the bohemian girl-第2章

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dark；　but　a　light　was　shining　from　the　side　windows。　　The　pigs



were　squealing　in　the　hog　corral；　and　Nils　could　see　a　tall　boy；



who　carried　two　big　wooden　buckets；　moving　about　among　them。　



Halfway　between　the　barn　and　the　house；　the　windmill　wheezed



lazily。　　Following　the　path　that　ran　around　to　the　back　porch；



Nils　stopped　to　look　through　the　screen　door　into　the　lamplit



kitchen。　　The　kitchen　was　the　largest　room　in　the　house；　Nils



remembered　that　his　older　brothers　used　to　give　dances　there　when



he　was　a　boy。　　Beside　the　stove　stood　a　little　girl　with　two



light　yellow　braids　and　a　broad；　flushed　face；　peering



anxiously　into　a　frying　pan。　　In　the　dining…room　beyond；　a　large；



broad…shouldered　woman　was　moving　about　the　table。　　She　walked



with　an　active；　springy　step。　　Her　face　was　heavy　and　florid；



almost　without　wrinkles；　and　her　hair　was　black　at　seventy。　　Nils



felt　proud　of　her　as　he　watched　her　deliberate　activity；　never　a



momentary　hesitation；　or　a　movement　that　did　not　tell。　　He　waited



until　she　came　out　into　the　kitchen　and；　brushing　the　child　aside；



took　her　place　at　the　stove。　　Then　he　tapped　on　the　screen　door



and　entered。







〃It's　nobody　but　Nils；　Mother。　　I　expect　you　weren't　looking



for　me。〃







Mrs。　Ericson　turned　away　from　the　stove　and　stood　staring　at



him。　　〃Bring　the　lamp；　Hilda；　and　let　me　look。〃







Nils　laughed　and　unslung　his　valise。　　〃What's　the　matter；



Mother？　　Don't　you　know　me？〃







Mrs。　Ericson　put　down　the　lamp。　　〃You　must　be　Nils。　　You



don't　look　very　different；　anyway。〃







〃Nor　you；　Mother。　　You　hold　your　own。　　Don't　you　wear



glasses　yet？〃







〃Only　to　read　by。　　Where's　your　trunk；　Nils？〃







〃Oh；　I　left　that　in　town。　　I　thought　it　might　not　be



convenient　for　you　to　have　company　so　near　threshing…time。〃







〃Don't　be　foolish；　Nils。〃　　Mrs。　Ericson　turned　back　to　the



stove。　　〃I　don't　thresh　now。　　I　hitched　the　wheat　land　onto　the



next　farm　and　have　a　tenant。　　Hilda；　take　some　hot　water　up　to



the　company　room；　and　go　call　little　Eric。〃







The　tow…haired　child；　who　had　been　standing　in　mute



amazement；　took　up　the　tea…kettle　and　withdrew；　giving　Nils　a



long；　admiring　look　from　the　door　of　the　kitchen　stairs。







〃Who's　the　youngster？〃　Nils　asked；　dropping　down　on　the



bench　behind　the　kitchen　stove。







〃One　of　your　Cousin　Henrik's。〃







〃How　long　has　Cousin　Henrik　been　dead？〃







〃Six　years。　　There　are　two　boys。　　One　stays　with　Peter　and



one　with　Anders。　　Olaf　is　their　guardeen。〃







There　was　a　clatter　of　pails　on　the　porch；　and　a　tall；　lanky



boy　peered　wonderingly　in　through　the　screen　door。　　He　had　a



fair；　gentle　face　and　big　grey　eyes；　and　wisps　of　soft　yellow



hair　hung　down　under　his　cap。　　Nils　sprang　up　and　pulled



him　into　the　kitchen；　hugging　him　and　slapping　him　on　the



shoulders。　　〃Well；　if　it　isn't　my　kid！　　Look　at　the　size　of　him！



Don't　you　know　me；　Eric？〃







The　boy　reddened　tinder　his　sunburn　and　freckles；　and　hung　his



head。　　〃I　guess　it's　Nils；〃　he　said　shyly。







〃You're　a　good　guesser；〃　laughed　Nils　giving　the　lad's　hand　a



swing。　　To　himself　he　was　thinking：　〃That's　why　the　little　girl



looked　so　friendly。　　He's　taught　her　to　like　me。　　He　was　only　six



when　I　went　away；　and　he's　remembered　for　twelve　years。〃







Eric　stood　fumbling　with　his　cap　and　smiling。　　〃You　look　just



