The Project Gutenberg EBook of Ilka on the Hill-Top and Other Stories
by Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

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Title: Ilka on the Hill-Top and Other Stories

Author: Hjalmar Hjorth Boyesen

Release Date: November 2, 2004 [EBook #13929]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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ILKA ON THE HILL-TOP
AND OTHER STORIES

BY HJALMAR HJORTH BOYESEN

AUTHOR OF "GUNNAR," "FALCONBERG," ETC.

SECOND EDITION

1891

To DR. EGBERT GUERNSEY.

DEAR DOCTOR:

I can never expect adequately to repay you for your many valuable
services to me and mine. Nevertheless, in recognition of what you
have been to us, allow me to dedicate this unpretentious volume to
you. I shall have more respect for my little stories if in some way
they are associated with your name.

Very sincerely yours,
HJALMAR H. BOYESEN.

NEW YORK, January, 1881.

CONTENTS.

ILKA ON THE HILL-TOP
ANNUNCIATA
UNDER THE GLACIER
A KNIGHT OF DANNEBROG
MABEL AND I (_A Philosophical Fairy Tale_)
HOW MR. STORM MET HIS DESTINY

ILKA ON THE HILL-TOP

I.

Mr. Julius Hahn and his son Fritz were on a summer journey in the
Tyrol. They had started from Mayrhofen early in the afternoon, on two
meek-eyed, spiritless farm horses, and they intended to reach Ginzling
before night-fall.

There was a great blaze of splendor hidden somewhere behind the
western mountain-tops; broad bars of fiery light were climbing the
sky, and the chalets and the Alpine meadows shone in a soft crimson
illumination. The Zemmbach, which is of a choleric temperament, was
seething and brawling in its rocky bed, and now and then sent up a
fierce gust of spray, which blew like an icy shower-bath, into the
faces of the travellers.

"_Ach, welch verfluchtes Wetter!_" cried Mr. Hahn fretfully, wiping
off the streaming perspiration. "I'll be blasted if you catch me going
to the Tyrol again for the sake of being fashionable!"

"But the scenery, father, the scenery!" exclaimed Fritz, pointing
toward a great, sun-flushed peak,