The National tribune., 1909-11-11

blurred by our new experiences. Our
next days journey was also fully dis
cussed, and the only thing about it that
troubled us was the lateness of our ar
rival at Hellesylt for we were to take
a small ford steamer at Soholt for that
place at $3.50 in the afternoon, which
would not reach Hellesylt until 2:3O the
next morning. 1t was not an agreeable
prospect, to say the least, for we knew
that a steamer of that kind would
probably have no stateroOm accommO-
dations for ladies, and that we would
simply have to sit it out, but there was
nothing else to do, SO we made up our
minds to accept the situation as part
of our new experience, and not make a
fuss.
After Elizabeth left me 1 inspected
my bed, and found it, as / had expect
ed, entirely untucked at the bottom
How can these people sleep in any COM
fort with their feet poking out every
time they turn over? 1t is a mystery
to me, and | assure you I lost no time
in converting that bed into one suitable
for civilized person to sleep in. The
funny little stove in my room interested
me, gay piece with much gliding, and
in five different stories, the place for the
| fire being in the first.
The next morning our friend ap-
| peared about 10 o'clock with his auto,
and we started off in great style. AS we
scOoted up hill and down dale Eliza beth
laughed and said, Il rather guess we
can say we have been autoing in foreign
parts this Summer as well as the best
| Of them" which was hit at some
| friends of ours, who had told us with
much-superiority of manner before we
| left America that they intended to
carry their car across with them and
take spin thru England and France
during the warm
The ride from Vestnes to Soholt in
stolkjaerre takes fully three hours if
not longer time, but we made it I'm
about one. IT clouded up just after we
started, and, to our infinite disgust but
not surprise, began to rain just before
We reached our destination. on the
outskirts Of the place, standing in the
door of an old barn, was a young and
pretty girl, and our chauffeur stopped
the car and took her in. She proved to
be his newly-made wife, and tho she
was very bashful, she braced up enough
to tell us that she would like to return
to America after awhile. We would
never have suspected from the manner
/ of his greeting that she was his wife,
| much less his blushing bride, but that
| is the way these people have; they are
certainly not effusive, whatever else
| they may be. Elizabeth thought possi-
bly, she might be Mrs. Chauffeur, asked
outright, and was told she was.
When we gIt to Soholt it was pouring
cats and dogs, as the idiotic saying is,
and looked as If it meant to keep it up.
1t made the prospect for the long even
ing's sail more dismal than ever. Soholt
was not pretty; in fact, it looked quite
| ugly from the little hotel; but If 1t had
been the loveliest spot on earth we
couldn't have budged from where we
were on account of the rain. We hung
around the parlor, where there We're
some comfortable chairs and several
| English books and read till dinner
| time, and orr spirits rose somewhat
while engaged in disposing of the ex-
| cellent repast served by the dimpled
Ired- checked maid. And let me remark
right here that while your Norwegian
maid has not the picturesque attraction
of her Japanese sister, perhaps, and
you are not seized with desire to hug
| her as you are the little kimonoed
! creatures of the Fiowery Kingdom she
| is about as pretty a bit of femininitv as
Iyou often meet in your rambles, with
her bright eyes, pretty hair and charm
ling color in cheeks and lips. Dimples,