Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-04-21

among the superstitious people of the
place, that Thelma was witch whose
presence was q blight upon the land,--
how she had decoyed her into the
power Of Mr. Dyceworthy-all was
plain and, Notwithstanding her DELHI
crate wickedness, she had lived her
life without punishment He could
not understand why the Higher Powers
had permitted this error of justice, and,
like many Of his daring ancestors. he
was ready to fling defiance in the very
face OF Odiu, and demand WHY, %
thou drowsy god. nodding over thy
wine-cups, why didst thou do this
thing"
Utter tearlessness, bodily and spir-
itual, fearlessness of past, present
or future life or death, was Guldmars
creed The true Morse warrior spirit
was in him-had he been told, ON
heavenly authority, that the lowest
range of the "Nastrond" or ScandinaN-
ian Hell, awaited him, he would have
accepted his fate with untiinching firm
ness. The indestructibility OF the soul
and the certainty that Il must outlive
| even centuries of torture. and triumph
gloriously in the end, was the core OF
the faith he professed, AS he glanced
upwards, the frozen tree-tops, till then
| rigidly erect, swayed slightly from
side to side with cracking sound
but he paid no heed to this slight
warning Of fresh attack from the
comhatiNe storm that was gathering
| together and renewing It's scattered
| forces. He began to think Of his
daughter, and the grave lines on his
face relaxed and softened
TITS all fair sailing for the child"
he unused, For that should be
! grateful! The world has been made
a soft nest for my Bird should not
complain, my own time is short "
His former anger Gained a little the
brooding irritation of his mind be-
came gradually soothed.
Rose OF my heart" he whispered,
tenderly apost,pphizlng the memory Of
his wife--that lost jewel of love, whose
fair body lay enshrined in the kings
tomb by the Fjord, "Wrongfully done
to death ms thou vert, and brief time
as we had for loving; in spite of thy
! offering creed, feel that | shall meet
thee soon! Yes-in the world beyond
the stars, they will bring thee to me In
Valhalla wheresoever thou art, thou
wilt not refuse to come! The gods
themselves cannot unfasten the ties OF
/ love between us!"
AS he half thought, half uttered these
words, the reindeer again stopped
abruptly, rearing their antlered heads
and painting heavily. Hark what was
that? A clear far-reachirg note Of
music seemingly wakened from the
waters of the Fjord and rising up
wards, with bell-like distinctness;
sledge and listened in awe--it was the
same sound he had before heard as he
stood by Lovisa Elslands death bed
- and was in truth nothing but a
strong eurrant OF wind blowing through
the arched and honeycombed rocks by
the sea, towards the higher land
creating the same effect as though one
should breathe forcbly through pipe
like instrument Of dried and hollow
reeds,--an being rendered more reson-
ant by the intense cold, It bore a
striking similarity to the full blast of
a war trumpet. For the worshipper OF
Odin, II had significant and super
natural meaning, and he repeated his
former actlonthat Of drawing the
knife from his girdle and kissing the
hit. "If death is near M" he said
in loud voice. 81 bid II WELCOMED!
The gods know that | am ready"
To be continued.