like　I　thought　you　would；〃　he　ventured。







〃Go　wash　your　hands；　Eric；〃　called　Mrs。　Ericson。　　〃I've　got



cob　corn　for　supper；　Nils。　　You　used　to　like　it。　　I　guess　you　don't



get　much　of　that　in　the　old　country。　　Here's　Hilda；　she'll　take　you



up　to　your　room。　　You'll　want　to　get　the　dust　off　you　before　you



eat。〃







Mrs。　Ericson　went　into　the　dining…room　to　lay　another　plate；



and　the　little　girl　came　up　and　nodded　to　Nils　as　if　to　let　him



know　that　his　room　was　ready。　　He　put　out　his　hand　and　she　took　it；



with　a　startled　glance　up　at　his　face。　　Little　Eric　dropped　his



towel；　threw　an　arm　about　Nils　and　one　about　Hilda；　gave　them　a



clumsy　squeeze；　and　then　stumbled　out　to　the　porch。







During　supper　Nils　heard　exactly　how　much　land　each　of　his



eight　grown　brothers　farmed；　how　their　crops　were　coming　on；　and



how　much　livestock　they　were　feeding。　　His　mother　watched　him



narrowly　as　she　talked。　　〃You've　got　better　looking；　Nils；〃　she



remarked　abruptly；　whereupon　he　grinned　and　the　children　giggled。　



Eric；　although　he　was　eighteen　and　as　tall　as　Nils；　was　always



accounted　a　child；　being　the　last　of　so　many　sons。　　His　face　seemed



childlike；　too；　Nils　thought；　and　he　had　the　open；　wandering　eves



of　a　little　boy。　　All　the　others　had　been　men　at　his　age。







After　supper　Nils　went　out　to　the　front　porch　and　sat　down　on



the　step　to　smoke　a　pipe。　　Mrs。　Ericson　drew　a　rocking…chair　up



near　him　and　began　to　knit　busily。　　It　was　one　of　the　few　Old　World



customs　she　had　kept　up；　for　she　could　not　bear　to　sit　with　idle



hands。







〃Where's　little　Eric；　Mother？〃







〃He's　helping　Hilda　with　the　dishes。　　He　does　it　of　his　own



will；　I　don't　like　a　boy　to　be　too　handy　about　the　house。〃







〃He　seems　like　a　nice　kid。〃







〃He's　very　obedient。〃







Nils　smiled　a　little　in　the　dark。　　It　was　just　as　well　to



shift　the　line　of　conversation。　　〃What　are　you　knitting　there；



Mother？〃







〃Baby　stockings。　　The　boys　keep　me　busy。〃　　Mrs。　Ericson



chuckled　and　clicked　her　needles。







〃How　many　grandchildren　have　you？〃







〃Only　thirty…one　now。　　Olaf　lost　his　three。　　They　were



sickly；　like　their　mother。〃







〃I　supposed　he　had　a　second　crop　by　this　time！〃







〃His　second　wife　has　no　children。　　She's　too　proud。　　She



tears　about　on　horseback　all　the　time。　　But　she'll　get　caught　up



with；　yet。　　She　sets　herself　very　high；　though　nobody　knows　what



for。　　They　were　low　enough　Bohemians　she　came　of。　　I　never



thought　much　of　Bohemians；　always　drinking。〃







Nils　puffed　away　at　his　pipe　in　silence；　and　Mrs。　Ericson



knitted　on。　　In　a　few　moments　she　added　grimly：　〃She　was　down



here　tonight；　just　before　you　came。　　She'd　like　to　quarrel　with



me　and　come　between　me　and　Olaf；　but　I　don't　give　her　the　chance。　



I　suppose　you'll　be　bringing　a　wife　home　some　day。〃







〃I　don't　know。　　I've　never　thought　much　about　it。〃







〃Well；　perhaps　it's　best　as　it　is；〃　suggested　Mrs。　Ericson



hopefully。　　〃You'd　never　be　contented　tied　down　to　the　land。　



There　was　roving　blood　in　your　father's　family；　and　it's　come　out



in　you。　　I　expect　your　own　way　of　life　suits　you　best。〃　　Mrs。



Ericson　had　dropped　into　a　blandly　agreeable　tone　which　Nils　well



remembered。　　It　seemed　to　amuse　him　a　good　deal　and　his　white



teeth　flashed　behind　his　pipe。　　His　mother's　strategies　had



always　diverted　him；　even　when　he　was　a　boythey　were　so　flimsy



