The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1902-01-24
!: A QUEER
(0URT0H|P

CllEnt. NO. mat IS 100 poetlcal
word to be in any way applied to the
heroine of this little tale whose lean,
scrawny figure looked for all the world
like series of badly connected angles
and whose STOPPING shoulders and mar
row chest were clad in faded black
jacket
This garment. with its rusty surface
and pulled seams. suited well the sad
looking woman into whose dreary life
came one little bit of color, which | shall
try to describe.
Her face correspondcd well with the
rest of her appearance for it was faded
and worn and surrounded by fringe of
straight, dusty brown hair pulled tightly
back from the sallow, weary face, whose
one redecming feature was the eyes
dark gray and oh, so sad.
She had that expression of wistful
waiting sometimes seen in the eyes of a
faithful dog who has lost its master and
seems ever to wait always patiently and
to watch ever eXpectantly for the beloved
face.
She was Norwegian, named Eta,
and lived in our family as cook for
nearly year
Weeks passed by and early autumn,
which had brought her to us, shed leafy
tears and departed suddenly, leaving us
all unprcparcd for winters advent, which
announced itself in a cold, dismal rain.
Up to this time Eta had never received
a letter or amy communication from the
outside world. She never left the house
and seorned the idea of an afternoon out.
However, on this grizzly day there was
surprise, great surprise, for Eta was
discovered holding an open letter tightly
grasped IN one hand. But when she
found herself regarded it was hastily
thrust into Yolumlnous pocket in her
shirt'
Now TINS pocket was a marvel IN Itself,
as II Soulu holu Ayflads OF things. Why,
one day saw her produce a pillowcaSe,
WofhpuA' scissors ana BRASS thlmble
al one zen sWoop' nj another uile-but |
am wandering lar away from the letter
anu ITS consequences.
ne mysterious epiSue was seen several
tunes again. ana THESE sllnpSeS showed 1t
10 De worn ana ruihpled with much read
ing. NO douht II would nave been read
ana reread out OF existence had not an
otner' fresh ana clean, replaced the first.
Inns / took from the poStman and so
hau chahce TO see lhe uneven charac-
terleSs writing the Chrlstlania postmark
ana norwegian stamp II was followed
week later 10y another theh another.
became interested Tor feit was on
the track OF real llVe romance.
Inc pale tired face seemed to grow
brighter IN those days, and for the first
time Etta made frequent trips to the city,
ie'ulhiIs auch win puhules OF every
SIZE ana uescriptfoh' All her spare time
was no" ehlpio!ed IN sewing. Cahcoes
anu prlnts were maze ana Iald ASIDE. For
some reason OF othef Etta was fepleniSh-
ing her clean but scant and somewhat
ullapldated wardrobe.
Another link in the chain, thought l,
and began to imagine the arrival of
stalwart Norwegian lover left in Nor
way two years before, when she had
come to try her fortune in America.
Letters came more frequently, and
Eta grew correspondingy brighter and
cheerler-she even seemed to try to hold
herself more erectly, for often the bent
shoulders were suddenly Strengthened as
she went about her work. Her voice,
formerly so tired and hopeless, took on
more cheerful tone.
Not the least remarkable of Etta's
pecullarlties was her manner of speak
ing. Slowly and lispngly came the
broken English, which was at first so
hard to understand. Such a sad mixture
of her mother tongue and this new,
strange language, such verbal complica-
lions and misplaced purals were never
heard before.
About this time / mentioned my ro-
mantle notions to my mother. but she
only laughed. being entirely unable to
connect Etta's sad appearance with
lover, Norwegian or of any other land.
She called me a romancer but still felt
sure | was right.
Sooner than | expected came the
chance to vindicate myself. for the next
day as sat idly by the window watching
the passersby my attention was attract
ed by a aueer little fcure way down tho
street which camo an toward tba house
Mt n rottIino roco ro,lr s,,.;n',i,,r, = ~,
cane and nntlinc virororsl, ~ q rnafn
moth cipar a. a distonco Il ,ros innras.
sil,le IN TON vbctbor bo u.os Lo,, ~.
man srcb . co,nical It'll Ge.,ro Ia ,,.a,
drassnd in eprfr colo,od s,,it ,,.itb
rose in his bnttonboIo ana tLo ti,iost
derbv imogipabie tilta5 o,,o. ono oar
GAZING laurbi,cl, Of lin, ,,.os ;,.4
telling nv motber 10 lool NJ Not abs ma
littIe creature ,vben ,ybat ,.as a,,r 80
pr.ise 10 see Etto, tbo stoiJ ia cniat
dash wildly across tto Iav., r,,sI, lin,
10 the cato and tbrov.in', bor ann,
about tho rttIo fellows noel. liz bi,,,
first on one check and then on the other ,f,
'Tbe man. oftor fev o,iat bnt oorrost