The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-03-02
AN ODD COUPLE.

usually every Ooinnu nity unb - LOW
individuals that can DO called originals,
and by their originality attain classic
al fame, and among several such char
acters remember old Fla Maord and
the provincial letter carrier. Johannes
Isaksson.
Fla Maord had her little history and
her proud recollections In spite Of her
humble station in life Ever since she
was q child, and long after she had at
tanned tho graoefulness in figure Of a
barrel. she had been in the service of
the barops Of 6vanaholm, and when the
old baron departed this life. like all
other barons, and his son, the young
honorable, succeeded his father. feeling
his aesthetic mind sufYer from daily
beholding old Fia's corpulence. Fla
was pensioned OF and given a little cot
tage on the estate and enough pasture
ground to support IN comfort the female
Of the bull-in other words, q COW Of
the regulation pattern and size. Old
Fla had IL MOST comfortable In her old
age. Not O party, wedding. christening
or funeral took place for miles around
but that old Fla must DO there and
cook. and rs Fia was not by any means
bashfnl. her lArder was constantly pTo-
vided with the choicest Of eatsbles aud
drinkables.
Old Fla was certainly not q heauty.
She sported pair Of mustschcs that
were the snvy Of the Young men In the
village. Her form partook more Of the
resemblance OF O Dutch cheese than a
sylph, and to behold ria sailing down
the village street. like . galley under
full sail. was sight for the gods. OF
course Fla was not to blanc for her mp
pearsnce-that was accepted es freak
Of the Creator-but Fla was Of such OK
tremely moral temperament that as soon
as she discovered that any young man
and woman In her neighborhood were
spooning, or an engagement reported,
Fla did her best to break or hinder il.
claiming it was all frivolity and tho
work of the evil one OF course Fla
claimed to be prompted only by the
best intentions, but this little streak Of
virtue in old Fla was not appreciated
by the young people, and Fla was con-
sidered a good, lawful subject for all
the pranks that the depraved minds of
the young village people were capable of.
and young peoples minds in our mod
ern times are very elastic.
Imagine, then, the glorious rumor that
spread that old Fla herself had been
made subject for the lance of the evil
one and that the object Of her tender,
maidenly love was the old letter carrier,
Johannes. And to think Of tho conse-
quences Of letting love loose in such
big body as Fia'sl Tho result might we'll
be considered serious, and the villagers
were on the tiptoe Of expectation.
Old Johannes had. early in life, been
a steward on big estate and associated
with city people, and even met foreign
ers, and acquired high toned language
and manner which, all combined, had
conquered old Fia's maiden reserve.
One day Johannes had called at Fia's
cottage to deliver letter, and as this
was something so extraordinary. an event
in Fia's life, Johannes must perforce
remain and read the communication. 1t
turned out to be q notification that Fla
had inherited the respectable sum Of
1000 rix dollars from q member Of the
noble family Of 6vansholm, and Fla
had, therefore. the attraction Of an heir
ess for Johsnnes.
Fla, ON her part, considered Johannes
as a great man. Was not his language
like what she sometimes had heard at
Svanaholmi And did he not represent
his majesty the kings postofflce depart
ment! The best Of everything from Fia's
larder was placed before Johannes, and
be was Toasted like king The satisfac-
ton was mutual, for as Johannes said
one day "Msmsells Fla. IL 10 so pleas
urable TO visit hero, when ono has as
suetuded with edincated persons, and
again converse with an equivoke and
oynio female"
Old Fla Just cat there, the picture Of
establishment at tho big words, OF which
she did not understand tho meaning. but
it charmed the cid girl. and Johannes
learning war rewarded with pancakes
and frequent glasses Of something Fla
claimed kept rheumatism ont Of the
bones.
Johannes vould have been made Of
stons IL such attention had not touched
his heart or his stomach. Whether Fla or
yohrnnes FIRST made the proposition to
visit the village pastor and request that
the banns DO publiahed between them
will forever remain q mystery. lin
Sweden 10 10 tho custom for the pastor to
read the names from the pulpit after
service on Sunday Of those that intend to
marry, and this is done for three Sun
days In succession.)
Both Eta and Johannes knew that il
their intention became known to the viii
layers they would be exposed to much
unpleasantnes, from the young people,
and they decided on a plan that they
thvuRht was very clever. This was for
johannes and Fla 10 start, dressed in
tbsir ordinary everyday dress. by sepa-
rate routes and then to meet at the
edge of the forest, where they could put
on their Sunday costume, which they
would bring with them tied mp In :
bundle.
The two bcnighted old souls had
many . good laugh at the clever way in
which they would fool their tormentors.
The day finally arrived. and early in
the morning Johannes started ont. car
rying with him his Sunday dress. tied
mp IN bundle Unfortunately he was
compelled TO pers through the village
stresh ara here he was sccostcd With
the inquiry BY one OF the young fellow.
II the village where the postmaster
vas going TO. % early In the mcrnine,"