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a atari tie
Ae ease ret
siete
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residence, than the day the first timber was cut
for his one
ughgoing miser was old Jan, and bis
crusty Selishness iacluded not only bis earthly
goods, and the gift or use thereot, “and
not verv desirable company, but’ also his one
jewel of a daughter.
‘arely was Norna seen in the village; almost
neverat all at any merry-making of the neighborly
country folk; and old Jan seemed t fe
ogtish sort of pleasure in preventing her from
fptertaining _Tistors—young men especially—at
is own
ue ee
became knowa among them, the more unpopular
. was old Jan Ericson among the free-hearted set-
tlers of ine. Mataska Valley,
yet, there were those who had succeeded
sin breaking throngh or climbing over the odd
old miser’s wall of reserv
Jobn Pinner had done it, by his father’s advice,
for Judge Pinner was Jan’ Ericson’s lawyer, and
he had more than once hinted to his sou and hei
that Norna had other and more solid attractions
than her beau!
If, therefore, any fair occasion offered to send
r Paul Wood, oe the
had not sutlicient cunnin;
ride forbude any y subtertuge, for he ha
fivelr and 0} y braved more than once, even
harsh divconitesy of old Jap, in bis uninvited,
unabashed intrusions,
id not pretend to vie with Jobn Pinner
in dress, wealth, or apparent prospects, he was
certainly a fine, manly specimen of a young
Western farmer, and bis dark curls and almost
rthy features wore a pleasant contrast to even
the rips blonde Norse loveliness of Norna herself.
s
2
Es
of teaming on the
farthest edge of his possessions, or tor a trip to
the store at the village.
Nobody e'
2
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=
®
reasons for fistrusting Paul Wood, and he bad
een made to fecl the fact very sensibly, more
than once.
There had been an ‘added bitterness the past
Autumn, in the fact that Joho Pi mina
tion to the State Logislature had only resulted in
showing the fi e Mataska Valley people,
for the ‘stupid allows ted known no more Than to
choose Pattl Wood instead ; and even Norna Eric-
rer, fa the early Winter,
when Paul would fave vgiven his political honors
and his best horse, Perhups even hs farm to boot,
‘a3 that Norna suddenly
became as distant dad repelling as old dan bin.
self.
Not a word would she youchsate him, though
he met ber a full half-mile trom the house, and
walked to t the very door b by
e the
Shae as for the icy look of
which Norns marched straight
ose, and clos e door |
was really very ite « give up” in Paul’s
sition ; but he met Jobn Pinner, before he
bad lelt the faci: * mile Wwehind him, and there was
a look on John's face that suggested
pig thoughts to the sore heart of the discomfited
yout!
The next doy and the next, and, in fact, a good
atter that, were decidedly unfavorable
5
4
ather to have “bred a coolness” in a
blast farsace, First, there came a driving north-
erly storm, bringing untold freights of dritting
snow from tbe Arctic regions till all the country
was buried undera genuine “* Minnesota
No roads, no paths—no use in trying to meee,
ost
alm
And then there followed acold a snap, ths that tatterly
fed the oe pressive pow ermo-
only way to met the masoury low
was to hang it down a well. Thirty,
thirty-five, and some said forty degrees. below
‘o—only, when people are half frozen, they are
apt to exaggerate,
‘Anyhow, there were tervibte stories of sufleri ing,
here and there, and nobody r from.
home, “until the frost should let go ‘its hold a
little.”
“Jolin,” said the carefal Judge, on the third
day, when the abating storm’ began
frost—" John, don’t you think Sra better go
and take a look at the Ericsons? don’t believe
the old man was ready for this.”” 4
in’t in earnest?’ exclaimed
r.. “Tea miles through these
Do 0 you ‘want me to bury myse
Well, maybe you're right; but t wouldn’t
wait too jong. | ‘They'll be breaking out the roads
in a day or 80,” » replied the ju
more than a ‘day or 0" * went b
the Mataska people cared to attempt a great deal
e way of road-making, and in the meantime
the Ericsons had not been ready for this.”
With endless supplies of timber-land close by,
that as, w icin FAO, and generally fine
Vinter weather to haul in what he might want,
old Jan coult ests see the policy of making up
much of a woo
Besides, huge provision for warmth, such as
bis neighbors made, olfended Jan’s keen sense of
would surely waste what they
old man saw the storm
ning, the even vhaneually bare condition of
his pie of chips struck him with sudden dismay,
of oxe
but he had counted on his thorough Scandinavian
toughness to carry bin Xu brows
for at supper-time he fou ‘ay to the se
again, through the beeping ate ‘ the binding
tush of tho aon but alone, for his
load were ‘pop. vessly stalled and
There was fuel enowzh on hand for that night,
- with ecouumy, and oid Jan cheered Norna with the
promise of Ww! 2 would do on the morrow.
