The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-06-30

AS before mentioned, there was but
one path up to Husaby hill, bat surely
any strong, ablo fellow must DO ablc to
get to it, even though the direct way
were barred to him. For instance, if
he were to row round tho point ycnder
and fssten his boat at the one side, it
might bS possible to climb up there, al
though it was SO very steep that the
goats had great difficulty in climbing
it, and they are not usually afraid OF
mountain work.
Saturday cane, and Thor went out
early in the morning. Tho day was
most beautiful; the sun shone SO bright
ly that the very bushes seemed alive.
Up on the mountain many voices were
'jodeling," and there was much blow
ing Of horns. When evening came, he
was sitting at his cottage door watching
tho steaming mist rise up on tho hills.
He looked upward--all was quiet. He
looked over toward Husaby farmland
then he jumped into his boat and rowed
away round the point.
Aslang sat before tho hut. Her day'l
work was done. She was thinking Thor
would not come that evening, and that,
therefore, many others might come in
stead, SO she unfastened tho dog, and
without saying anything walked farther
on. She sat down so that she could SEQ
across the valley, but the mist was ris-
ing there and prevented her looking
down. Then she chose another place,
and without thinking moro about it sat
down so that she looked toward the side
where lay tho ford. 1t seemed to bring
peace to her soul when she could gaze
far away across the water.
AS she sat there the fancy struck her
that she was inclining to sing SO she
chose song with ''long drawn notes, :"
and far and wide it sounded through
the mountains. She liked to hear her.
self sing, SO she began over again when
the first verse was ended. But when she
had sung the second it seemed to her as
though some one answered from far
down below. "Dear me, what can that
be?' thought Aslang. She stepped for
ward to the edge and twined her arms
round a slender birch which hung trem-
bling over the precipice and looked
down. But she could see nothing. The
ford lay there calm and at rest. Not a
single bird skinned the water. So AS.
lang sat herself down again, and again
she began to sing Once moro came the
answering voice in the same tones and
nearer than the first time. "That sound
was no echo, whatever it may be. " As
lang jumped to her feet and again lean
ed over the cliff And there down below
at the foot Of the rocky wall she saw a
boat fastened. 1t looked like tiny nut
shell, for it was very far down. She
looked again and saw fur cap and I'M
der it tho figure of man climbing up
the steep and barren cliff.
"What can it bc?" Aslang asked her.
self, and letting go the birch she step
ped back. She dared not answer her
own question, but well she knew who
twas. She flung herself down upon the
greensward and seized the grass with
both hands. as though it were she who
dared not loose her hold for fear of fall
ing. But the grass came up by the
roots. She screamed aloud and dug her
hands deeper and deeper into the soil
She prayed to God to help him, but
then it struck her that this feat of
Thor's would be called tempting Prov
idence,' and Therefore he could not ex-
pect help from above.
"Only just this once" she prayed.
"Hear my prayer just this one time
and help him. Then she threw her
arms round the dog, as though it were
Thor whom she was clasping. and rolled
herself on the grass beside it.
The time seemed to her quite endless.
Suddenly the dog began to bark.
'Bowwowr' said he to Aslang and
jumped upon her. And again, "Wow-
wowl" Then over the edge of the cliff
coarse, round cap came to view, and
Thor was in her arms!
Ho lay there whole minute, and
neither of them was capable of uttering
syllable. And when they did begin to
talk there was neither sense nor reason
III anything they said.
But when old Canute Husaby heard
of it he uttered q remark which had
both sense and reason, bringing his fist
down on the table with tremendous
crash. "The lad deserved her. Z" he cried.
''The girl shall be hisl"-Bjornstjerne
Bjornson.