The record-union., 1894-07-21


eyebrows like a delicate penciling OF
mist; and pulsing from this face, with
every variation of feeling or emotion, an
endless radiance. half pathetic and
altogether touching brightness, with
smile that was tenderness and light.
For little | sat in a foolish sort of
stupor before this smiling maiden. All
are gratified to find their ideals realized.
At the window | had pictured the girl
! one of the rustic graces merely, and had
! laughed over my own simplicity after
ward. The reality before me was a
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.
J Each word had the strange popularity of
beginning in a low tone, followed by
musical circumflex, while the final artic-
ulation, in higher key, gave strangely
melodious effect.
l noticed this 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 l certainly would go with
! her.
"Eh-h = how for long?" she asked
! Election.
''Foreverw I replied banteringly but
enthusiastically.
She wrung her hands with pretty,
! hopeless gesture, shook her head slowly
and replied blushingly:
"Yeg-1 no understand det word, fore
ayyer'!"
Never mind, Freda. Say. for week;
for two weeks; for a. month, maybe. /
wish to SEQ all the NEGRO ford and its
! people. Can you show me these?'
'Oh, yees, yeesn' This glowingly. Then
with quick, expectant look: 'Eh-h-
how much you vill--?'' She had lost the
word, and [ added quickly:
will give?-will pay?n'
'Please! please! Tank! Yees, sir. How
much you will give?"
Her head bobbed up and down rapidly,
and was thrust forward and upward In
anticipation.
'All the money you wishp'
She drew back from me moment as if
startled. l could see that had unlocked
in her heart some repressed and hidden
! longing. She shook her head gravely,
but the sadness in her smile of perplexity,
1 thought, was sweetness itself. Then
asked her plainly:
"Have you need of much money,
Freda?''
She rubbed the palms of her hands to-
gether back and forth circliugly, in a way
which winsomely lifted her elbows, while
gathering courage for SO sudden conf
dence and the words for it's expresson.
She looked in my face diffidently for a
little, and then said in low, determined
tone:
Greatly greatly 1t will never get
for my-myselfY'
Poor Freda She was excitedly trying
to make me understand that she needed
| r..l, hot ifc uicifi f.N
her dreary, almost hopeless task. But
/ said to her in simple, earnest words:
"Have good heart, Freda! We will
speak of this on our journey. will pay
you well. Maybe that will help you
much"
.'Oh, yees, yees! If you please! Tank
you-tank you greatly ~ she responded
with that wondrous voice of song and
that radiant face of light, which, to me,
we're revelations in human speech and
look; and we at once parted, 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 StOrh0uS. and COM
prised fuel as we'll as food, blankets,
matches in tiny sealed cases, spiked boots
and slaves for climbing ana slender ropes
OF great strength with wide bands of
leather for scaling, ii needed, ugly nights.
During all these preparations my stolld
| host had not expressed the slightest Curl
osity or surprise at my arrangements for
an absence of at least several nights, per-
haps of weeks, with this young and beau
tifuI girl. l endeavored, by reference to
the wildness Of the ford, the lack of
housing at night, the remoteness of ham,
lets and the like, to draw from him some
sign OF consciousness of the strangeness
of the situation: The utmost l could
secure was:
"Freda will attend to all ~
All, yes, thought /, visions of ensnare-
ments and unknown dangers in a strange
land fitting through my mind; but do
not ki9ow treda! Perhaps he saw some
thing OF this in my lingering at the inn
after all was done, and in my anxious
face; for by and by he grunted:
"treda will cook your food. Freda
will find you place to sleep. Freda will
bring you back 10 Bake safely ~
That was enough, He followed me to
TIE ford side. He wrung my hands at
parting, after the good Norwegian fash
ion. He began shouting "F'dUetS % after
US. as our boat glided into the shadowy
stream. Then wildly gesticulating, he
roared final inquiry as to what should be
done with my man, should he arriy Q
during my absence.
An, that Peter again! Peter, Peter,
Peter, and his huge grand form were now
q yeXatIOuS presence, clouQlng the de-
parture. the tarrying and the return.
keep him until | comein [ shouted
back irritably, as I settled myself COM
fortably in the stern of the boat, looking
into the one face which now seemed to
shut out all Others in the wide, wide
world.
.Ja, ja!-og Favel ~ heroared heartily;
for he was as glad to hold the coming
guest as now was to have him stay.
For hours | sat silently in my place,
gazing at the majestic scenery; the most
stupendous and often appalling continu-
Gus spectacle so far accessible to the tray-
eler in any part of the habitabie globe.
Stone walls rise 1000 and 5000 feet
above the narrow, shadowy ford, from
which huge waterfalls tumble with hoarse
cries sheer into the water beside you.
these precipices broken only at great
distances, by narrow, lateral chasms,
through which pour river-like torrents,
or now and then by tiny uiks, with foam
! ing vosses or wooded sides, over which a
slender path may wind TO some little up
land dal
At long distances again the ford walls
part for a brief shore of crags with wild
and gloomy valley line above. Beyond
this feathery line of forest will be seen.
then an ampitheater of rock, touched by
the bright sunlight until its masses glow
like FURNISHED bronze; and far and high
| beyond lies glittering rim of sapphire
blue, where the trackless icetields seem
throbbing and pulsing with their iadeIess
fires in the ghostly upper light.