Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-07-26

! front steps with the Little Chap in his
arms TO show or his cottage, and the
wife and the five girls, all bundled up
with scarfs until they looked like walk
ing haystaclIS scrambled out of the
wagon as best they could. Farley had
promised to he there with the keys, and
! formally put the new owner in posses
sion. Il annoyed Amund good deal
when his first and second ring at the
doorbell remained unanswered, and still
more annoyed was he when at the third
a man who had not the least resein-
blance to Farley opened the door and
asked him, in language more vigorous
than polite what he wanted.
II have bought this house" Am
und said, with an air Of righteous in
dignation, land was told by Mr. Far
ley that you were to move out ON the
LIST of April. "
The occupant of the house smiled an
extremely unpleasant smile and asked
coldly. Whom did you buy it of?''
"Mr. Farley"
'That is great pity, for he never
owned it.
"But where is he? He promised me
the keys last night"
He has gone west "
"Gone west?' An icy terror clutched
at the Norseman heart, and he reeled
backward as if he had been struck
GOOD Godr' he groanod, sinking down
upon the topmost step. Good Godp'
The Little Chap. seeing his distress,
wound his arms tightly about his neck
and rubbed his cheek against his face.
He sat thus for five or ten minutes,
while the five blond bundled up girls
stood on the sidewalk staring at him
with innocent stupidity. Then the man
Of the house reappeared and ordered
them in harsh language to move on.
And when they only continued to stare
in uncomprehending wonder two po.
hcemen were sent for, and the whole
family were huddled into q patrol wag-
on and driven to the nearest police sta
iton. There Amund, under the stress Of
answering the required questions, was
aroused sufficiently from his dumb mis-
cry to send for Norwegian lawyer, who
presently made his appearance He lis
tened to the carpenters story and then
shook his head mournfully.
"You have been swindled, nv
friend" he said. "You ought to have
been more cautious. -
"But-but, lawyer" the poor fellow
went on, gazing into his face, with an
anguished expectancy, "he--he-sold
me-the house-and here I've got the
papers. It's all right, surely. Amt it,
lawyer"
The lawyer looked at the paper which
was handed him and then dropped it
oontemptuously on the floor.
"a very clumsy forgery, he said.
"But-but--he couldn't surely sell
me--what-what didn't belong to him,
lawyer?''
eyes, he could. if any one was fool
enough to buy
"But, lawyer say, lawyer-do you
mean to say now, that-that I have
worked and slaved nigh on to three
years, and often starved and skimped
myself, for the Little Chaps sake-do
you mean to say that-that man is to
nave it, and not my Little Chap?"
Beads of cold perspiration burst out
upon his brow, and the panied wonder
and stunned bewilderment in his face
were pitiful to behold. His slow wits |
could not yet grasp the situation, and |
he was obviously hoping against hope |
chat there was some terrible misun-
derstanding at the bottom of it all, and |
that sooner or later it would be cleared !
up.
The lawyer had in all his practice |
never encountered so heartrending a
case. He weighed his words we'll before |
he answered, my dear friend, you
have paid dearly for your first expert
ence in the new world.
Amund, taking slowly the bearings
Of this remark, stood before him with a
vacant louk of dawning terror; then |
tremblingly he raised his hands toward |
the ceiling and cried. with frightful |
energy, "But, God, what are you doing
up there in heaven when such things |
can happen upon the earth?"
There was O hush ss Of death In the
station room. IN the presence Of SO |
wrong every one stood |
helpless and a little awed. After the
'5AAADl0 oApAOolon VI NobpdlT AmuQQB n
lead dropped upon his breast his knees
5ottered, and he fell in q heap upon the
1oor
The Little Chap, who had stood with
lis hands in his pockets. a puzzled frown
lpon his face during this strange scene,
Tew suddenly alarmed as his father
ell. He strove bravely to disguise his
distress, which he held to be unmanly,
nut his lips quivered, and his eyes were
ull Of tears,
dad" he said, stopping over the
'rostrate form of his father. with O
ouching air Of loving protectorship,
dad, wouldn't take ON SO il were
'ou." He waited anxiously for "a re-
ponse, and when none came he con.
inued in soothingly comforting tone:
Dad. dear dad, don't you worry. I'll
Ielp you, dad
The sweet old we'll remembered
'hrase penetrated through the stricken
mans numb lethargy Of despair. he
aised himself suddenly ON his knees,
|