El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-14
(By johannes JensenO

"HE old Bornholmer clock had just
struck one. The rays of the noon
u were shining through the drawn
curtains. the lamp was about to go out
and the fire was dying in the CRATE
but Dr.. Biering did not seem to notice.
He was sitting in big armenian iost
in thought Only few hours before
he had proposed to Henriette Norden-
loft and had been accepted. She was or
very good family and rich in her own
right, while he-He was able TO of1er
his bride beautiful home, but ne 1eIt
he could never tell her of his child
hood and early life. She must never
know Of the time when he ran ABOUT
barefooted as a little boy in rs moth
er's poor room, and that he nao mace
the money to pay for his studies by
hard manual labor. He was afraid she
would despise him if she heard OF
those things.
He had been in luck more than he
had ever dared dream Of, and his old
mother who had always been so pa
tient and worked hard-where was she
now? What did 1t mean that whenever
he now tried to think of Henrietta ne
saw his old mothers honest wrinkled
face? To be sure, he supported her wei
and gave her all she could wish for,
and she was proud of her boy, but
whose fault was 1t that he never found
time to visit her, though he Knew how
happy it would make her to see him
He thought of Henriette who was to
be his wife-Henriette Nordentoft who
had always moved in the highest So
ciety Was it possible that he felt
ashamed of his old mother and her
plain old fashioned ways?
The lamp had gone out long ago; the
fire was out; the moon had set-it was
Of
to bed. But sleep would not come, and
when at last he fell asleep, he dreamed
of his mother.
In the little house in the northern
part of Jutland, where Mrs Biering
| lived the rooms were empty for the
OLD woman had decided to surprise her
boy with a visit. 1t was a long trip
on trains and ferries to reach COpen-
hagen and the only train left very
early 1t would be almost dark before
she got there. but how happy Holger
would be, He had never suggested
that she should visit him, but that
must of course be because he was
afraid the long "trip would be too much
| for her. but now she would show him
she was not as feeble as he thought.
| She almost regretted she had not let
the dressmaker fix up the black silk
dress she was wearing, but perhaps
1
dress as she used to wear it. She had
often thought how lonesome he must
| feel. She hoped he would be out when
she came. Then she would take off her
cloak, put on her white lace bonnet.
and when Hoiger came home he would
find her knitting at his fireplace as II
/ she had been there always. She could
almost see the joy in his big brown
eyes when he discovered her.
She thought of all this during the
! trip and everyone noticed how happy
the old woman looked and many found
| her wrinkled face beautiful.
The train was late, and 1t was dark
! when the old woman reached the city
| She felt little confused at the crowd
ed station, but kind gentleman called
a cab for her and gave the address to
the driver.
TT must be a mistake" she thought
when the cab stopped in front of a
magnificent house on Oesterbro, but
| the driver insisted he was right and a
moment later the old woman with hall
| a dozen bundles stood on the broad
stone stairs and tmidly rang the bell
A butler in correct black dress opened
1.-The doctors office hours are over
long ago." he said stiffly- 81 cannot
| take your card now"
why, / have no card. He will see
| me- 1 AMI am"
She could say no more and the but
| Ter stared at the strange little woman
| She wore an old hat, and her dress
/ bore the marks OF long trip, and in