Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-08-05

up great white stone. This he cast il
the direction Of Terkel Dam s farm gate
calling out SO loudly that all could hear
'sBy this remember that when my
white stone becomes black he shall ge
his due, who sits there grinning at us.
Soon after, when they had come to th'
hill and he lay with his bare neck upo1
the block, he laughed and called to th'
executioner: "Slash carefully with you
sword, you wretch, SO that you get NJ
nick in it! You'll certainly want to us'
it again for the murder on Vissenbjerf
road. +" "When will that be?" question
ed the judge. "When the little wehcl
there is no longer afraid to tell what sh'
knows" he answered. The sentenc,
was carried out and the people talked
about the affair for many a day; but NJ
one could imagine what the poor rasca
had had in mind when he cast the white
stone toward Terkel's farm.
At Michaelmas Karen was dismissed
from service. There was SO much tall
about her, and the people Of the parish
s,lssrged her with trying to deceive ant
vex them by claiming that there wert
three robbers, when in reality there
could only have been two. The after
noon that she should go away she stood
crying, out in front Of the house, a lit
tie bundle of clothes under her arm
Ebbe carried out to her roll of frieze
"You shall have this for your faithful
service" he said "May I kiss you
hand for thanks?" she begged. sWhert
do you think of going?" ''That dom,
know, and l don't care much if only
may find another herd of cattle to watcl
and another forest to hide myself in.
"Why do you care SO much about stay
ing here?'' Because here I can SET
you," she answered, without lifting hel
eyes. ''You have brought it all upo1
yourself" F" he said, "by speaking falsely
in regard to the robbers; you said that
there were three, when there were only
two" Karen stood silent awhile, look
ing at Ebbe, before she answered; then
II will tell you how it was; ] couldn't
name the third because it was-youl
own father The farmers son turned
pale. t''Let's go into the house." he said.
taking Karen by the hand.
It was little while before supper
time; the men hadn yet come in from
their work Terkel sat alone in the
room. He stared at his son and asked
why they came together. eve have
news for you," said Ebbe. Karen an6
are betrothed. 'In that case there
will be two to go away" said Terkel
you'll not live here with me; under.
stand?' "Now wait, will you, and lei
me tell you how you owe it to her that
you are sitting here in this room at the
present moment" "What do YOU
mean?'' "She did see who the third
robber was, down in the Vissenbjere
road, but she wouldn' t tell his name. .
Terkel sllrunk back; he fell heavily
against the wall, but after few min
utes he lifted himself up and said in 6
broken voice, "Let verything be as you
wish, and now you will take the farm
and manage it and the household.
From that evening Terkel left every
thing to the young couple. He would
feed and watch the fowls out in the
barnyard, but this was about all he did,
and he said little. Every day he went
and looked at the white stone by the
farm gate, and he would never let it be
removed. II think that it's becoming
black, oh, so black!'' said he, looking
round to see if any one was watching.
Then he would wash the dust and mud
from the stone, making it white again.
But every evening, just before bedtime,
Karen would take down the hymnbOol
and read from it to the old man.
The next summer when the committee
went around from farm tofarm begging
pieces Of brass and copper for the new
church bell they came i'll turn to Terkel.
He stood and bethought himself. ''Why
should you go around begging at every
house?' said he. 81 will give it all
He went into his bedroom and brought
out great bag of money which should
be used in purchasing the new bell. The
men broke out into exclamations o1
gratitude ard praise for Terkel, but he
had turned around to see if Karen hac
witnessed what he did. Accompanying
the committee were the choir boys from
the charity school, i'll white gowns, who
stood before each house and sung verse
of some hymn. Before Terkel's they
sung whole hymn. He was deeply
moved at his own generosity, but still
he noticed that they sung the hymn al
through. "They only gave my neighbol
one verse. I got four. However, that
was sight Of money that I gave fo1
the bell. .
Karen stood with her hand III his
She kissed his hand and said: Father
Father! 1 believe that God has heard the
prayer that I've been praying SO long.
Now you're certainly upon the right
way 81 must hasten to go that way, y
said he, "and you have helped me, oh.
SO much'' That evening she filed the
whole house with song, and after the
lights had been put out and they were
gone to bed Ebbe took her hand in his
and said: 81 don't understand. What 6
great change has taken place i'll you
And you are more beautiful than I have
ever seen you before "But yet ]
limp" she answered.
So time passed. There came good an6
bad years. Karen did her duty and was
a blessing to every one. She was good,
pious, sensible woman, who helped hel
neighbors, shared what she had witt
The poor and went every Sunday, NJ
matter what the weather was, up to thu
Vissenbjerg church.
''Thats household pleasing to tn
Lord declared the pastor, and 81
thought every one Terkel continued tt
nav his visits to the white stone; .ant
when he thought that no one was look
ing he would wipe it off with grea
care. But he was growing old; once
corpulent man, he had now becom
thin; he was bowed over; and it wa
with great difficulty that he could clim'
ND the stairs to his chamber.
One evening he came in looking yer.
happy ''Today they have finished hang
ing the new bell up in the church. Ev
cry time that it swings now it will rim
out to God for me-" From the begin
ming of early spring he had to keep
his bed. When the leaves began to tur
yellow and fall he whispered to himself
sI've lain here and watched the swal
lows out Of my windows whole sum
mer through; last summer, I guess.
Karen nursed him and scarcely left hi
| bedside.