The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-02-01
SWAN SWANSON.
A STORY OF THE WISCONSIN PINES.

good deal of gratified pride as he came
out of the general store. He was r2-
diant as money and his own peculiar
ideas of the propriety of things could
make him. He looked down at his
wooden-soled, spiked shoes, and the
bright wooden stockings drawn over
his creased trousers, and thought with
an audible chuckle how he would
shine for Christmas benefit when once
he had crossed that little intervening
space of bog and stump timber that
separated the shanty of Christmas
people from the town.
He had not seen her during all the
long, cold winter. He had been in
the timber with the other woodchop-
pers-had gone with the first snowfall
and this was his homecoming. Let
ters had reached him, of course; but,
after all, letters are poor things, and
now at last he was to see his sweet
heart in reality.
1t was the thought of her that had
induced him to part with generous
portion OF his winters wages for new
shoes and a gay blue and red-striped
mackinaw, together with a brand new
gold locket for her, with two places
especially S0G 1OI lululdISk0 puO-
togvaphs of himself and Christina.
He left the town behind him with a
light heart. Over him the millions of
starry worlds scintillated in the blue
vault, and across the bay the lights of
the neighboring village reflected a
thousand spearlike CLEANS upon the
| dark water; it was night for dream
ers and poets; but Swanson saw moth
| ing of poetry in it. In his untutored
brain there flashed but one image
| Christina.
He could see the light from the soli-
tary window as he approached the
cabin through the trees. Everything
was strangely still. No sound came
to him across the clearing, but far out
into the night shone a shaft of light,
beaming a welcome to the rough lum-
berman; and into his heart came a
| strange and tender emotion-a truer
love than he had ever known before.
"She bane waiting for mae" he muir
INJURED, christina bane Waiting for
mae"
AS he approached the house he was
| possessed with desire to see her
without being seen; to feast with all
| his eyes on the woman whose image
had kept warm his heart through all
| the dreary months in the lonely tim
ber. Keeping in the shadow he softly
approached until he stood beside the
window. Then. with strange feeling
of expectancy at his heart, he cautious
| ly peered around the window frame
and into the room.
What he saw made his breath conn
fast and drove the blood from hi
weather Drowned cheeks. With Low
cry he sprang back into the shadov
again, and stood for moment witt
bowed head and clenched fists, immov
able as the gaunt tree stumps abou
him.
"Christina with Ole Larson" h
Kissed.
Then he approached the window an
peered in again. Christina, tall an
f1axen-haired-a beauty for that will
country; and riyal-not lumber
man like himself-a chap from tn
town-better dressed and more city
like, he admitted with groan. The
were sitting together on the settee
Christina had spatched his kerchie
and coquettishly refused to return il
He caught her hand, and in the strug
gle they came very close together
Her face turned toward him, and wit
instructive gallantry he kissed her lips
She pouted and he kissed her again.
Swanson could bear it no longer
With an oath on his lips and deadl
pain at his heart he strobe away int
the darkness. Near by he could hea
the waves rolling up on the pebble
beach, and instinctively he turned tC
ward the bay. He was dazed and e.
cited and for awhile unable to thinl
But presently as he strobe on throug
the darkness a full realization of b
loss came to him. Christina, the WI
man he had loved-the woman he sti
loved-was untrue to him-Christin
was not for him, but for another. Il
looked back through all the wear
months in the silent woods wheI
Christmas dear face was always wit
him as hope in the days to ct'me-s
something to live and work for. Bl
now it was all oversize was false, an
: the Aittle log cabin he had pictured
times without number, with Christin
| as the central figure, would never
his. And then came feeling of bi
terness, a sense of wrong, a blin'
reckless desire for revenge on her ar
upon the rival who had supplante
him in her affections.
Instinctively he turned around, an
b with fierce fire burning in his veil
stalBed back toward the cabin. As
passed the window he saw they we
still together-Ole with his arms abo1
her and she Nesting against his shor
der in seeming content.
= The door was unlocked and he we
in. Christina sprang up with
scream. Larson sat still, too su
prised to move.
] With woman's instructive dipl
macy Christina held out her han
"Oh, Swan" she said, "ho' yo' fraigE
ened mae!" and then she added quic
ly. cay bane vera glad to sac yo'."
He looked at her darkly for m
ment.
cay sac averything," he said pre-
emily; "saw ct trough vinder."
"But we wuzn't"-she began.
He stopped her. at bane no u
lynn, Christina. Ay sac averythin
P'raps 'taint yor fault. P'raps ct ba
his'n. Anyho', he's got to pay for
Ay want yo'," he added, turning
Christmas new lover, who still ]
mained seated on the settee.
7. Larson was no coward. "All raigh
> he said, "ay bane raddy." He got
l. and stepped into the middle of
room.
"No, not har," said Swanson, sol
saide-under traes--en dark. The
bane no plaice."