The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1892-07-14
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teing about it. nor did [ tell them OF
the existence OF the letter.
When the days work was ended !
hesitated long before opening this let
ter, in spite Of my past eagerness re
garding it. 1t seemed to me as If q
pretty little fancy built romance would
fly away, as my air castles had a way
Of doing. The letter was written in
her own hand and inclosed was trans
lations is | read 1 was glad the other
boys knew nothing Of it, and [ deter
mined then and there that they never
should Tho letter was as follows:
My Friends, the Reporters: Tc
show you that | appreciate your great
kindness to me While an inmate Of the
hospital, | will try to tell you OF the
unhappy event which you have been
puZzlng over for weeks.
Strange and unreasonable as ii
may seem to you, [ am glad that [ at
tempted to drown myself and OH, SO
glad that the merciful God allowed
me to be rescued before | died. This
may seem wild to you, but j mean
what | say.
1T was five years ago that Olof
Swenson began making love to me. [
was a girl Of thirteen years then. and
he a boy Of nineteen. We loved each
other ardently for two years Then
my mother conceived violent dislike
for Olof, and as my father was com
pletely under her control he soon for
bade OlOf to come to the house
Our love was too deep to be thwart-
ed, and while | was at school Olof
found fequent opportunities Of visit
ing me- Wewould have married then,
only we We're too poor
'One night my lover came to me
and said: Ellen, if [ were lost at sea.
would you be faithful to me?'
Il saw fiat he was downcast and
heavy hearted and had something on
his mind.
4 said: why, Olof, what do you
mean?'
II mean,' he said, and tears flied
his eyes, that lam going to America.
oh, Olof,' ] cried, and wept bitter
tears.
Then he told me Of his plans and
how, when he became rich. he would
send for me. We both promised to
be SO true to each other. and we be
came almost happy in thinking Of the
good times In store for lis in far away
| America
Il bore up brayely, for / knew how
hard it would be for poor Olof away
| off so far from friends and working SC
| hard for me-
His letters came as regularly as
working mems letters usually come
After & while his writing seemed IN.
certain as though his hand was weak
and | could hardly read his letters
Then [ knew that he was sick but
would not tell me.
Il felt that | must go to my lover
The ocean Is wide. but trustful hearI
can span it and fly like a freed spar
row to Its mate. | sold some of III,
clothes and borrowed some money
from brother. Then, when l was al
ready, l told my parents. They were
angry and sorely perplexcd. but [ was
bound to go and they could not kee,
me-
'On the morning of my departure
my brother brought me letter writ
ten in strange hand. 1t told m,
that Olof was dead and in the letter
was lock Of hair I had given hin
when he left A friend of Olofs haG
written the letter It said that my
lovers dying request had been to senC
the hair to me and tell me that he
loved me to the last.
'Grief is hard to bear. bat l bore
mine as brayely as / could. and in {
month / started TO America to go tC
my lovers grave, and then so on Il
live with a brother in Utah.
In your country directions are
easy, and | arrived safely in the towI
where he died Ga the evening of my
arrival | bought boquet of flower,
and started to the cemetery to find hi:
grave. Near house / stopped to rest
| saw man approaching and heart
him whistling an old Swedish air
knew SO we'll My blood tingled am
my heart leapel for JOY. It was
dear old tune that Oiof was fond o
before he was laid in tie churchyard
The man entered the house as / drew
near passed the window. 1t wa
| Olof himself He was making love f
another girl His arm was arounl
her and he was looking into her eye
as he used to look at me.
thus had the dead come to lif
again and had been deceived. / ran
away and came here. How. | do NO
know. A terrible something pursue,
me. 1t seemed the phantom of hirn
had loved SO truly. / could not for