Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1898-05-12

llS Shllu sue Ahu aNNSAhfNNN " AA"A
der. The hideous malevolence of
Lovisa Islands nature bad shown
her that there may be bad Lutherans,
the invariable tenderness displayed
by the Guldmars for her unrecog-
nized, helpless and distraught son.
good heathens. Hearing thus sudden
~ OF the bonde's death. she was
strangely affected-she could almost
have wept She felt perfectly convinced
that Svensen hal made away with
his masters body by some mysterious
rite connected with pagan belief, -
she knew that Guldmar himself aC-
cording to rumor, had buried his own
wife in some unknown spot with
strange and weird ceremonials, but
she was inclined to be tolerant. and
glancing at Svensen's grave, panied
side him in the sledge. she resolved to
ask him no more questions en- the
subject, but to accept and support. If
necessary, the theory he had so en-
phatically set forth, namely, the
mystical evanshment of the corpse
by some supernatural agency.
| AS they neared their destination,
: she began to think Of Thelma, the
beautiful, proud girl whom she remem-
! bered best as standing on a little
green-tufted hillock with cluster of
pansies in her hand and Sigurd-Sig
urd clinging fondly to her white
! skirts, with a wealth of passionate
| devotion in his upturned, melancholy.
| blue eyes. Ulrika had seen her but
once since then,-and that was on the
| occasion when, at the threat of Lovisa
| ISLANDS. and the command Of the
Rev. Mr.. Dyceworthy, she had given
| her Sir Philip Errington's card, with
the false message written on it that
had decoyed her for a time into the
willy minister's power. She felt a
thrill of shame as she remembered
the part she had played in that cruel
| trick,-and reverting once more to tho
memory of Sigurd, whose tragic end at
! the Fall of Njedegorze she had learned
| through Valdemar, sh resolved to
make amends now that she had the
chance, and to do her best for Thelma
in her suffering and trouble.
For who knows" unused Ulrika,
Whether it is not the Lords hand
that is extended towards me,-and that
in ministering to the wants of her
whom | wronged, and whom my son
ca I ~
cancel the past SIM and work out my
own redemption"
And her dull eyes frightened with
| hope and her heart warmed she be-
gan to feel almost humane and SYM
| pathetic, was SO eager to COM
mence her office of nurse and CONSIDER
! to Thelma that she jumped out of the
sledge almost before it had stopped at
the farm gate. Disregarding Valid
emar's assistance, she clambered
sturdly over the drfted heaps of slip
perry snow that blocked the deserted
pathways, and made for the house,
Ealdemar following her as soon as he
had safely fastened up the sledge,
which was not his own, he having in
emergency borrowed it from neigh
Dor. As they approached, a sound
came floating to meet them-a sound
which made them pause and look at
each other in surprise and anxiety.
Some one was singing,-a voice full
and clear, though with a strange. un.
certain culver in 1t, rippled out in
wild ctraips IF nil
snow laden air. For one moment Ill
rika listened doubtfully, and without
more delay ran hastily forward and
entered the house. Thelma was there,
sitting at the lattice window which
she had thrown wide open to the icy
blast,-she had taken off her cloak
and hat. and her hair, unbound, fell
about her In great, glitterng tanglc
OF gold,-her hands were busy man
ipGlating an imaginary spinning wheel
her eyes were brilliant as jewels.
but full of pain, terror, and pathos.
She smiled a piteous smile as she be-
came lazily conscious that there were
others in the room--but she went on
with her song-a mournful, Norwe-
gian ditty,-till sudden break in her
voice caused her to put her hand to
her throat and look up perplexedly.
That song pleases you?" she asked
softly, Il am very glad! Has Sigird
come home? He wanders so much.
poor boy! Father, dear, you mus.
tell him how wrong 1t is not to love
Philip. Every one loves Philip-and
II love him too, but he must never
know that" She paused and sighed
That is my secret,-the only one
have" And she dropped her head
forlornly
Moved by intense pity, such as she
had never felt In all her life before.
Ulrika went up and tried to draw her
gently from the window.
Poor thing, poor thing" she said
kindly. Come away with me, and
lie down. You mustn't sit here.-let
me shut the lattice,-it's quite late at
night. and too cold for you. my dear"
Too cold?" and Thelma eyed her