 10 flow, then
Canute cried out: "Stop!" Then he
added in a croaking tone: "If you
can get mp here next Saturday, in
spite of Canute IIusaby and his men,
The girl shall be yoursl"
Thor dragged himself home as best
he could, and when he reached the
cottage went straight to bed. There
Was Slcat ucai VI TAIN aoVut TIC
light mp on lIusabY hill, but everyone
said, "Why did he go thcre?r Only
,ne person did not say SO, and that
was Aslang. She had been expecting
Thor that Saturday evening, but when
.he heard what had happened between
l,gs AID her father, she sat down and
cried bitterly, and said TO herself: elf