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Show A Dangerous Courtship. TltANSLATKD HY ALHX. 8CHAAP. (Copyright. 1900i Dally Story l'ub. Co.) Since Aslaug, Knut Husaby's pretty daughter, bad grown Into a oung and charming woman, thero was little pcaco In the village ot Uuaaby, Day and night the hardy lads ot tho neighborhood neigh-borhood engaged In wordy nnd fistic quarrels on her account. The climax was reached In tho Inn on Saturday night, when tome ot tho boys bad Imbibed Im-bibed too much. Knut Husaby would not think In thoso days ot going to sleep on Saturday Satur-day night without keeping but big leather boots on. Ho was also sure to have a heavy oak cane next to his bed for emergency, aa ho called It. "Since Clod has bestowed a pretty daughter on me, It will bo my duty to keep her from harm," ho would say, Thoro Nacsset was tho son ot the butcher, a strapping young fellow, full of grit and daring, dosilpcra said that Thoro vltltod Atlaug moro frequently than did any of the other young mon of the village. This rumor did not plcate Knut. In fact, ho denied It, saying that ho had uovor seen Thoro and Atlaug together. Hut the peoplo laughed and winked at this. They In-tilted In-tilted that Thoro was a ily lover and that Aslaug know bow to hoodwink her father, Tho spring came, and Atlaug drovo the cattle lo the top of the Aim mountain. moun-tain. As tho sun slowly descended In the horlxon and tar above tho steep, cool rocks of the mountain, tho bellowing bel-lowing of the cons, the barking ot tho dog, and the yodel of Aslaug resounded re-sounded over tho valley, the lads, who were working In the meadows, felt as It they would like to cast away their tcythes and pitch forks and rush up the steep paths to court the fair singer. When Saturday night camo thero waa a rnco between them to reach the mountain top, hut thoy descended much moro rapidly, for bohlnd the door ot the cattlo shod a stalwart man was bidden, who gave each and every caller a pugilistic reception, and told them that It they wanted a moro se-vero se-vero drumming at another lime to call again. The wooers knew that there was only one nan In all Husaby who could boast of tho possession ot such a strong list as that possessed by Thore Nacsset. Somo ot the rich peasants' iff i"OT9 ff' "What do you want ot mot" sons ot tho neighborhood thought that It was a shame that thus common butcher was permitted to lord It thus on top ot tho mountain and to keep all wooers away from the beautiful Atlaug, At-laug, Old Knut was of the same opinion when ho was told ot tho bold dolntvi of Thoro and bo boasted everywhere that If there was no ono In Husaby who could conquer Aslaug's favorlto, ho and his son would show that they could do It In short order. Knut, It It true, waa beginning to ago visibly. He waa CO years old, but despite this ho would now and then engage In a bout with his son In tho bam yard, and provo a formidable antagonist. an-tagonist. Only ono path led to tho top ot tho Aim, and It wended Its way across Knut't farm. On the following Saturday Satur-day night when Thore wanted to ascend as-cend tho mountain and was passing by tho side of tho barn, ho suddenly felt tho grip ot a strong arm around his throat. "What do you want of mo?" naked Thore. He swung himself around desirously and threw bis assailant Into tho thicket. ' "You will know toon enough what vee want of you," said another, who dealt him a severe blow on bis breast. This was Aslaug's brother. "Hero romiM the third one," rejoined re-joined Old Knut, who had meanwhile managed to extricate himself from the bushes, and with theso words Tbor ro-celved ro-celved another tolling blow. In tho face of danger Thor's strength was doubled, Ills proweas came him to stead, for two museular glanta had attacked, In the end, however, de-spSU de-spSU hit agility and power, Thoro got 'if" ' 1 a hard beating and when blood begin ft to flow freely Knut called a halt ano1 9 added: jB "Now, Thore, If you can bert mj 9j brother. Wolf Husaby, and his eus next Saturday night, then my lass will be yours." m Thoro was so badly Injured thai he m had to remain In bed over Sunday. On 9 Monday also ho was so worn out from M tho fight that ho was not ablo to go to m