r. Canute was striding across
the level fields at a pace at which man never went before, drawing the
stinging north winds into his lungs in great gulps. He walked with his
eyes half closed and looking straight in front of him, only lowering
them when he bent his head to blow away the snow flakes that settled
on her hair. So it was that Canute took her to his home, even as his
bearded barbarian ancestors took the fair frivolous women of the South
in their hairy arms and bore them down to their war ships. For ever and
anon the soul becomes weary of the conventions that are not of it, and
with a single stroke shatters the civilized lies with which it is unable
to cope, and the strong arm reaches out and takes by force what it
cannot win by cunning.

When Canute reached his shanty he placed the girl upon a chair, where
she sat sobbing. He stayed only a few minutes. He filled the stove
with wood and lit the lamp, drank a huge swallow of alcohol and put the
bottle in his pocket. He paused a moment, staring heavily at the weeping
girl, then he went off and locked the door and disappeared in the
gathering gloom of the night.

Wrapped in flannels and soaked with turpentine, the little Norwegian
preacher sat reading his Bible, when he heard a thundering knock at his
door, and Canute entered, covered with snow and his beard frozen fast to
his coat.

"Come in, Canute, you must be frozen," said the little man, shoving a
chair towards his visitor.

Canute remained standing with his hat on and said quietly, "I want you
to come over to my house tonight to marry me to Lena Yensen."

"Have you got a license, Canute?"

"No, I don't want a license. I want to be married."

"But I can't marry you without a license, man, it would not be legal."

A dangerous light came in the big Norwegian's eye. "I want you to come
over to my house to marry me to Lena Yensen."

"No, I can't, it would kill an ox to go out in a storm like this, and my
rheumatism is bad tonight."

"Then if you will not go I must take you," said Canute with a sigh.

He took down the preacher's bearskin coat and bade him put it on while
he hitched up his buggy. He went out and closed the door softly after
him. Presently he returned and found the frightened minister crouching
before the fire with his coat lying beside him. Canute helped him put it
on and gently wrapped his head in his big muffler. Then he picked him
up and carried him out and placed him in his buggy. A