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>JK>'W ?m$m f HA! KARA baxn, the smell Of thy coffeeis Ike the taste Of wine to the t h i r s t y a f t e r my long tramp In the crusty m o w , " a n d Karl the iron* founder threw Off hi* hug« gkin coat and emptied at a cup of coffee Then , ' !-"• ife" & P- f r - some tells me that thy gulp the brimming banded him by his sister Olga. •placing a finger on his lip: " "Var stilja, my Olga, I hare some- What to tell thee, but yonder little . pitcher has long ears. So," he con- v' tinued, turning to a mite of a girl '.a fritting sedately near the blazing fire- -fjlaoe, intently engaged in thumbing well-worn primer book, "thou art studious, min lilla flicka, as I told : thee to be. Come hither, my little » maid, and show me thy book." He took the book quickly offered film, and deftly placing in it something > secretly drew from his pocket, "thrust it out of sight behind him. ,'V "Dost remember, sweetheart, that told thee the rooster pictured on |he front page of thy book would Wing thee something if thou wert - ;§ood?"- "* " ' - "Ja, brother Karl, and so I have been good; ask sister Olga," said the - thild, smiling up into his face, v "Indeed, yes," answered Olga, draw­ ing the little sister close into her *rms, and giving her a hug and a kiss. "Thilda is always sweet and ipood." •J. 'rs "Well, then, let us see what the Rooster has brought thee, my Thilda." iOpening the book, Karl pretended rf^V' , to be amazed at something he saw, ;.|nd showing it to Olga, she raised lier hands in well-assumed astonish- %' fnent. Thilda, unable to restrain her gf-X/'sturlosity, suddenly seized the book ; Carelessly held in Karl's huge hand -just within her reach, and opening " It. uttered a shout of delight as she MT <rew forth a beautiful white candy & 4og, with a pink ribbon round its keck. If^1' "Thank you, good Karl," she said °f^ fimply, pouting up her lips for a kiss, jif'sv "Nay, child, 'tis not me thou hast - to thank, but the rooster." he ex- flained, adding: "Now, min lilla £ :v'v lllcka, thou knowest that the good Jo- *,{ ban is far away from home, wilt go %f. Into thy chamber and pray for thy ' lister's betrothed? I have that to say to her which thou mayst not hear. {j:ood child," he continued, patting her '.bead as she turned obediently to •bey. "I have some news, my sister, about i. .:.fhy sweetheart. It is of some im- jportance, since it •Johan still lives." "May the good God so ordain," said $lga fervently, "and may He restore |Um to my arms." "Amen," murmured Karl, "but to the news. Tis now thred days since Joliau weui iutu the dark forest to Out the firs for the Jul Tieden and returned not as he should have done that same night The next day we found his ax buried deep in a tree, as thou knowest, but all other trace Of him was lost Well, to-day we pen­ etrated as far as the gloomy Falun Klines and found his empty wallet." "Aiiu--and--thou didst follow his Steps in the snow?" stammered Olga. "•Tell me quickly, Karl, my brother." "That is what we did not do, Olga, jbr the reason that there were no footprints in the snow. The wallet 00old not have been cast there by any one, for we tracked a circle of a hun­ dred yards and found the snow un­ broken. Moreover, a piece of ore was laid upon it as if to prevent its being ftlown away. It was placed there, but i; v *ot by Johan, Olga." "Thank God, he has found a shelter lb ere, some miners, perhaps. He "Stay even now be on his way to me," •aid Olga, jealously. "Go quickly, my brother, to meet him." "Do not raise thy hopes too high, jpy sister, neither let thy heart sink. Thy Johan is alive, true, but the hand . . fLat placed his wallet where it was " Sound was not that of a mortal. Nay --be not alarmed," he said, putting an arm around her, for the girl was Oeized with a fit of trembling. "Be brave, my sister, and all will be well If thou wilt be guided by me." \ "In anything and everything, my brother," said Olga, clasping her bands. "My soul for Johan's if need be" . "Not that, kara soster, not that shall >e required of thee, but bravery thou ibust show, little woman, such brav- $ry as few men dare show. Thy Jc- I&q's return depends upon thee." "I am ready to face death himself," •^ ijiaid Olga, "only tell me what to do." "Listen, then. I would do It for thee inyself, but thou alone canst race the Ordeal. 