Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1897-12-30

all gave the same answer
Had Chris Tronsen a good ron,,
tation % sou fepu-
Yes, very good"
was he Industrious and steadv9,
AS Woodworking and steady ~
man in town. oas
Did he treat his wife kindlvq.
mere could be no doubt Of Il r.,
was as kind-hearted as he was b...
| working n"i y
Then why" I would ask mvsa1f
was his wife always blowing. or ruh,
ping down mules, while he looked ~,
and did nothing?" -
This all happened in the snr;no na
early summer. But it is onlv ahon4 49, :
week ago now that l drove over -
Chris, one mild evening, to get some
bags that had lent him to use in car
rylng his grain to the elevator.
Inc years work was over. The
wheat was cut, threshed and sold. Tho
barn had been buried anew in a. NOM
tin OF fresh wheat straw, which flied
the docryard with it's pleasant fro
grant smell. The mules were tetherad
teANi p1OWStuS near by.
Lolita and Chris were sitting to-
gether on the doorstep, talking over
| the years work, no doubt, while the
sun was setting in a bank of black
clouds, from behind which streamed
out fire of crimson and gold.
After Chris had got the bags and
| thrown them into my light wagon. he
and / nfta oc1yn
parlor, the walls of which were simply
the inner side of the logs, fitted, closed
and heWed smooth, There was a gay
colored carpet on the floor, and on the
Wnole the room was quite CHEEKY and
comfortable, and we sat down in the
twilight without lamp After we had
talked for some time about the crops
and prices, and the best way of bank
ing up houses in winter, in which Chris
was greatly interested, said to Lolita:
"But you have worked almost as
hard as Chris this year. You must be
glad the summer is over
Chris shifted uneasily in his seat.
Lolita laughed.
$50 now I shall tell why it was so,
Chris she said, looking at Chris.
He only nodded in silence. He ap-
parently did not anticipate much pleas
ure from the recital.
"But no. said Lolita, you shall tell
those first part, and l shall tell those
last part, that is how we shall do"
Chris appeared still more uneasy,
and laughed nervously, but after mo-
ment's hesitation, he plunged into his
explanation of what I had so often
| wondered at.
"You hat seen me only lif here two
year," he asked.
''That is all" I said.
"Well aso this is all happen one year
longer ago as that" he said. 'Those
time I lif alone in sod shanty, and
Ruya and Oscar-those was the two
mule, the last one named for king Of
good-they lif in other sod shanty l
hat onerly twenty acres broke then,
and ready for SOW seed. Very few
neighbor then. Onerly Mr.. Knudt
Qualley and Mr. Petersen near here.
| So then Mr. Jannsen. father of Lolita,
he come to lif very near-onerly four
mile away And sometime see Lolita
on Sunday at meeting to Mr.. Qualley's
house. and sometimes I go to Mr..
Jannsen's house to borrow something's
Then I go there almost efery day to
borrow something's, and Mr.. Jannsen
say:
'Mr. Tronsen, you lose great time
to borrow something's but | say likes
to ride so far to borrow something's.
"And almost efery time it was Lolita
what brought me those things what l
came to borrow, and she tells me to
come often. She say they always very
glad to borrow me anythings.
CHOW I can see," I said smiling,
"why Lolita did not tell this part OF the
story
ooh, no." said Lolita, cit is not any
reasons at all. Chris he knows why ne
did come so often to see my father,
better as I do"
"Well." said Chris, continuing, SO
those days I were very bashful, and l
nefer dare to stay for talk with Lolita.
Mr.. Jannsen very good man" he added.
in explanation, "but | rather talk 70
Lolita. But I always afraid, SO l make
believe go efery day to visit Mr.. jam
sen, and borrow something's. AND MI.
Jannsen he think was his very good
friend. So he say one day, Chris,
nefer had any ones care SO much for
me before, like you does, and come
so efery day to talk with me- SO When
T sees Lolita I nefer knows what 10
saw and so I borrow knife, or nails, or
shovel, and go right away. % o,ie'
day, after I go away, | say TO myself
Next time I shall go and snali say,
81 hat not come to see Mr.. Jansen !
have come to borrows something's. l
hat come to see Lolita, and | snail tank
with Jotta.'" But when next time
/ ..a. oannnt dare to say so. AVN