The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-07-15
FREDA OF The NAERO FIORD.
TALES OF TEN TRAVELLERS. SERIES.
BY EDGAR I. WAKEMAN.
Copyright 1894

"Oh. she is only Freda; Freda Of the
NaerO ford. That is all we know. You
will see her for yourself in the morning,
sir Good night"
With this he trundled away: but the
incident aroused me. / sat bolt upright
in my bed for little time picturing to
myself the form and nature of a woman
who could bring an entire tourist family
from Styve to Bake in an open boat,
over the dark and dangerous ford.
Hearing voices in the court behind the
little Inn, / stepped to the open window.
Just beneath it was a wooden gallery
running around the court The noon
light revealed the figures of the land
lord and woman or a girl. The latter
held in her arms a bundle of skins and
blankets.
There you can rest for the night, 4"
said my host, pointing to little recess in
the gallery.
The girl at once spread the skins upon
the floor, turned and thanked the land
lord after the profuse Morse manner,
grasped both of his hands for a moment,
and, with good-nights and thanks innum-
cradle, turned to her improvised bed, as
the landlord disappeared indoors, knelt
beside 1t for little, threw herself upon
the couch lightly, and, in a moment more
as could hear from her gentle and regu-
lar breathing. was traversing the pleas
ant fiords of dreams.
My curiosity and interest were thor
oughly piqued, but l at last fell
asleep. ! was awakened shortly after
daylight by the sound of running water,
commingled with sundry puffings, snort
lngs and swashings, proceeding from the
courtyard.
These were unusual sounds; and the
traveller is sensitive to such'things. l
stepped TO the window. My eyes invol-
unfairly sought Ereda's couch II had
disappeared. But Freda herself had not
gone.
Over there at the farthest corner of
the court yard where a rude fountain,
supplied by q mountain stream, was
squirting and gushing high in the first
orange rays Of morning sunlight. stood
the young bOatwoman secure from in
trusion in the early hour stripped to the
waist, and enjoying the luxury of a
wholesome bath.
Her exquisitely nodded form had free
play from her lively movements. 1t was
almost hidden by her wondrous head of
HAIR which fell far below her waist, and
was Of that indescribable color between
ashes aud orange, in which the very
throbbings of gems seemed to ripple and
play wantOnly; and which, as the water
broke upon II, and the sunlight quivered
through it, CLEANED and flashed like a
mantle Of diamonds set in gold
Now and then the girl plunged beneath
the gushing stream with a savage sort of
lmpetuosity. Again she would take long
draughts from the spout, when the force
OF the water would drive her back with q
shower of spray upon her within which I
could hear merry gurgle of laughter.
Then she would shake her head and toss
and whip her locks like a huge retriever
emerging from the water.
Finally, with her fine head high in air
and her shapely arms thrown back over
her fair shoulders, she wrung and
whipped and hetcheled her locks nearly
dry, meantime whipping with their tas-
seled ends the glittering spray from the
shoulders and waist, and with won
drous dexterity wove the waving
mass into two huge braids.
while softly Grooming weird
and tender tiorsidside song, Of which
was only able to catch the refrain:
Il will wait by the vik,
BY the hord l viii wait
will work. 1 will spin,
While awaiting my fate.
oh speed wind, oh speed wave, return
May fortune attend my noble sea royerl"
What a strange tumble of inconsistent
cies is the human mind!
Though | had not even seen this water
nymphs face; though it might be sodden,
glowering and repulsive; l turned from
my window, where had longed to be an
artist with an artists power to reveal
the simplicity and abandon of the ex-
quisite scene, with lonely and indehnable
hunger to be sung for as this innocent
creature had sung for some doubtless
absent hulk of a ships stoker or common
sailor; actually experienced a pang of
jealousy; and, stranger than all, as my
thoughts flew to the absent Peter, almost
wished my cablegram had not reached
him, and that he would somehow fail to
come.
A new interest had invested dead old
Bake at the foot of the mountain walls
The gloomy Naero ford was instantly rife
with myriad destinations. All of som
Der Norway had become a land of sun
light and charm.
Immediately after breakfast the land
lord began series of willy negotiations.
He must have share of the wage, knew /;
and TO bring myself upon pleasanter foot
ing with t'reda, for a lump sum to my
host, [ secured her presence and the priv
ilege oil arranging terms with the young
faergekone myself.
Ereda came into the little parlor alone
with many, please, sirs! !" and Tank
yous ~ in English, and as many curtseys
and bowings in Morse.
If had been fascinated, from an ar
lists standpoint, by the strange early
morning scene a the courtyard fountain.
how much deeper was the charm when I
first looked on treda' S face and heard her
voice!
1t was not Morse face, save in ewes
and complexion. 1t was of oriental mold
in all but these-oval, with soft and melt
ing lines, as if wrought in luminous wax.
with here and there a tiny frecble to in
tenslty It's snowy whiteness. lips and
teeth of coral and pearl a neck wide at
the shoulders, tapering like a doves TO
the throat, and arching eXquisitely to the
round, fine chin; nOstrils wide and tremu-
lous eyes as blue as the liquid depths of
Norwegian sky, with long lashes like
blended lavender and gold eyebrows like
delicate penciling of mist: and pulsiug
from this face, with every variation Of
feeling or emotion, an endless radiance. a
half pathetic and altogether touching
brightness, with a smile that was tender.
ness and light.
For little | sat in a foolish sort of
stupor before this smiling maiden. All
are gratitied to find their ideals realized.
AT the window l 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 a ire
mendous mistake in sending for Peter.
"Well-si-r-r. Would you gaa wit-wit
mex"
Her voice was as winsome as her face.