ly, and upright
still as ever. And she has just the same bright eyes, and little
hollows at the temples, like you have. And she wears a dark striped
apron, with a little pocket at the side, where she keeps her knitting,
and takes it out now and then to work at as she goes."

"How could you know!" he cried, in pleased surprise. His fear was gone
now, and he felt only a wonderful depth of happiness at hearing the
girl speak so tenderly of his mother.

"'Tis only guessing. But do you know--I should so like to see her,
your mother, that...."

"That...?"

"Only ... only, I should like to see her so. Then I'd put my arms
round her neck and ... Olof, did your mother often kiss you?"

"No. Not often."

"But she stroked your hair, and often talked with you all alone, I
know."

"Yes ... yes."

His arms loosed their hold of the girl, and almost unconsciously he
thrust her a little away, staring out into the distance with a faint
smile on his lips and deepest earnest in his eyes.

The girl looked at him wonderingly.

"What is it?" she asked anxiously, as if fearing to have hurt him. But
he did not seem to hear, only stood looking out at nothing as before.

"Olof--what is it?" she asked again, in evident distress.

"Only--it was only my mother speaking to me all alone," he answered in
a low voice.

"Oh!" The girl sighed deeply. "Now--was it just now she spoke?"

He nodded.

The girl glanced at him and hesitated. "Won't you--won't you tell me
what she said?" she asked timidly.

"She told me it was wrong--a sinful wrong even to ask you...."

The girl gazed at him for a long time without speaking; the tenderness
in her eyes grew to unutterable depths.

"Oh," she whispered at last, very softly, "if she only knew how I love
her now--your mother! I never loved her so before." And she clasped
her arms round his neck.

THE RAPIDS

The rapids at Kohiseva are well known; none so well known, nor so ill
famed, in all the length of Nuoli River.

And the homestead at Moisio is a well-known place, for they are a
stubborn race that hold it; for generations past the masters of Moisio
have been known among their neighbours as men of substance, and hard
in their dealings to boot--unswerving and pitiless as the waters of
Kohiseva.

The daughter at Moisio is well known too; none carries her head so
high, and a tender glance from her eyes is more than any of the young
men round can boast of having won.

Kyllikki i