Folks coming along, 'd be
useful to have a shed place to hang up wet clothes and things."
And his father agrees at once: "Ay, the very thing."
They work at their stones again in silence. Then asks Isak: "Eleseus,
he's not come home, I suppose?"
And Sivert answers evasively: "He'll be coming home soon."
'Twas that way with Eleseus: he was all for staying away, living away
on journeys. Couldn't he have written for the goods? But he must go
round and buy them on the spot. Got them so much cheaper. Ay, maybe,
but what about cost of the journey? He had his own way of thinking, it
seemed. And then, what did he want, anyway, with more cotton stuff,
and coloured ribbons for christening caps, and black and white straw
hats, and long tobacco pipes? No one ever bought such things up in the
hills; and the village folk, they only came up to Storborg when they'd
no money. Eleseus was clever enough in his way--only to see him write
on a paper, or do sums with a bit of chalk! "Ay, with a head like
yours," said folk, admiring him.
Pages:
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602