The Emperor of Portugalia | Page 7

he put in the three short red strokes
on the arm. Glancing from one to the other, she noticed that her father
was not faring so very badly.
When the sexton had finished with Jan, the latter turned to him, and
said:
"The li'l' lassie is so still now that maybe you can try it."
The sexton tried, and this time everything went well. The little girl was
as quiet as a mouse the whole time--the same knowing look in her eyes.
The sexton also kept silence until he had finished; then he said to the
father:
"If you did that only to calm the child, we could just as well have made
believe--"
"No, Sexton," said Jan, "then you would not have succeeded. You

never saw the like of that child! So don't imagine you can get her to
believe in something that isn't what it passes for."
THE BIRTHDAY
On the little girl's first birthday her father was out digging in the field at
Falla; he tried to recall to mind how it had been in the old days, when
he had no one to think about while at work in the held; when he did not
have the beating heart in him, and when he had no longings and was
never anxious.
"To think that a man can be like that!" he mused in contempt of his old
self. "If I were as rich as Eric of Falla or as strong as Börje, who digs
here beside me, it would be as nothing to having a throbbing heart in
your breast. That's the only thing that counts."
Glancing over at his comrade, a powerfully built fellow who could do
again as much work as himself, he noticed that to-day the man had not
gone ahead as rapidly as usual with the digging.
They worked by the job. Börje always took upon himself more work
than did Jan, yet they always finished at about the same time. That day,
however, it went slowly for Börje; he did not even keep up with Jan,
but was left far behind.
But then Jan had been working for all he was worth, that he might the
sooner get back to his little girl. That day he had longed for her more
than usual. She was always drowsy evenings; so unless he hurried
home early, he was likely to find her asleep for the night when he got
home.
When Jan had completed his work he saw that Börje was not even half
through. Such a thing had never happened before in all the years they
had worked together, and Jan was so astonished he went over to him.
Börje was standing deep down in the ditch, trying to loosen a clump of
sod. He had stepped on a piece of glass, and received an ugly gash on
the bottom of his foot, so that he could hardly step on it. Imagine the

torture of having to stand and push the spade into the soil with an
injured foot!
"Aren't you going to quit soon?" asked Jan.
"I'm obliged to finish this job to-day," replied the comrade. "I can't get
any grain from Eric of Falia till the work is done, and we're all out of
rye-meal."
"Then go'-night for to-day," said Jan.
Börje did not respond. He was too tired and done up to give even the
customary good-night salutation.
Jan of Ruffluck walked to the edge of the field; but there he halted.
"What does it matter to the little girl whether or not you come home for
her birthday?" he thought. "She's just as well off without you. But
Börje has seven kiddies at home, and no food for them. Shall you let
them starve so that you can go home and play with Glory Goldie?"
Then he wheeled round, walked back to Börje, and got down into the
ditch to help him. Jan was rather tired after his day's toil and could not
work very fast. It was almost dark when they got through.
"Glory Goldie must be asleep this long while," thought Jan, when he
finally put in the spade for the last bit of earth.
"Go'-night for to-day," he called back to Börje for the second time.
"Go'-night," returned Börje, "and thanks to you for the help. Now I
must hurry along and get my rye. Another time I'll give you a lift, be
sure of that!"
"I don't want any pay ... Go'-night!"
"Don't you want anything for helping me?" asked Börje. "What's come
over you, that you're so stuck-up all at once?"

"Well, you see, it's--it's the lassie's birthday to-day."
"And for that I got help with my digging?"
"Yes, for that and for something else, too! Well--good bye to you!"
Jan hurried away so as not