1 believe tne Skogfrau " ; "Oh, my God, the Skogfrau, the ter­ rible forest witch," cried the terror- stricken maiden, falling on her knees and holding up her hands to heaven. "Spare my Johan, oh, heaven!" "So this is thy bravery," said Karl gternly. "Rise from thy knees and / % nerve thyself for an ordeal that is ;|iot difficult, but requires bravery to ^ell thee. Wouldst lose thy Johan for­ ever? The Jul Tieden begins at mld- tiight, and at that hour thou must gland alone upon the spot where Jo­ han's wallet still lies, and demand a gift from the Skogfrau. She cannot refuse thee if thou are the first mortal to demand it at that hour. 'Tis thy Only hope, for she has lured Johan Into her power, and if thou shalt de­ mand him in the name of the Christ Child she may not refuse thy request, Since at this season she loses her f»ower and is at the mercy of mortals, but once only." "Thou will be close beside me, my brother?" asked Olga, shivering. "Within five hundred paces is a charmed cricle which none but thou tnay enter, but I will be Just beyond It and hear thy call for aid should '.aught happen requiring it Thou must Otand alone upon the spot and say three times, 'Skogfrau, in the name of ' v the Christ- Child I demand a gift of thee.' Three times, remember, my plater. She may appear terrible in «!/• Mr wrath and threaten thee and thy but fear not, she will be power- wither to harm thee or him. Come, 4s, long and mid- f- ' ft; •i idh % 'frf- • * m & Cl-IAJi OBINi/ON mi night must not pass ere thon there." "But Thilda? We cannot leave the dear child here alone." " 'Tis all arranged with Dame Thek- la," explained Karl. "We shall take the child thither and she will* sleep well. Thilda, min lilla flicka!" called Karl to the child, "come hither. Hast prayed for Olga's Johan, child?" "Ja, my brother, and the good God tells me he shall come home again." "Then so shall it be, my sweet child, but come, wouldst like to taste Frau Thekla's seed cakes, eh? I thought as much. Well, thou shalt as soon as I can carry thee thither. Come, sweet­ heart; come, Olga." Though wrapped in the warmest of furs, Olga shivered as she stood alone amid the silent, gloomy, wintry waste of the forest. Not long had she wait­ ed ere distinctly through the awful stiilnes came the clanging strokes of midnight which Karl rung upon the barrel of his gun with a hammer to warn her of the time. With a clear but quavering voice the girl called out three times: "Skogfrau, in the name of the Christ Child, I demand a gift of thee. Skogfrau, in the name of the Christ Child, I demand a gift of thee. Skogfrau, in the name of the Christ Child, I demand a gift of thee." For a moment there was intense silence, then came a rushing sound as of a tempest approaching, and a rasping voice spofV to her: is mine, I tell thee, mine forever. I will not give him up," and she raised her arm as if to strike, but now Olga feared her not "In the name of the Christ Chtld I demand Johan of thee. Thou hast promised whatever I might ask, and I will have no other gift from thee." In vain the old crone raved and cursed and begged the girl to take all she possessed, but not the youth. She tore her hair and beat her breast and threatened dire vengeance upon this girl and her betrothed, but the clang­ ing of Karl's hammer gave Olga cour­ age to repeat her demand: "Give me my Johan in the name of the Christ Child." At last the hag, worn out, said harshly: "Get thee home, and at the stroke of midnight on the Jul Afton I will bring thee thy Johan," then with a bitter scream she disappeared, and Olga fell fainting in the snow, but the faithful Karl revived her and brought her safely home. "Now, my sister, thou must prepare for the Jul Afton, the eve of the great day when the Christ Child was born. Do not fear, thy Johani wi^ll come at midnight as the terrible ol$ hag of the forest said. I will help thee pre­ pare trenches of snow-white lutfisk, and heaps of kott bolar. We must with thee, to lay up freshness for the morrow. I will watch over the sweet Thilda and bring her to thy arms In the morning." The Jul Tieden began with its mer­ rymaking and feasting. In one week, on the Jul Afton, the Christmas Eve, the climax would be reached. There was a squealing in the pens, & squall­ ing, cackling and quacking in the coops. Every oven was kept at the baking point and laden with savory toothsome viands. Presents were drag­ ged out from their hiding places and marked with loving mottoes, and the names of the favorecLxecipients. There was a general scrubbing, cleaning and dusting, and a- furbishing up of holi­ day garments and finery. The men drowned themselves in coffee, punch and branvin and shouted themselves hoarse with oft-repeated "skald." The women