Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1893-09-14

Not the least queer thing about this
CueereSt of queer men was s yellow
shock of hair, plastered down in care
fully arranged scallops all around his
chubby face, IsuppoSe it never occurred
to him that the back of his head was
ever seen, for there the hair stood
straight ont in briStly points.
Soon Eta appeared, and blushing and
heSitating, said, My cousin haf coined
/ from Christiana.'
| That was all, but my theory was
I proved, and made use of that timeworn
and aggravating phrase, What did
tell your"
/ Days came and went, and so did the
little Norwegian, but nothing was said
of an approaching marriage. Parcels
poured in upon us, and Eta sewed stead
lily on. Each afternoon Auguste 1--WE
learned his name) appeared, apparently
| propelled by the regular motion of the
/ big cane. Somehow he always seemed
like piece of machinery, for his appear
ance never changed-always the snuff
colored suit, the little hat and the but
tonhole bouquet; and he seemed to 90
and come mechanically, enveloped in Il
cloud of smoke pulled from the big cigar.
Eta owned one thing strangely ont of
keeping with her other possessions. 1t
was large gold watch, attached to an
old fashioned chain, from which dangled
two or three odd, foreign looking charms
of fine workmanship. She was very fond
of it, as it had belonged to her mother,
and wore it always, till at last it seemed
almost part of herself. Seeing her
without it one day, exclaimed imme-
diately, as | thought she must have
lost it.
She waited a moment before replying
and then said slowly, 81 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 u 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 eyes
became sadder by contrast, perhaps,
than before.
a time came when weeks passed with
out sign of the little Norwegian, but
one day letter arrived for Eta in the
same crooked writing. Some time later
in the day, going into the kitchen, /
found Eta leaning on the table, the let
ter crumpled in her clinched hands and
her face buried in her arms.
l touched her gently on the shoulder.
but got no other response than the low,
stifled 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, Il haf to go way;
haf 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 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 q
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 renounced forever all thought OF
the happiness she had been picturing fol
herself the last few months, as she sa
sewing steadily, only pausing now ant
then, with little flush in her pale
cheeks, to softly steal n hand into hel
pocket and touch the letters she always
carried there.
Next morning Eta could not be found
In a corner of her room stood little
hair trunk labeled with a Norwegian
address and filled with the garments sc
recently finished. 1t was corded up ant
sent to Christiana it may have reached
its destination or it may not, its fate il
as uncertain as Ettas own. The poo
: woman, tired, disappointed and hope
less, had vanished that night, taking
with her little else than her sad, sat
thoughts.
often picture her with her stoopinl
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, so serene and fa
away, as she murmurs, "Forsaken, for
, | saken "-F l., G. i'm Boston Herald