the bohemian girl-第4章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





her　knowing　it。　　Her　one　weakness　was　that　she　was　an　incurable



talker；　and　she　sometimes　made　trouble　without　meaning　to。







This　morning　Clara　was　tying　a　wine…coloured　ribbon　about



her　throat　when　Johanna　appeared　with　her　coffee。　　After　putting



the　tray　on　a　sewing　table；　she　began　to　make　Clara's　bed；



chattering　the　while　in　Bohemian。







〃Well；　Olaf　got　off　early；　and　the　girls　are　baking。　　I'm



going　down　presently　to　make　some　poppy…seed　bread　for　Olaf。　　He



asked　for　prune　preserves　at　breakfast；　and　I　told　him　I　was　out



of　them；　and　to　bring　some　prunes　and　honey　and　cloves　from



town。〃







Clara　poured　her　coffee。　　〃Ugh！　　I　don't　see　how　men　can　eat



so　much　sweet　stuff。　　In　the　morning；　too！〃







Her　aunt　chuckled　knowingly。　　〃Bait　a　bear　with　honey；　as　we



say　in　the　old　country。〃







〃Was　he　cross？〃　her　niece　asked　indifferently。







〃Olaf？　　Oh；　no！　　He　was　in　fine　spirits。　　He's　never　cross　if



you　know　how　to　take　him。　　I　never　knew　a　man　to　make　so　little



fuss　about　bills。　　I　gave　him　a　list　of　things　to　get　a　yard



long；　and　he　didn't　say　a　word；　just　folded　it　up　and　put　it　in



his　pocket。〃







〃I　can　well　believe　he　didn't　say　a　word；〃　Clara　remarked



with　a　shrug。　　〃Some　day　he'll　forget　how　to　talk。〃







〃Oh；　but　they　say　he's　a　grand　speaker　in　the　Legislature。　



He　knows　when　to　keep　quiet。　　That's　why　he's　got　such　influence



in　politics。　　The　people　have　confidence　in　him。〃　　Johanna　beat　up



a　pillow　and　held　it　under　her　fat　chin　while　she　slipped　on　the



case。　　Her　niece　laughed。







〃Maybe　we　could　make　people　believe　we　were　wise；　Aunty；　if



we　held　our　tongues。　　Why　did　you　tell　Mrs。　Ericson　that　Norman



threw　me　again　last　Saturday　and　turned　my　foot？　　She's　been



talking　to　Olaf。〃







Johanna　fell　into　great　confusion。　　〃Oh；　but；　my　precious；



the　old　lady　asked　for　you；　and　she's　always　so　angry　if　I　can't



give　an　excuse。　　Anyhow；　she　needn't　talk；　she's　always　tearing



up　something　with　that　motor　of　hers。〃







When　her　aunt　clattered　down　to　the　kitchen；　Clara　went　to



dust　the　parlour。　　Since　there　was　not　much　there　to　dust；　this　did



not　take　very　long。　　Olaf　had　built　the　house　new　for　her　before



their　marriage；　but　her　interest　in　furnishing　it　had　been　short…



lived。　　It　went；　indeed；　little　beyond　a　bathtub　and　her　piano。　



They　had　disagreed　about　almost　even；　other　article　of　furniture；



and　Clara　had　said　she　would　rather　have　her　house　empty　than　full



of　things　she　didn't　want。　　The　house　was　set　in　a　hillside；　and



the　west　windows　of　the　parlour　looked　out　above　the　kitchen　yard



thirty　feet　below。　　The　east　windows　opened　directly　into　the　front



yard。　　At　one　of　the　latter；　Clara；　while　she　was　dusting；　heard　a



low　whistle。　　She　did　not　turn　at　once；　but　listened　intently　as



she　drew　her　cloth　slowly　along　the　round　of　a　chair。　　Yes；　there



it　was：







I　dreamt　that　I　dwelt　in　ma…a…arble　halls。







She　turned　and　saw　Nils　Ericson　laughing　in　the　sunlight；　his



hat　in　his　hand；　just　outside　the　window。　　As　she　crossed　the　room



he　leaned　against　the　wire　screen。　　〃Aren't　you　at　all　surprised　to



see　me；　Clara　Vavrika？〃







〃No；　I　was　expecting　to　see　you。　　Mother　Ericson　telephoned



Olaf　last　night　that　you　were　here。〃







Nils　squinted　and　gave　a　long　whistle。　　〃Telephoned？　　That　must