and　patent；　so　illy　proportioned　to　her　vigor　and　force。　



〃They've　been　waiting　to　see　which　way　I'd　jump；〃　he　reflected。　



He　felt　that　Mrs。　Ericson　was　pondering　his　case　deeply　as　she



sat　clicking　her　needles。







〃I　don't　suppose　you've　ever　got　used　to　steady　work；〃　she　went　on



presently。　　〃Men　ain't　apt　to　if　they　roam　around　too　long。　　It's



a　pity　you　didn't　come　back　the　year　after　the　World's　Fair。　　Your



father　picked　up　a　good　bit　of　land　cheap　then；　in　the　hard　times；



and　I　expect　maybe　he'd　have　give　you　a　farm。　it's　too　bad　you　put



off　comin'　back　so　long；　for　I　always　thought　he　meant　to　do



something　by　you。〃







Nils　laughed　and　shook　the　ashes　out　of　his　pipe。　　〃I'd　have



missed　a　lot　if　I　had　come　back　then。　　But　I'm　sorry　I　didn't　get



back　to　see　father。〃







〃Well；　I　suppose　we　have　to　miss　things　at　one　end　or　the



other。　　Perhaps　you　are　as　well　satisfied　with　your　own　doings；



now；　as　you'd　have　been　with　a　farm；〃　said　Mrs。　Ericson



reassuringly。







〃Land's　a　good　thing　to　have；〃　Nils　commented；　as　he　lit



another　match　and　sheltered　it　with　his　hand。







His　mother　looked　sharply　at　his　face　until　the　match　burned



out。　　〃Only　when　you　stay　on　it！〃　she　hastened　to　say。







Eric　came　round　the　house　by　the　path　just　then；　and　Nils



rose；　with　a　yawn。　　〃Mother；　if　you　don't　mind；　Eric　and　I　will



take　a　little　tramp　before　bedtime。　　It　will　make　me　sleep。〃







〃Very　well；　only　don't　stay　long。　　I'll　sit　up　and　wait　for



you。　　I　like　to　lock　up　myself。〃







Nils　put　his　hand　on　Eric's　shoulder；　and　the　two　tramped　down



the　hill　and　across　the　sand　creek　into　the　dusty　highroad　beyond。　



Neither　spoke。　　They　swung　along　at　an　even　gait；　Nils　puffing　at



his　pipe。　　There　was　no　moon；　and　the　white　road　and　the　wide



fields　lay　faint　in　the　starlight。　　Over　everything　was　darkness



and　thick　silence；　and　the　smell　of　dust　and　sunflowers。　　The



brothers　followed　the　road　for　a　mile　or　more　without　finding　a



place　to　sit　down。　　Finally；　Nils　perched　on　a　stile　over　the　wire



fence；　and　Eric　sat　on　the　lower　step。







〃I　began　to　think　you　never　would　come　back；　Nils；〃　said　the



boy　softly。







〃Didn't　I　promise　you　I　would？〃







〃Yes；　but　people　don't　bother　about　promises　they　make　to



babies。　　Did　you　really　know　you　were　going　away　for　good



when　you　went　to　Chicago　with　the　cattle　that　time？〃







〃I　thought　it　very　likely；　if　I　could　make　my　way。〃







〃I　don't　see　how　you　did　it；　Nils。　　Not　many　fellows　could。〃



Eric　rubbed　his　shoulder　against　his　brother's　knee。







〃The　hard　thing　was　leaving　home　you　and　father。　　It　was　easy



enough；　once　I　got　beyond　Chicago。　　Of　course　I　got　awful　homesick；



used　to　cry　myself　to　sleep。　　But　I'd　burned　my　bridges。〃







〃You　had　always　wanted　to　go；　hadn't　you？〃







〃Always。　　Do　you　still　sleep　in　our　little　room？　　Is　that



cottonwood　still　by　the　window？〃







Eric　nodded　eagerly　and　smiled　up　at　his　brother　in　the　grey



darkness。







〃You　remember　how　we　always　said　the　leaves　were　whispering



when　they　rustled　at　night？　　Well；　they　always　whispered　to　me



about　the　sea。　　Sometimes　they　said　names　out　of　the　geography



books。　　In　a　high　wind　they　had　a　desperate　sound；　like　someone



trying　to　tear　loose。〃







〃How　funny；　Nils；〃　said　Eric　dreamily；　resting　his　chin　on　his



hand。　　〃That　tree　still　talks　like　that；　and　'most　al