gossiped <^and cooked and cooked and gossiped, while the chubby children crammed their rtomachs with unwonted cakes and sweetmeats unmolested. Everything was free for the taking and the priv­ ilege of freedom war'accorded every­ body. / Olga threw her doors wide open to the whole village, promising a won­ derful surprise. Many thought she fc rmal banqueting, everybody «tf!ng when the humor seized him, and orinking whether thirsty or not, be­ cause good drink was there to be had without the asking. The whole vil­ lage was there waiting for the sur­ prise and nerving themselves up to withstand it by distending their stom­ achs. None but Olga, Karl and the pastor knew what it was to be, and even they did not know in what, shape it would come. At last the first stroke of midnight Olga turned pale, Karl stood at atten­ tion and the good pastor grasped his holy book firmly in his hand. The last stroke was still ringing in their ears when a "iolent gust of wind shook the house and the dragging of heavy chains over the roof brought terror to the inmates. The door was burst open by some invisible force and a heavy bundle was hurled in among the amazed roysterers. An old wizened hag appeared in the doorway and screamed out above the confu­ sion: "Girl, take the gift of the Christ Child, but beware of my vengeance. Shouldst thou accept any other gift before thou hast fully accepted this, then shall it return to me and be mine forever." Johan was quickly . restored by co- I.ious libations of hot punch, and "Johan, thy betrothed!" shrieked the hag. "Olrl, thou art mad. Q«t thee flone, and at midnight on the Jul Afton 1 will bring thee a Jewel sueh a» nona but not Johan. He Is mine, I tell the* mine forever. I will not glva him lift" and aha raised her arm as if to strike, but now Olga fsarpd her not. mam "Why troublest thou me, mortal? Dost thou not know that I can blast thee with a breath? Speak, what wilt thou?" ^ "In the name of the Christ Child, I demand a gift of thee," was all that Olga could utter in her terror. It was a terrible old hag who stood before her and her aspect was threatening. "Some paltry thing, I wis, a ribbon, a. Jewel. Speak, mortal, whatever it may be. 'tis thine." Growing bolder, Olga spoke mors firmly: "Thou hast promised, and in the name of the Christ Child thon muBt keep thy promise. 'Tis not a rib­ bon, or a Jewel, but my Johan, my be­ trothed, I demand of thee as thy gift" "Johan, thy betrothed!" shrieked the hag. "Girl, thou art mad. Get thee gone, and at midnight on the Jul Afton I will bring thee a jewel such have a mountain of seed cakes and keep filled' with smoking punch the huge bowl thy father left thee. We must not forget the coffee, kara sos­ ter, oceans of it, nor the salt pig and the baskets of spice bread. We shall have the village there, and all be ready to greet Johan with a loud "skald," for he will be sadly In need of it And the pastor, Olga, he must be there and he must remain there, and thou must be ready and willing to do as,I bid thee. I have my reasons, my sister; the Skogfrau has been de­ feated, thus far, but she is revengeful, yet I have a plan to end her power over Johan forever. Wilt do as I say, little one?" "Ja, my brother, though It ba to do again as I did to-night." It will not be so terrible, my sis- ad when thou hast dona it thon was not very considerate on Johan's account, thinking she would better be going around with tearful eyes and loud lamentations, but they ate freely of her good things none the less. Simple souls, they were not aware that the lost Johan was to be the great surprise. Of course, everybody had given him up for lost, and they were amazed that Olga should be the merriest maiden in the village, and that her home was to be the very center of the merrymaking on the Jul Afton. The pastor had been fore­ warned by Karl, and the good soul came prepared to fight the wicked troll for the salvation of Johan and Olga. weight of good cheer, and the huge bowl was kept constantly brimming when able to stand on his feet, Karl put his hand in. that of Olga and gave the pastor a signal. Forthwith, Olga took Johan for her husband, and when the final words were spoken, a tem­ pest again shook the house, heavy chains were again dragged across the roof, and after shrieks of demoniao laughter, all was still without. With tears and laughter, Olga grasped her brother's hand, and then threw herself Into the arms of her husband, the gift of the Christ Child, forever free from the thralls of the Skogfrau. In dealing with the fresh It Is necessary