Aad Norna tried to be “theerfel ; ; but the howling,
Lr.
EA mat aaa’
me at once started for the forest with a yoke
It was a rash thing to do, for a man of his age;
And <o, the more Norna’s beauty grew and}
to let in the} bi
dismat tempest without was only too well in keep-
ing with the dismal state of ber own internal fe
ings and thou,
e night went ‘by and the mori ning came, and
own | the storm still raged ; but old Jan Ericson did not
go out toc
aid dot even leave bis bed, for exposure,
cold, id over-exertion had done their work on
his theamatic old limbs, and imprisoned him only
oor Norna’s beart sank witbin her, for she
knew that such attacks were apt to be tediously
long, and even food might fail her, as well as t
means of cookin;
She was a brave fi rirl, and she made out to goto
the barn and the Stables bat day, so that the
e few fence-rails and
ing in en-
to make but a poor defense against the
fast i ‘nereasiog cold.
Moreover, od Jan was euill, and fretted, and
complained of the absence of the grand old fires
e had been used to in his youth among the dis-
tant ‘hills of Norway.
That was a terrible day for Norna, and when
another morning dam ned, she looked out upon the
white and more than Arctic eae around the
house, with a ‘eching near akin to
Still, with true courage, the Beaute « of Mataska
faced her troubles, waded through the drifts, fed
e feeble fire, attended to the quer-
rot unreasonable old Jan, and won-
dered, now and then, if the people at the village
01 ever dream of sending out to look after er
them.
Then there followed another long, dark, miser-
able bight, and Norna could not get a wink of
sleep till toward morning, for thinking of what
in | too effectual
=
t even arise at once when the tard:
light began to come through the thickly frosted
panes of her window. Why should she, when she
had nothing to make a fire wit
* Wout it not be better to burn tbe furniture
freeze? She could make, a cup of coffee,
at least, with the kitchen-chaii
Just ‘then sbe thought she head a slight sound
in the jing room, and wondered if ‘her father
could be stirring.
=
even to rise and dress in that
stinging cold, but Norna was brave, and in a few
minutes more she was ready to face the labors and
perils of the
Her heart wan “heavy enough when she laid her
hand on the kitehen-door; but when she opened
it, she fairly started back ‘mn astonishment, for
blast of warm air, balmy with the breath of blaze
ing pine, smote her in th he face.
e cheerless, chill, deathly desolation she
had gypected ras the ample kitchen, but the hizh-
lazed and crackled with a most tn.
ed on either side of it were ample sup-
plies for at least that day" 's consumption, whatever
Inight be the condition of the thermometer.
Norna di acles, but she
a good,‘whole-
some ery before ‘she set herself to work at getting
reakfast reac
‘he tea-ketile had evidently filled itself, and
started for a boil on its own account, and Norna’s
curiosity took her at once to the door, to "eee
what solution of the puzzle might be found out-
Nota sign of human life was there, but some-
body had been at work with a shovel, for there
was a yery decent pathway cut, as far a:
Tracks, of course, here and there, bat big boots
are too nearly alike to tell tales to the eyes of any
one less acute of vision than au Indian trailer.
still, Norna wondered and wondered how all
that wood could ever bave got there.
tetting into the house was easy enough in a
region where wooden latches take the place of
combination locks, ut, whoever nown
benefactor ha e Must have possessed
wonderful faculties for silen
There was magic in it, ‘and Nora called to mind
the old Norse tales she had h good-natured
demons of the forest but, thon all that belonged
orway, and not to Minnesota,
ater inthe aa as Norna paced here and there
among the drifts, she got one hint at least, for
those broad though deep dints in the surface of
the snow- rifts could only have been made by
snow-shoe:
When she finally found her way to the stables,
Nornu saw that her work there had all been done
for ber, and a ‘good deal more, and that even an
old wood- sleigh bad beea dug ou
in anticipation of future
Inside the house the “* food question”
ecoming an important one, 40 closely had the
narrow and stincing policy of old Jan ermitted
the current sup a down; but, for all that,
Norna Erieson Tone “all day the quaint and music
cal th ‘of ber northern gneestry, whieh ber
mother bad tanght her years betore.
