Growth of the Soil

on the moors, but Geissler paid no heed to the state of the ground; he came on foot, in rich high boots with br

ne. And what about the price? Also, by the way, he had a message from Inger-good girl, every

ay And you've

own, have you? grind your own corn? Excellent. And you'

she

ll and fit. Let's go in the next

wishing them to go in. They went into the little room nevertheless, a

nee with a powerful hand, and th

that copper trac

N

other people too. She'll be out before long, if I'm not g

e K

o cause to complain.'' Like to be home again?' 'Ay, I'll not say no.' 'And so you shall before very long,' said I. And I'll tell you this much, Isak, she's a good girl, is Inger. No blubbering, not so much

? We've helped her to get a sewing-machine of her own; she's gone through the workshops right to the top, and we've taught her a deal-weaving, household work, dyeing, cutting out. Been here too long, you say?' Well, I'd got my answer ready for that all right, but it could wait, so I only said her case had been badly muddled, and had to be taken up again; now, after the revision of the criminal code, she'd probably have been acquitted altogether. And I told him about the hare. 'A hare?' says the Governor. 'A hare,' says I. 'And the child was born with a hare-lip.' 'Oh,' says he, smiling, 'I see. And you think they ought to have made more allowance for that?' 'They didn't

prison for full two months without any notice taken of her condition by the authorities here.' That put him out, I could see; he said nothing for quite a while. 'Are you instructed to act on her behalf?' says he at last. 'Yes, I am,' said I. Well, then, he started on about how pleased they had been with her, and telling me over again all they'd taught her and done for her there-taught her to write too, he said. And the little girl had been put out to nur

, a wonderful tale from foreign parts. He f

do, perhaps, to have the case brought up again for revision, but....' 'Wait a bit,' said I. 'I've another document that I think will make it right.' Had him there again, you see. 'Well,' he says, all of a hurry, 'I've been thinking over the matter since yesterday, and I consider there's good and sufficient grounds to apply for a pardon.' 'And the application would have the Governor's support?' I asked. 'Certainly; yes, I'll give it my best recommendation.' Then I bowed and said: 'In t

eissler looked at his watch. "And now let's get to b

reoccupied with thoughts and wondering, and began asking questions of this and that. He learned that the application

had followed the lie of the copper vein over a wide stretch of land and marked out the limits of the tract he wanted. He

ch a big sum this time, for the land, but I can give you a couple of hundred Daler anyway, on the spot." Then he wrote again. "Remind me before I go, I want to see that mill of yours," said he. Then he caught sight of some blue and red marks

en looked up. "You'll be having other peop

him spoke: "There's s

who might

the folk at Breidabl

at Brei

ffed Geissler

or two others besi

Geissler. His eyes, by the way, had begun to look soreish; there was a kind of redness at the edges. Might have been sleeplessness; the same thing comes at times from drinking of strong waters. But h

seemed to h

at once, this deal. But there may be more to come. We'll fix it up s

rate another miracle, and an unreasonable sum. He would get it on paper, of cour

she'll be pardo

aph office in the village, I'd have wired to Trond

es, something altogether above the common earth. The mention of it now seemed to shake hi

y material, a full account of the whole affair. And the

ed Daler cash down, and later, a nice high percentage of receipts from working, or ulti

e was that hateful creature Oline looking on; he took up the pen-a beastly thing, too light to handle anyway-turned it right end down, and

tt

mmovable-it was indeed but now she ha

tough of dignity, after having signed his name in writing

said Geissler. "Soun

!" Geissler took out hi

om it two bundles of no

t over y

ement, no

aid Geiss

ak, and murmured, over

, nor would-after

," said Geissler shortly. "And I hope there'll be

om her trance. The wonder had happened

p the river, and showed him another fall he had been working on a bit; it was to turn a saw, if so be God gave him health. "The only thing," he said, "it's a heavy long way from school: I'll have to get the lads to stay

not before my

ld drive in with the boys and some food, and bring them up again th

ybe," s

ings enough, and a big sum of money too he had, and his strength; he was hard as nails. Healt

of course, that could be taken off when using the cart for manure, but to be put in again when any one wanted to drive. And when he had got the seat made, it looked so white and new that it had to be painted darker. As for that, there were things enough that had to be done! The whole place wanted painting, to begin with. And he had been thinking for years past of building a proper barn with a bridge

re-stood there like houses in their shirt sleeves. There was time yet before the busy season; the

llanraa would soon be up; she was tough and strong enough to bear it, though not without bitterness. Isak, on his part, no longer sought to settle up old scores with her now, though she pilfered and put away things lavishly enough towards the end. He made her a present of a young wether; after all, she had been with him a long time, and worked for little pay. And Oline had not

nd corners. To come back now and look at his home there on the hillside, it was like looking at a fairy palace. The wilderness was inhabited and unrecognizable, a blessing had come upon

ensmand Geissler. A blessing on that man Geissler, wonderful man that he was! He telegraphed these few words, that Inger was free, "Home soonest possible: Geissler." And at this the store too

row the day," said the storekeeper, "i

said

rom the landing-stage where the steamer put in, but no Inger. "T

oon done. He sticks a crowbar into the earth, noting how the frost disappears from day to day. The sun is big and strong now, the snow is gone, green showing everywhere; the cattle are out to graze. Isak

uts the seat in. Talks to the lads about a little jour

t you goin

to my head to go down wi

we co

e this time. Your own mother'll be coming ve

asks: "Father, when you did that writin

l at all; just like a bi

it slip, like

t sl

ng, that you

ut you have to learn to

sit up on the seat before the horse was put in, and drive like that, driving ever so fast in a cart without