have　been　while　Eric　and　I　were　out　walking。　　Isn't　she



enterprising？　　Lift　this　screen；　won't　you？〃







Clara　lifted　the　screen；　and　Nils　swung　his　leg　across　the



window…sill。　　As　he　stepped　into　the　room　she　said：　〃You　didn't



think　you　were　going　to　get　ahead　of　your　mother；　did　you？〃







He　threw　his　hat　on　the　piano。　　〃Oh；　I　do　sometimes。　　You　see；



I'm　ahead　of　her　now。　　I'm　supposed　to　be　in　Anders'　wheat…field。　



But；　as　we　were　leaving；　Mother　ran　her　car　into　a　soft　place



beside　the　road　and　sank　up　to　the　hubs。　　While　they　were　going　for



the　horses　to　pull　her　out；　I　cut　away　behind　the　stacks　and



escaped。〃　　Nils　chuckled。　　Clara's　dull　eyes　lit　up　as　she　looked



at　him　admiringly。







〃You've　got　them　guessing　already。　1　don't　know　what　your



mother　said　to　Olaf　over　the　telephone；　but　be　came　back　looking　as



if　he'd　seen　a　ghost；　and　he　didn't　go　to　bed　until　a　dreadful



hourten　o'clock；　I　should　think。　　He　sat　out　on　the　porch　in　the



dark　like　a　graven　image。　　It　had　been　one　of　his　talkative　days；



too。〃　　They　both　laughed；　easily　and　lightly；　like　people　who　have



laughed　a　great　deal　together；　but　they　remained　standing。







〃Anders　and　Otto　and　Peter　looked　as　if　they　had　seen　ghosts；



too；　over　in　the　threshing　field。　　What's　the　matter　with　them



all？〃







Clara　gave　him　a　quick；　searching　look。　　〃Well；　for　one　thing；



they've　always　been　afraid　you　have　the　other　will。〃







Nils　looked　interested。　　〃The　other　will？〃







〃Yes。　　A　later　one。　　They　knew　your　father　made　another；　but



they　never　knew　what　he　did　with　it。　　They　almost　tore　the　old



house　to　pieces　looking　for　it。　　They　always　suspected　that　he



carried　on　a　clandestine　correspondence　with　you；　for　the　one　thing



he　would　do　was　to　get　his　own　mail　himself。　　So　they　thought　he



might　have　sent　the　new　will　to　you　for　safekeeping。　　The　old　one；



leaving　everything　to　your　mother；　was　made　long　before　you　went



away；　and　it's　understood　among　them　that　it　cuts　you　outthat　she



will　leave　all　the　property　to　the　others。　　Your　father　made　the



second　will　to　prevent　that。　　I've　been　hoping　you　had　it。　　It



would　be　such　fun　to　spring　it　on　them。〃　　Clara　laughed　mirthfully；



a　thing　she　did　not　often　do　now。







Nils　shook　his　head　reprovingly。　　〃Come；　now；　you're　malicious。〃







〃No；　I'm　not。　　But　I'd　like　something　to　happen　to　stir　them



all　up；　just　for　once。　　There　never　was　such　a　family　for　having



nothing　ever　happen　to　them　but　dinner　and　threshing。　　I'd　almost



be　willing　to　die；　just　to　have　a　funeral。　　You　wouldn't



stand　it　for　three　weeks。〃







Nils　bent　over　the　piano　and　began　pecking　at　the　keys　with



the　finger　of　one　hand。　　〃I　wouldn't？　　My　dear　young　lady；　how　do



you　know　what　I　can　stand？　　You　wouldn't　wait　to　find　out。〃







Clara　flushed　darkly　and　frowned。　　〃I　didn't　believe　you　would



ever　come　back〃　she　said　defiantly。







〃Eric　believed　I　would；　and　he　was　only　a　baby　when　I　went



away。　　However；　all's　well　that　ends　well；　and　I　haven't　come　back



to　be　a　skeleton　at　the　feast。　　We　mustn't　quarrel。　　Mother　mill　be



here　with　a　search　warrant　pretty　soon。〃　　He　swung　round　and　faced



her；　thrusting　his　hands　into　his　coat　pockets。　　〃Come；　you　ought



to　be　glad　to　see　me；　if　you　want　something　to　happen。　　I'm



something；　even　without　a　will。　　We　can　have　a　little　fun；　can't



we？　　I　think　we　can！〃







She　echoed　him；　〃I　think　we　can！〃　　They　both　laughed　and　their



