Goldie received word that her
mother lay at the point of death. Then at last she tore herself
away from the pier.

She went home on foot, this being the best way to get to the
Ashdales--taking the old familiar road across Loby, then on through
the big forest and over Snipa Ridge. When going past the old
Hindrickson homestead she saw a big, broad-shouldered man, with a
strong, grave-looking visage, standing at the roadside mending a
picket fence. The man gave her a stiff nod as she went by. He stood
still for a moment, looking after her, then hastened to overtake
her.

"This must be Glory Goldie of Ruffluck," he said as he came up with
her. "I'd like to have a word with you. I'm Linnart, son of Bjoern
Hindrickson," he added, seeing that she did not know who he was.

"I'm terribly pressed for time now," Glory Goldie told him. "So
perhaps you'd better wait till another day. I've just learned that
my mother is dying."

Linnart Hindrickson then asked if he might walk with her part of
the way. He said that he had thought of going down to the pier to
see her and now he did not want to miss this good opportunity of
speaking with her, as it was very necessary that she should hear
what he had to say.

Glory Goldie made no further objections. She perceived, however,
that the man had some difficulty in stating his business and
concluded it was something of an unpleasant nature. He hemmed and
hawed a while, as if trying to find the right words; presently he
said, with apparent effort:

"I don't believe you know, Glory Goldie, that I was the last person
who talked with your father--the Emperor, as we used to call him."

"No, I did not know of this," answered the girl, at the same time
quickening her steps. She was thinking to herself that this
conversation was something she would rather have escaped.

"One day last autumn," Linnart continued, "while I was out in the
yard hitching up a horse to drive over to the village shop, I saw
the Emperor come running down the road; he seemed in a great hurry,
but when he espied me he stopped and asked if I had seen the
Empress drive by. I couldn't deny that I had. Then he burst out
crying. He had been on his way to Broby, he said, but such a
strange feeling of uneasiness had suddenly come over him that he
had to turn back, and when he reached home he found the hut
deserted. Katrina was also gone. He felt certain his wife and
daughter were leaving by the boat and he didn't know how h