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Show Jan Olesen's Awakening Awak-ening Ey MURIEL BLAIR ((:. :yJ, Western New apr Union.) From the first moment uf his opening open-ing the door Jan Ulesen lelt a presentiment presen-timent of disaster. There was something some-thing in the atmosphere of the boarding board-ing house. Willi its stul'iy hall, its gilt mirrors, its glaring plush ornameuta-tion, ornameuta-tion, that sickened him, so that wheu the little maid came l'urward and asked whom he w'slied to see he could hardly utter Minn's name. Jun Ulesen, filfch from the west, where he had established himself as a prosperous farmer within three years after his arrival from Swedeu, a penniless voiith looked in siimrisp fit the little servant's troubled face. "You are from my country?" he asked In his native tongue, and at the sound of the words the little fair-haired fair-haired maid-of-a'.l-work broke down and cried. "I I haven't heard the old speech for so long," she said, and then began smiling through her tears as the sun smiles out of a blue sky. Jan Olesen looked at her in grave compassion. "Do they treat you well here, child?" he asked. She shrugged her shoulders. "Some of the boarders do," she answered "Theatrical folks are mostly kind. But Miss Dalrymple she's a terror. She's leading lady in the 'Red Slipper' chorus, you know and, say," she added, add-ed, breaking into the easily acquired slang of America, "what do you think? She's Swedish, too, for all her American Ameri-can airs and English name." Olesen clutched at the wall to save himself from falling. Before his eyes a mist was swimming. His mind went back to the day when he, renting a cheap hall bedroom almost in the next city block, had met Mina Jeusen. She was just such a little maid as this, newly arrived from the old country. He remembered her sliy smile, her engaging frankness. And they had become be-come engaged, and he had gone west to make his fortune. Now after three years he had returned to what? Through the mist broke a scent of patchouli. Out of It he saw a woman approach, with fashionably done hair and gaudy dress; and through the floating clouds he saw a slim hand, much bejeweled, stretch forth to his. "Why, if it isn't Jan !" exclaimed Mina. "I guess you didn't know me, Jan. Well, what are you staring at?" she continued to the girl. "Get busy with your work, whatever It is ! Ain't she the impudent thing! Just a greenhorn, you know ! Come right in, Jan, and tell me about yourself and if you've brought back a wad to blow in In New York. And say, Jan, can that stuff you wrote me about getting married and show me a good time in this burg instead. Nix on a Minnesota Min-nesota farm for mine! "Poor Janl You haven't learned much in Minnesota, Jan !" she said iit parting. She had refused to discuss their marriage; instead, lie was to take her to dinner on the next evening. Now the fabric of ambitions which he had built up was shattered. But in the loneliness of his room that night his thoughts gradually began be-gan to flow In their accustomed groove again. He had resolved to tell her everything every-thing on the following night; all Ins alms and aspirations; to beg her to come back with him to Minnesota. There, on their lonely farm, they would settle, as the old folks had done In Sweden, they would be happy. . . He fell asleep at last, happy in his dreams. But on the next night the old feeling feel-ing came over him again at the sight of the hall, the scent of perfume, the faded tawdriness of it. He hesitated hesi-tated upon the threshold; he could not enter. And the little maid's eyes were red from tears. "You have been crying, my dear," said Olesen. "I'm to be sent away," she said, her voice quavering. "Away? Well, but there are better places." "O, yes. I'm not afraid. But she said " "She? Who?" "Miss Dalrymple. She said I can't tell you well, that I didn't behave that I talked to the men here that I talked to you yesterday. And she pays twenty a week, so Mrs. Simmons Is afraid to affront her. And she said that if I didn't go she would. For an instant he pondered ; then, taking the girl by the arm, he led her to the door. "My dear," he said, "In the state I come from there are broad acres of land land like we have at home, with forests and lakes. And there are no Miss Dalrymples there, and women are treated differently. Would you like to come with me to see the place I'm speaking of? There, don't let those tears come. No, never mind your hat; there's a department store round the corner where you can get all you need. But hurry, for It closes at five, and we've got to get to the city hall first and take out our marriage mar-riage license." |