The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1892-12-17
BIRGIT AND OLA.

|
scrubbed her knees, cried and was
lifted up again. Thusit went on from
the weeks beginning to it's end.
He grew tired of her and would have
liked to run away from her. But he
did not dare, for she was his masters
daughter and he was-well, there was
the rub-he did not know who he was.
He woke up one day and found him
self born. The sky was above him
and there would have been earth be-
meath his feet if he had not pointed
them in the wrong direction. He was
christened in random way Ola, and
was put on the parish, as they say.
Jens Oestrud took him as his share
of the parish burdens. When he was
6 years old he could be made useful
enough to earn his food and shelter.
Jens Oestrud then wanted to send
him away, but his little daughter Bir-
git was SO fond of him that he decided
to keep him. ....
When Ola was 12 years old he could
kitk k a cap from a nail high above his
he; d. Birgt was SO fond of Ola that
everything he did seemed admirable.
Once she said bad word and Ola was
whipped for it.
| So Ola was sent to the mountains;
he roamed with his Alpine horn over
the wide mountain plains, ate berries,
caught fish, set traps and was happy.
He hardly thought once of the little
girl down in the valley.
One day late in the summer she came
up to the dairy with her mother. She
was carried up on horseb back in a bas-
ket. When she saw him she flung her.
self down upon the grass and screamyJ,I,r +
with delight. ne
But when her mother had .xch 30 onle ,ne
the. hut she ran up to him = 40
him. While the cattlea msr;o
She followed be- continues n9sd trade ;n ear ar
IhouSht thaI pe establishment Of A nnu; o'Ie
LOOK r'p ,ines do not doubt tbat
oroWni OWL b;r', mf'nin short period, secnre
t n'lu r II the total trade of tt
which now ren.rai and South America
,, u'Iu 10" amounts to s3)n 0oo nne lca,
nuaiiy' In 1885 we had onIv 'ooo'0oo an
r ms trade. The alarmed attenp per cent Of
A., ,noa opean competitors or tba oi our
a. ,.'eI .can market has been attuo ooueh
an; ono ne" American poljcv an,, ".tec 70
|can trade. VI oouth mer- ,
me Behring Sea Mst.o
lea Ie president next reviews the po,~
t arbitra.;ono .. leading up to the treate a a
aaders ara sIn WIN which all newsnano, q
Y saying ha ,a';y ssuy familiar, He concludes e
as = rood 'eSes the United Srato
'mmittee. 'he arbitrat;oa -
lr regard to the con nfararoa ,. VI
-..'hloc OF Canada ard "fen ,I tn. "a
a.es regarding closer ,,a., Intel
;ptssIaeh' says after ,e2jtj,, laton'
- ~. arrangements Tor ~, pes'
&c conference developet 40 t 90,
ears BEadian gove-cm-r. ,, 40 'ac;
him. Iffasa5a the United S,s,,y a only
he used paMnc essons asLas 10 I
spect. "a! prod.cts a r. trt:
He was hanoi' mad4 :hatF tev. som
finely made, but his Wen gtno, t'he\ trs!
frowsy hair made him ooh tNs' r 10
Heavy thoughts came to him con hu
fierce, defiant spirit was kindled vii Se
him. "a
1t was at such time that Birg -
sought him and spoke kindly to him. !
"You mustn't mind the girls, she
said; "they laugh at verything. They
don't mean anything byit. 1t is just
a way they have"
Somebody will come to harm if you
do it," he answered, fercely.
THAT is foolish talk" she gently
demonstrated. Il know you too well,
Ola. You wouldn't harm me-"
"Ah, you don't understand me-" he
said. ITS no use talking"
"Oh, yes, l do understand you, Ola,"
she replied with smile, land l wish
you would let me say one thing to you
before go"
Say it."
Il wish-I WISH" she stammered,
while quick blush came to her cheeks.
mo, ! think | won't say it, after all,
she finished, and turned to 90.
yes, say it," he entreated, seizing
her hand.
well, tt wish you could do as the
hare, change your skim"
She drew her hand away from his
and ran down the hillside, so that the
stones and dry leaves flew about her.
That night he picked quarrel with
Thorger Sletten, who was said to be
attentive to Birgit, and thrashed him.
All the following winter he kept watch
of her from afar and picked quarrels
with every body whom she seemed to
| favor.
Change my skim" he pondered.
Change my skin like the hare. How,
oh, how can do it?"
This thought followed him day and
night. One day, in the spring an
emigrant ship bound for America APP
peared at the mouth of the river.
Ola packed together his few traps
and went up to Oestrud's to say good
by: He met Birgit in the birch grove
behind the barn. 1t was the time
when the buds --ere bursting and the
swallows had just returned.
swell, Ola, where are YOU going?"
she asked, as she saw him coming
with bundle and staff in hand.
"To America"
American she cried. "America!"
| The answer seemed to frighten her.
She turned pale and caught hold of a
birch tree for support. He watched
her narrowly.
| "What are you going to do in Amer
lea, Ola?" she asked, softly.
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