The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-14


 minous wax. with here and there tiny freekle to intensity its snowy white ness; lips and teeth of coral and pearl; a neck wide at the shoulders. tapering like doves 10 the throat. and arch ing exquisitely to the round. fne chin, nostriis wide and tfemulous, eyes as the liquid depths of the Norwegian sky, with long lashes like blended lav- ender and gold; eyebrows like n deli cate penciiing of mist: and pulsipg from this face. with every variation of feeling and emotion, an endless radi- anee. half pathetic and altogether touching brightness with smile that was tenderness and light. | For little sat in foolish sort of stupor before the smiling maiden. All are gratified to Ind their ideas realized. At the window had pictured the girl one of the rustic graces merely. and had laughed over my own simplicity afterward, The reality before me was Morse Venus. Oddly. too the thought again flashed over me that had made tremendous mistake in sending for Peter.
 "Well-si-r-r! Would you gaa wit wit me?"
 | Her voice was as winsome as her face. Each word had the strange pe- culiarity of beginning in a low tone. followed by musical circumfiex. while the final articulation, in a higher key, gave strangely melodious effect. | l noticed thfs and her brave effort to speak English slowly and well; and, wondering how the strange creature could have the ambition or opportunity for such improvement at last blurted out cheerily that certainly would go with her
 "Eh-h-how for long?" she asked ra- diantly, but with a business like in- | fiection.
 "Foreverr' I replied banteringly but enthusiastically
 She wrung her hands with a pretty, hopeless gesture, shook her head slow ly and replied blushingly: | "Yeg-I no understand det word, foreayver'!'
 1 "Never mind, Freda. Say, for a week; for week; for two weeks, may be. I wish to see all the Naero ford and its people. Can you show me these?"
 "oh, yees. yees! This glowingly. Then with quick, expectant look: | "Eh-h-how much you willy" She had lost the word and added quickly,
 twill give?-will pay?"
 Please! pleaseLTank! Yees, sir. How much you will give?"
 Her head bobbed up and down rapid ly and was thrust forward and upward in anticipation.
 | "All the money you wish! | She drew back from me moment as If startled. I could see that I had un- locked in her heart some repressed and hidden longing. She shook her head gravely, but the sadness in her smile of perplexity, I thought was sweetness itself. Then asked her plainly: l Have you need of much money, Freda?"
 She rubbed the palms of her hands together back and forth circlingly, in a way which winsomely lifted her elbows, while gathering courage for so sudden a conference and the words for it's ex- pression. She looked in my face diffi- dently for a little, and then said in a low, determined tone:
 "Greatly!-greatly! It will never get for my-myself!'
 Poor Freda! She was excitedly try ing to make me understand that she needed much.. and that it's acquisition seemed to her a dreary, almost hope less task. But said to her in simple, learnest: t-..
 Have good heart Freda! We will speak of this on onr Journey I will pay you we'll Maybe sthat will help you much"
 "oh, yees. yees!. If you please! Tank you!-tank you greatly" she respond ed with that wondrous voice of song and that radiant face of light, which; to me, were revelations of human speech and look; and we at once part ed, .Freda to get her boat in readiness and to advise with my host as to the necessary stores for the journey.
 These were soon procured from the landlords larder and storhaus, and comprised fuel as we'll as food, blank cts, matches in tiny sealed cases, spiked boots and slaves for climbing and slen- der ropes of great strength with wide bands of leather for sealing. if needed, ugly heights.
 l During all these preparations my stolid host had not expressed the slight est curiosity or surprise at my arrange ments for an absence of at least sever al nights, perhaps of weeks, with this young and beautiful girl. I endeav- ored, by reference to the wildness of the ford the lack of housing at night the remoteness of hamlets and the like, to draw from him some sign of conscious ness of the strangeness of the situa- tion. The utmost could secure was: | "Freda will attend to allw
 An, yes, thought I, visions of en- snarements and unknown dangers in a l strange land fitting through my mind, but do not know Freda! Perhaps he saw something of this in my iineerina at the inn after all was done, and in my anxious face; for by and by he grunted: .. 4
 "Freda will cook your food. .Freda will find you place to sleep. Freda will | bring you back to Bakke safely" ' That was enough. He followed me to the ford side. He wrung my hands, at parting, after. the good Norwegian fash ion. He began shouting "Favels!' af- ter us. as our boat glided into the shadowy stream. Then, wildly Kestic- ulating, he roared final inquiry as to what should be done with my man. shpuld he arrive during my absence, An, that Peter again! Peter, Peter, h {u h1,nr