United States or Solomon Islands ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Instead, he took up a book, and went and sat down on the sofa by the window. Time and again Gertrude tried to make him lay down his book, but Ingmar, sulky and shy, refused to budge. Mother Stina looked at him and shook her head. "It's plain he comes of an old, old stock," she thought. "That kind can never be really young." The three who did dance had such a good time!
"Big Ingmar died just after that was said, and I have not had time to ponder it." He fell to thinking, then he spoke kind of half to himself: "It was a strange sort of thing to say, you're right about that, Mother Stina." "You know, of course, that it has been said of Strong Ingmar that he can see into the future?" she said reflectively.
He told her that all her prophecy had come out true, for his daughter had been deserted, and her lover had taken Stina Krugers to wife; could she not, therefore, give him something that would make Stina childless, and cause her husband to hate her? "Ay, if he crossed her hand with silver." This the peasant did. Whereupon she gave him a padlock, and whispered some words in his ear.
Presently Halvor got up, and the others started, as if suddenly awakened from a sound sleep. "I must get back to the shop," said Halvor. "What's your hurry?" asked Mother Stina. "I hope Halvor isn't going on my account," said Karin meekly. As soon as Halvor was gone the tension was broken, and the schoolmaster knew at once what to say.
He need only let the cold continue and keep the ground covered with snow. But when our Lord allows the spring and the flowers to return, He must at least think us fit to live." When Mother Stina finally reached the Ingmar Farm she halted and glanced round timidly. "I think I'll go back," she said to herself. "I could never standby and see this dear old home broken up."
And there certainly was a rustling and a pattering and a bumping about over their heads, that made both Gertrude and her mother feel creepy. "There must surely be some one up there," insisted Gertrude. "There can't be," Mother Stina declared. "Let me tell you that this thing has been going on every night since you danced here."
The good aunt blessed the saints that her Stina was likely only to be lovely in affectionate home eyes; but, for that matter, idle men, shut up in a castle, with nothing but mischief to think of, would be dangerous to Little Three Eyes herself, and Christina had best never stir a yard from her lady's chair, when forced to meet them.
"God knows," sighed Mother Stina, "it's not only because I had expected that Gertrude would some day have been mistress here that I grieve, but it seems to me as if the whole parish were done for." Just then the pastor came along, looking solemn and depressed. He did not stop an instant, but went straight to the house.
As he met her gaze, she turned and walked away. Ingmar hastily left the others and hurried after her. Then bending down to her, every muscle of his face aquiver with grief, he said in a husky voice: "Go home to Gertrude, Mother Stina, and tell her that I have betrayed her, that I've sold myself for the farm. Tell her never to think more of such a miserable wretch as I."
"I thought that perhaps you might be willing to accept milk and butter and eggs as part payment." "As to that " "You would be doing me a great service," said the rich peasant woman. Mother Stina felt that Karin would never have made this singular request had there not been some good reason for it; so she promptly settled the matter. "Karin need say no more.
Word Of The Day