to put a little his tale. •«««(« *«»»«« t CWHtfll i' A$ the Christmas * Bells Were Ringing "Save my child! My God, save my child!" A lady dressed in traveling attire gathered herself up from the middle of the road where she had been fiung, and sobbing and wringing her hands, staggered painfully after a cab which was dashing through the street. In the cab was a little girl about four years of age. She did not scream, but clung desperately to the dashboard, against which she had been thrown, her large blue eyes gleaming wildly around for help. Sud­ denly a man sprang out from the crowd of palsied spectators and at­ tempted to seize the dragging reins, but the horse swerved to one side without abating his speed, and drove the wheel against a lamp post the impact of which cast the child out into a heap of mud and slush which the street sweepers had accumulated a^ngside the pavement, where she lay motionless. The horse, fright­ ened still more by the fall of the child, who had struck against his nose in her flight, bounded forward again, and the heavy wheel was upon the point Of rolling over the little girl's head, when, with a shriek, a young girl sprang before the mad­ dened animal, caught the bit, and with a strength sometimes given by despair to the weakest, bore the horse back. The momentary delay was sufficient to save the child, but the young gir"s strength suddenly failed her, and bruised by the front hoofs of the frantic beast, which, by a violent plunge shook here off, she fell with a broken arm and lay un­ conscious beside the child she had saved. Both the rescued and the rescuer- were quickly carried to the office of the same surgeon where the other occupant of the carriage, after having been revived, was still weeping and wringing her hands. Restoratives quickly applied soon brought the lit­ tle girl back to consciousness, and a fareful examination disclosed the fact that not only were no bones broken, but that its tender body was scarcely bruised. Its rescuer, however, was in worse plight, for it was only by prolonged, skilful work that she was finally re­ stored to sensibility. She had been removed to a private room, where the doctor had been exercising his akili to bring her back to consciousness, and was Just completing the bandag­ ing of her broken arm, when the lady rushed in crying: "Let me see the savior of my pre ctous child. I want to tell her how much she has done for me, and pour out my thanks to her. "I must talk to her," she Insisted "Leave us, doctor, for a few minutes. What I have to say will do her good, you do not know what she has done for me. The savior of my child is my sister, 1 tell you." The doctor bowed and retired. "Now, my dear young lady, thanks are too weak to express what I feel. What can I do for you? What is there in this world that a deeply grateful mother can do to express her grati­ tude? Would you like to come and live with me, and take charge of the sweet child you saved from death?" The girl tried to hide her face away from the lady's eloquent gaze. "Madam, you do not know 'what ycu ask," she said. "If you knew all you would spurn me from vou. "Madam, when 1 dashed before the maddened horse, the thought of sav­ ing your child's life was not the thought I had in mind. I--I--wanted to die, and hoped the animal would be the Instrument to relieve me. of a burden." "I was betrayed, madam, by one whom I loved, and who, I thought loved me. He deserted me in my necessity, and I had just come from a hospital when the opportunity I sought presented itself. "Wretched monster! Have you not Uiought of obtaining redresB?" "It would be useless to try, madam. He stands too high in the social scale. I would not be believed." "Yes, child, 1 will believe you. Tell me his name and perhaps I may be your savior." "Oh, madam, if you could be!" ex­ claimed the gir1 with sparkling eyes. "I do not hate Richard Talbot, and--" "No, no," gasped the woman, "'tis impossible, I tell you! Richard Tal­ bot is the very soul of honor. Pardon my wordB, but your charge against him struck me like a heavy blow. Richard Talbot could not have been your betrayer." "Read these letters, madam, and (ell me, If you can, who tlie man Is," said the girl, bitterly, drawing a small, soiled packed from her bosom. "I told you I would not be believed." The lady seized them and devoured their contents; then taking a letter from her pocket carefully compared the writing. "My God, it Is true," she mattered. "In a few hours more I would have been in his tolls. Trusting to his honor, I, too, would have been be­ trayed." Suddenly striking her fore­ head, she burst out: "My farewell I must get it before he finds it!" ; Several hours afterward, a ca$ . drove hurriedly up to the doctor'* « door, and from it the same woman. rushed hysterically into the offic4 "The doctor! I want the doctor! Will, ho never come? He is keeping m§ ~< away from my husband." The assist­ ant vainly endeavored to pacify b^ > She strode back and forth frantically wringing her hands and sobbing. 