Bitter, bitter cold it was without, ‘but the
tifal unkuown friend left little to
ask Br wi ith ‘the very dancing blaze itself
seemed to laugh in mockery of Norna’s curiosity.
e long night came again , an
Noma tried hurd vot to go to sleep, 80 that she
might listen,
Youth and health’ forbade any such doings,
however, and Norna woke in the morning, not to
find her fire alight, but all preparation made out-
sidey in the shape of heaps of fuel.
it was evident, moreover, that
reinaining ox- tear ad been
Well they might b
only had some pitiless, diiver forced them to nelp
him break a road to the timber through a mile of
ina,” but to haul home again a very ‘Tespectable
joad
to)
boun-
Jan Ericson’s
at Was a later discovery of Norna’ "s, but
ine first thing fo freee her eyes, as she sw:
door open, was the corcnss of a goodly deer that
hung against ‘t and she knew very well how
much better venison-steaks are than utter starva-
ion.
They are a good deal better!
The next day and the next went by, and the
terrible cold secined to have griped eters thing
ith a band ot frozen steel
wagtia and again did Norn
e
o
‘a Ericson shiver and
vn pal Ne, as she thought rot what would surely
have en hee fate, but for her unknown helrer,
as able to sit up now, and grumble at
the sad snecenaty of ‘porn ‘ing so much good wood.
inst to keep wi
BRS oie :
Le Oy
“THE CHIMNEY
t of the snow, as °
“GORNER. ~
In reply to Norna’s speculations as to who had
sent it, however, he testily replied :
“I Knowed Judge Pinner would keep an eye on
s lett this morving
rom Jones's store at the village. Iknowed
it soon as I tasted it. It's what the judge always
buys, and it’s two cents more a pound thaa 1
want to give.”
‘True enough, Judge Pinner had by no means
forgotten his client, and at last he succeeded in
stirring up John’s eiraley and his own, now the
roads were becoming a trifle better broken, and
the mercury ventured a few points higher up in
e glass.
It was with more than a little misgiving that
some of
their neighbors wit em,
anything bad had happened at old Jan’
Bitter col but when the Pte team
g the chimney
Promptly dis dispelled all their fears,
or old Jan!” exclaimed the judge.
“Jack Frost didn’t catch him
treat was the surprise of botit father and son,
however, a the old man hobbled | out to meet
e greeted with such a torrent of what
seemed ‘to be genuine gratitude for the kind atten-
tion they bad shown during his illness, and all
they had saved him and Norva from during
col
Inst | at that moment a man on snow-shoes came
plodding down the road, but nobody thought
much about him, and John Pinner mustered self-
possession ‘enous. to answer:
“Wel course, we were anxious about you
and Norna, and we've come how to see if there's
can do. Nornay’
”” said that + Young
ray. YOu
should than ik Mr, Pinner for the venison and the
coftee.””
on snow-shoes had half halted within
hearing distance, and could the have lost a word.
f Jan Erieson’s thanks ubious protest."
ing and yet acknowledging neceptanee thereof by
the Pinners.
“Js that you, Mr, Jones?” again interrupted
Norna, addressing fhe “ storekeeper,” ate still
sat muille dy up in the sleigh. mn you've
come. I w: t you ead something to or mye,”
“all right!" exclaimed the e gallant mnerchant,
springing out into the snow to take a large stip
of brown paper from Norna’s extende
“Where did that come from
ead it—read it,”’ sai
Peal Wood! That's plain enough, and it’s in
Oh, I remember I did up a
wilole lot of things that day tor one and another,
and I pat the names on em, so’s not to git
mixed
“Oh, that’s it, is it?” said the beauty.
now. Father, John Pinner got Paul Wood tobu
e coffee for he and bring it out. Pinner,
how much aid tor ight
in the stor
of you, Twas good of him, too, to
costae in the v Haze ont through the cold snap.”
“What's that?’ suddenly exclaimed the man
on snow- shoes, untwisting a ‘huge fur muffler from
his bead a: what’s that about court-
ing in the. ‘illa ze”
Jot ner was evidently getting very chilly,
judging by the way his teeth chattered, and it was
really every cold. day; but Norna kirieson’s face
was a alli in a bright, warm
ull” she exclaimed—* Paul W ‘ood! Come
rig] nt ‘i now. Come and warm yourself by we
fre that would have been out for ever if it hadn’
een for you, Father, John Pinner aud the jude
would haye let us freeze and starve. It was Paul
that saved us, Come in, Paul. Mr. Jones, you
come, toc 100, and the judge and Jobn may come if
they w:
* John, ae yly remarked the storekeeper,
“don’t you think we ra Detter go home while the
sleigbing’s | good? s Paui’s day. Elected
again, sure’ 3 you liv er
There was no do abt about it.
Norna Ericson’s “elected.”