work In his father's shop. Tuesday came. It was a balmy day. The sunshine sun-shine brightened his room. Ha heard tho hells of tho grating cattle and his beloved warbled her pretty Norst songs nnd odels till ho thought hit heart would break Wednesday came nnd he still Ian gulthed on his couch. He did not be-como be-como convalescent until Saturday j morning, and then he was not well enough to meet Knut's challenge tc j battla with hit big brother one I nephew. He looked longingly toward the narrow path which led to tho sldt of Aslaug Ills swecthcut'n yodel again trilled through tho silent alley Ho knew that If ho would attempt tc make his way to her that evening be would receive another drubbing that i would send him to bed for somo tlmo to come. "I must climb tha Aim some other I way," reasoned Thore. Toward dawn J ho unmoored his boat and rowed along tho slioro of the almost perpendicular rock, hoping against hopo to find tomo foothold and tomo way of ascending the Aim from tho water tide. After the day's work Aslaug sat on tho summit of the mountain. Sho did not anticipate that Thore would bo Vniri!!k Atlaug tat on the summit ot the mountain, able to como to her that night, but sho kncir that others would come In his stead. Sho unchained her fathful shephord dog and began to knit. Sho was sitting with her face turned to- x ward tho bomo of Tborno, but the mist began to rise so that sho could not V cvon distinguish tho trco tops. Sho 1 moved over toJho.other,alda. and . jftw. u" there the tat dreaming for a long tlmo " N I with her eyes riveted on tho vnit sea. - . Tho view filled her soul with unspcak-ablo unspcak-ablo peace. Suddenly she felt a desire to glvo vent to her feelings In loud melody. ' Sho sang tho tongs of childhood, tho ditties of tho village, the Norto nation- , al long, and her munla sounded weird In tho silent night. Then sho thought that some ono waa answering hor. "What In tho world can this bo?" sho allied herself. "It cannot bo tho echo, for I am facing the sea." J Sho advanced to the edge of tho rock nnd swinging her arms around a slender slen-der tree sho searched tha wall ot tho steep mountain. Hut It was quiet and peaceful on tho fjord; not a bird flew over It. Aslaug returned to her grassy couch and again began to sing. This time she could not bo mistaken, for It was Indeed a human volco that lesponded to her yodel. Again she rushod to the tree and took a long look down the Aim. At last the beheld a boat moored to a , small branch that Jotted out from the rock. Only tomo fifty feet below her, S sho saw a red cap, with a man under It making lit wty up tbo slippery side when not ovtu a mouutaln goal would daro to tread. Bho hurried back to her place, and dared not utter a note or word for fcai that tho Intrepid wooer would be hurl ed down Into the turbulent waters ot tho fjord. Sho knew very well who It waa, though tho did not boo bit I face. Sho threw herself on the ground and held the long, heavy blades ol ' grass with both hands, as It It wcrt her task not to loso her grip on what waa once seized, Hut tho grass roots i began to loosen and In hor despair she i cried to Ood to aid Thore with His ' ! Omnipotence. Then again sho began f to think that such an net of Thoro and '1 such a prayer on her part were a gro3t ' temptation of Ood. Nevertheless she ! continued her supplications. "Only this time, dear Father lis heaven, only , , this time," the cried. ' ' Then Ailaug tlung her arms around IS tho dog as If It was Thoro whom sho It was trying to aavo from destruction. I How long tho tlmo eeomcdl At last tho dog toro himself looto and began I ft to bark lustily. J "Hush." sho warned, but tho dog ff would not bo quieted nnd when sho had reached tho animal to stop his t noise tho red cap peeped over the edgo of tho rock and tho next mlnuto Thoro held her In hi arms They kissed nnd embraced each other again and again, and Thoro could not utter a word, and what he finally oald I contained not un Idea of rntlonnllty. Old Knut Husaby, howovcr, when he f hoard of Thoro's daring feat, ajjld I something In which thoro was plenty , ( of compion sense: "Tho lad Is wortly ' l of her she shall bo his." 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