The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-11
CARLO The Mysterious Her 5 54oR5
Continued From Page One)

hall, with its noble staircase. its
paintings and frescoes.
Seated in an armchair beside
the marble fireplace with the
scented breezes stealing in
through the open easement, Greta
sank into meditation. Gradually
the whole panorama began to I'M
fold itself This was the tangible
fulfilment of long-ago dream of
little girl in a tenement dwell
ing, and the little girl was herself.
THERE are no slums in Stock
Il holm-only some rather
mean, barrack- like buildings of
one-room flats in the drab arti-
san quarter of the town. In
such a building Greta Louisa
Gustafsson was born.
1t was situated in the district
known as Solder, on the southern
hills beyond the Malar, described
as the NOMINATE of Stockholm
1t is not so much the Bohemian
quarter today; but when Greta
was a child it abounded in every
kind of interest to stir the imagi-
nation of a sensitive, dreamy
youngster.
The mean streets of Solder rose
on the rocky slopes. Some of
them were little more than alleys
ascending by series of steps. Here
and there among the rocks one
came across unexpected glimpses
Of Old Stockholm-unbelievably
tiny houses with roofs of red
fluteo tiles, age-marked by
patches of green moss.
Blekingegatan was typical
street of workmen's dwellings.
The Gustafsson's fiat at No. 80
overlooked a declevity, covered
with boulders and loose rocks.
There was a wood yard at the
far end. An iron worker, too, had
rugged up repair shop there, and
the space outside his door was lit
tered with broken gates, motor
car and cycle parts. and other old
iron indicating the mechanics
trade.
The GustafSson children we're
not carelessly brought up. They
were not allowed to loiter after
dark, like other street gamins.
Frau Gustaisson would stand in
her tiny kitchen, preparing the
modest evening meal of "bouna
bonor," steWed fish or pea soup
and pancakes. She baked her
own bread, and the coffee pot
was always kept Hospitality hot
on the stove.
Carl Gustafsson liked to see his
family around him at night; and
he also liked to bring his friends
home. His position as a minor
government official made the
neighbors look up to him. He
was a handsome man, who could
make even a uniform look dis
tlnctive, and in the privacy of his
home he could be sociable and
entertaining.
CRETA was the baby of The
~ family, her fathers darling.
He liked to develop her little
parlor tricks, and encouraged her
charming ways when he brought
friends home.
She had invented a little name
Tor herself. Unable to articulate
"Greta," she would say her name
was "Kata." And "Kata" she
remains to this day in the init
mate family circle.
AS a slim child of 5, with
straight hair and solemn eyes,
little Kata was never looked upon
as coy, troublesome child. Some
times visitors asked her to sing
little song. She obeyed with
out any fuss. Her reward would
be a Sore piece, which she would
straightway spend at the local
sweet shop on hammer shaped
lollipop called a "klubba"-a deli
cacy very popular with every
Swedish child.
The change from complete ease
and childish self possession to
sudden shyness seems to have CO.
lncided with the commencement
of Greta's school life.
For the first time she found
herself herded with a lot of other
children, no longer able to follow
her own inclinations in the choice
of company or solitude. The
highly strung and sensitive Greta
had not been taught to give way
to her brother and sister at home.
On the contrary in her little
corner behind the stove, where no
one thought of disturbing her,
she had already learned the faS-
cinating but dangerous game of
dreaming. But like all other chill
dren, of course, she soon learned
to hold her own in most sports
and games.
Yet at school it was not easy
to persuade the powers that be or
the teasing schoolmates that she
ACSOCd pANdCys
n y
uER emotional reactions were
l. il temperamental to a degree.
She alternated between the
heights of bliss and the depths
of despair, and there is no doubt
she was a difficult child, both to
her parents and teachers The
strange thing is that she met
with so little intolerance in her
highly unsympathetic environ
ment.
They knew" she says. that I
was only unhappy They never
put my moods down to naughti-
ness or i'll nature"
Fru Gustafsson must, however,
have found it hard at times to
understand her difficult little