eyes　sparkled。　　Clara　Vavrika　looked　ten　years　younger　than　when



she　had　put　the　velvet　ribbon　about　her　throat　that　morning。







〃You　know；　I'm　so　tickled　to　see　mother；〃　Nils　went　on。　〃I



didn't　know　I　was　so　proud　of　her。　　A　regular　pile　driver。　　How



about　little　pigtails；　down　at　the　house？　　Is　Olaf　doing　the　square



thing　by　those　children？〃







Clara　frowned　pensively。　　〃Olaf　has　to　do　something　that　looks



like　the　square　thing；　now　that　he's　a　public　man！〃　　She　glanced



drolly　at　Nils。　　〃But　he　makes　a　good　commission　out　of　it。　　On



Sundays　they　all　get　together　here　and　figure。　　He　lets　Peter　and



Anders　put　in　big　bills　for　the　keep　of　the　two　boys；　and　he　pays



them　out　of　the　estate。　　They　are　always　having　what　they　call



accountings。　　Olaf　gets　something　out　of　it；　too。　　I　don't　know



just　how　they　do　it；　but　it's　entirely　a　family　matter；　as　they



say。　　And　when　the　Ericsons　say　that〃　　Clara　lifted　her　eyebrows。







Just　then　the　angry　honk…honk　of　an　approaching　motor



sounded　from　down　the　road。　　Their　eyes　met　and　they　began　to



laugh。　　They　laughed　as　children　do　when　they　can　not　contain



themselves；　and　can　not　explain　the　cause　of　their　mirth　to　grown



people；　but　share　it　perfectly　together。　　When　Clara　Vavrika　sat



down　at　the　piano　after　he　was　gone；　she　felt　that　she　had　laughed



away　a　dozen　years。　　She　practised　as　if　the　house　were　burning



over　her　head。







When　Nils　greeted　his　mother　and　climbed　into　the　front　seat



of　the　motor　beside　her；　Mrs。　Ericson　looked　grim；　but　she



made　no　comment　upon　his　truancy　until　she　had　turned　her　car　and



was　retracing　her　revolutions　along　the　road　that　ran　by　Olaf's　big



pasture。　　Then　she　remarked　dryly：







〃If　I　were　you　I　wouldn't　see　too　much　of　Olaf's　wife　while



you　are　here。　　She's　the　kind　of　woman　who　can't　see　much　of　men



without　getting　herself　talked　about。　　She　was　a　good　deal　talked



about　before　he　married　her。〃







〃Hasn't　Olaf　tamed　her？〃　Nils　asked　indifferently。







Mrs。　Ericson　shrugged　her　massive　shoulders。　　〃Olaf　don't　seem



to　have　much　luck；　when　it　comes　to　wives。　　The　first　one　was　meek



enough；　but　she　was　always　ailing。　　And　this　one　has　her　own　way。　



He　says　if　he　quarreled　with　her　she'd　go　back　to　her　father；　and



then　he'd　lose　the　Bohemian　vote。　　There　are　a　great　many　Bohunks



in　this　district。　　But　when　you　find　a　man　under　his　wife's　thumb



you　can　always　be　sure　there's　a　soft　spot　in　him　somewhere。〃







Nils　thought　of　his　own　father；　and　smiled。　　〃She　brought　him



a　good　deal　of　money；　didn't　she；　besides　the　Bohemian　vote？〃







Mrs。　Ericson　sniffed。　　〃Well；　she　has　a　fair　half　section　in



her　own　name；　but　I　can't　see　as　that　does　Olaf　much　good。　　She



will　have　a　good　deal　of　property　some　day；　if　old　Vavrika　don't



marry　again。　　But　I　don't　consider　a　saloonkeeper's　money　as　good



as　other　people's　money；〃







Nils　laughed　outright。　　〃Come；　Mother；　don't　let　your



prejudices　carry　you　that　far。　　Money's　money。　　Old　Vavrika's　a



mighty　decent　sort　of　saloonkeeper。　　Nothing　rowdy　about　him。〃







Mrs。　Ericson　spoke　up　angrily。　　〃Oh；　I　know　you　always　stood



up　for　them！　　But　hanging　around　there　when　you　were　a　boy　never



did　you　any　good；　Nils；　nor　any　of　the　other　boys　who　went　there。　



There　weren't　so　many　after　her　when　she　married　Olaf；　let　me　tell



you。　　She　knew　enough　to　grab　her　chance。〃