9 "My husband, doctor; my husbandjff Take me to him,his honor is at staka, . « Take me to him, I say!" -./-'i After compelling the frenzied wcjfV man to drink a soothing compound" • ^ t the doctor placed her in a chair anj took a seat before her. He said notfc^. leg imtll he perceived that his med£ '• tine was taking effect rV \ "Madam, your husband's honor wa(v ^ - In poor hands a few hours ago. Rich* **V-^ srd Talbot is not a proper guardiaa for the honor of any man or womaik' Listen, madam. Shortly after leaving your home this morning with your ; daughter, forever, as you thought, man was found near it in a collapsed^ ' - condition. He was Incoherent in hi$^ V ? talk and held clutched in his hanC " this letter." The doctor held out a " letter which the woman seized an<- tore Into fragments. "No, no, it is not my letter. -I did not write it, It was some demoa t/ within me. That poor girl In tha v.: Vt room yonder opened my eyes to my vfc s. folly and my sin, and I hastened ta ^ C repair the wrong by destroying tha letter before my husband could ob4 tain It, but I was too late. You wouMfc - aot let. me see bim, doctor, a littlff while ago, but I want you to takar me to him now. I want to kneel a| v his feet and sue for pardon." BuIm^ the doctor shook his head. "Do not tell me he Is dead, doctor}" 1 ̂ " * She clung desperately to the dasH4^ board. - ^ ,j <' it cannot be. Let me die, too," and she grasped at her bosom, tearing off Ler finery in her desperate clutch at her throat. With a strong hand the doctor restrained her and forced; • ( down another soothing mixture. „ "Take me to him, doctor, I oanrf? c.ire him--I am the only one--do yoi* not understand? I am his Charlotte v --he wants me and I must go to him."f^ It was a pitiful sight. The doctor r " holding a lady with a strong, restrain- ' ing hand to prevent her throwlngf; -\ herself upon the form of a man whoN^? lay grasping at his throat and crying. ; , "Charlotte! Charlotte! Come backK * -*$ to me, Charlotte; you have killed me^. My heart is broken, and I loved you^|;Ki|_ so You did not mean what youffv 4 ' ! wrote, did you, Charlotte? How cold'V ,, J everything Is. You said I never loved,./.".1 ^ you, but you were so queenly beautl-p fdl that I was afraid to let you see*', my heart. It is bursting with lovs^'"' for you, Charlotte. Come, my wife,"\ ' and he opened wide his arms, into',) V ^ V/hlch the woman, tearing herself^,-'/I away from all restraint, cast herself,1?-it, ̂ -5^ and, winding her arms around hia^ •> *• peck, laid her cheek close to his.W*,'/. In the crisp, early morn, the bells^y of an adjoining church rang out theirv2,»U merry Christmas peals and awoke* ' the patient, who sat up and looked ' around. • •'••• "Where am I?" he asked, rubbing; his dazed eyes. "The bells, the;,̂ K Christmas bells! I have had a hide-|:.r f| ous dream. Ah, Charlotte!" He laid ^ his hand caressingly upon that bowed / ^ head and whispered: "Charlotte, have^^vvl you come back to me? Am I dream- Ing?" "Edward, my husband, you hara;";.; been ill, and you have been dreaming..; ' But not now, dear. It is real that Ir l- : i V V. "ListenI They are telling you hewi much I love you." am by your side, and the Christmas f bells are real. Listen, they are tell­ ing you how much I love you." With their arms around each other "v.. they listened to the bells which spoke to them In a language that could not i £ be misunderstood. Edward Dalling \ iV* recovered finally, but his was a des- * perate chance and left him feeble for many months. He never knew posi- V tively whether the letter he found on ^ h*s wife's table, announcing that she rl did not love him, and that she was f ^ about to depart to a. foreign land to 4<> find happiness with Richard Talbot, was a dream or t reality. His wife's constant tendeiress and unwavering devotion finally blotted it from his T ^ mind. On every Christmas morning they never fall to sit In silence with ? j , clasped bands, listening to the bells whose music dissipated the mists ba- fore their hearts and brought their S i'c fk souls together pr any