Paul Wood was
INFORMATION IN BRIEF.
e Cheech of the Nativity, at Bethlehem, is
supposed to be the oldest Chr istian church-build-
Standin; 3
The hs Sweppers dural is the latest novelty of
New York journalisin. The chief object of the
paper 1s to act as _midd! oman di
and thence forwarded to the advertis
Among certain Amazovian tribes t the Indian
bridegroom is subjected to a strange test, While
the marriage festivities are going on, his and i is
The bi
test spoken of phe i is considered equal to the trials
of matrimo
paper-mill established in North Amer-
ica was built in 160, upon the W: issahickon, near
Hermantown, by William Rittenhouse an nd Wit
February 12th, 1698, the first
public school in the American Colonies was es-
tablished at Philadelphie and Tporation
created, entitled, “The Overseers of the Publick
Schoole founded 5 i" Philadelphia.” In this school
it was ordered by the Governor and fo pupil “AN
children and vera, male and f whois
parents, goardians & masters vewitiien to'subiect
m to rules and orders of the said schoole,
shall from time to time, with the approbaon of the
overseers thereof for the time being, be received
or admitted, taught or Nnstracted the rich at
reasonable rates, and to be maintained
and schooled for nothing.” The first schoolhouse
was built on the east side of Fourth Street, perow
Chestout Street. Enoch Flower was the fi
schoolmaster,
"ees sare
Oe,
eo
Bees
” & Last Kiss:
Ir was just at eventide
PR =
And her thin, hand be-koned me.
And T knelt beside ber bed,
‘as we kneel beside the deads
she whispered, “ia Je near;
But tue morning will b
“ After life T
To our lover dean, 0 you.
Bend down closes, love, tor T
Fain would kiss you ere I die,”
And she kissed te ere she died.
with her last kiss she was dead!
.|THE SOW OF A GENTLESAN,
A NOVEL,
BY .
‘irs. Jane G. Austin.
CHAPTER X.—NOAH’S ARK.
EORGIE MOLYNEUX
n said, had
would take his depart-
ure, and allow her to
Soon, how-
ever, she forget her
posed to the supernatu-
ral terrors of the cellar,
partition, whic!
alone separated the cellarway from the bedroom.
terrors, however, returned with a rush,
wien she heard’a stealthy step upon the stairs
beside her; and as she started and turned, a hand
was suddenly placed over her mouth, and an arm
about her waist, while a voice mispered in her
Georgie, darling! It’s Jack!”
“Jack” repeated the gi, in the same cautious
‘one; “why, how did you come here?”
“ ‘throw ugh th @ cella window, darling.
up to the house just as Mr. Chiarleeourt did, and
ras looking in at the window when you ran into
he eellarway. a kn new ‘that “the bulkhead was
open, and I slid down that way. “But why do you
stay ier, ten
* Hark’! listen to what your mother is saying,
Jacks Ob! you never dreamed of ——
at this moment the thrilling shriek of
“ Help! murder!” resounded through ihe place,
and Jack, forgetting all ise t Ba his tothe r’s need,
sprang t g Georgie gtimidly
peeping from fuze, ‘uncertain how to net,
re eee she saw the outer dot thrust
open, and the constable with bis posse, rash in and
recapture their ner. At that sight, "prudence
and timidity alik é “forsook her, and sh 3 dart-
ing to his side, when old Ruchel, who
doo
help Jack far more in anotber way than by any
physical effort in bis bebalf, she suddenly became
quict, and w waited patiently ‘tor ber release.
come at once, for, after
had departed with their prisoner, Mr, Charlecourt
remained, and insisted upon seeing Mrs. Coventry .
again, if only for a mom
“«Vean élp ber son, tnd I will,” repeated he,
earnestly, in answer to Rachel’s refusal to allow
her patient any more excitement, until at last the
old nurse replied, impatien
“Good Lord, sir! iv’s as much as ever if she
ut you can come in, if you" re set on it,
and see jor yourself
Seizing the grudging permission, Charleconrt
entered the be deoom, é losing the door alter him,
etforts o}
his victim understand that he regarded her boy as
his boy also, and that he would watch’over and
defend. him with all the power of his name and
wealth,
But, as Rachel had said, the unfortunate woman
was “raving distracted,” and to every appeal
and every promise, answered only by a wild laugh
and incoherent babbling, in which the words
“* ruby” and “picture” and “two great for-
tunes” cecurrea 80 often, that at last the baser
side o!
ntreaties, menaces
arguments to force from the poor maniac a
confession of where the precious miniature was
hidden, and who besides berself knew of. its
existence.
Bat this effort was as futile as the other, and
when old Rachel, for the third time, impatiently
opened the door, saying, sir, ain’t you
ready yet?”? Mr. Charlesourt rose and took” his
departirre, making the old woman promise that 28
soon as her patient experienced a lucid interval
he. should be sent for, as he
“To put the poor creature’ . mind at rest with
Tegard to ber son.
2
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