the bohemian girl-第5章

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



you。　　She　knew　enough　to　grab　her　chance。〃







Nils　settled　back　in　his　seat。　　〃Of　course　I　liked　to　go



there；　Mother；　and　you　were　always　cross　about　it。　　You　never　took



the　trouble　to　find　out　that　it　was　the　one　jolly　house　in　this



country　for　a　boy　to　go　to。　　All　the　rest　of　you　were　working



yourselves　to　death；　and　the　houses　were　mostly　a　mess；　full



of　babies　and　washing　and　flies。　oh；　it　was　all　rightI　understand



that；　but　you　are　young　only　once；　and　I　happened　to　be　young　then。



Now；　Vavrika's　was　always　jolly。　　He　played　the　violin；　and　I　used



to　take　my　flute；　and　Clara　played　the　piano；　and　Johanna　used　to



sing　Bohemian　songs。　　She　always　had　a　big　supper　for　usherrings



and　pickles　and　poppy…seed　bread；　and　lots　of　cake　and　preserves。



Old　Joe　had　been　in　the　army　in　the　old　country；　and　he　could　tell



lots　of　good　stories。　　I　can　see　him　cutting　bread；　at　the　head　of



the　table；　now。　　I　don't　know　what　I'd　have　done　when　I　was　a　kid



if　it　hadn't　been　for　the　Vavrikas；　really。〃







〃And　all　the　time　he　was　taking　money　that　other　people　had



worked　hard　in　the　fields　for；〃　Mrs。　Ericson　observed。







〃So　do　the　circuses；　Mother；　and　they're　a　good　thing。　　People



ought　to　get　fun　for　some　of　their　money。　　Even　father　liked　old



Joe。〃







〃Your　father；〃　Mrs。　Ericson　said　grimly；　〃liked　everybody。〃







As　they　crossed　the　sand　creek　and　turned　into　her　own　place；



Mrs。　Ericson　observed；　〃There's　Olaf's　buggy。　　He's　stopped　on　his



way　from　town。〃　　Nils　shook　himself　and　prepared　to　greet　his



brother；　who　was　waiting　on　the　porch。







Olaf　was　a　big；　heavy　Norwegian；　slow　of　speech　and　movement。　



His　head　was　large　and　square；　like　a　block　of　wood。　　When　Nils；　at



a　distance；　tried　to　remember　what　his　brother　looked　like；　he



could　recall　only　his　heavy　head；　high　forehead；　large　nostrils；



and　pale　blue　eyes；　set　far　apart。　　Olaf's　features　were



rudimentary：　the　thing　one　noticed　was　the　face　itself；　wide　and



flat　and　pale；　devoid　of　any　expression；　betraying　his　fifty　years



as　little　as　it　betrayed　anything　else；　and　powerful　by　reason　of



its　very　stolidness。　　When　Olaf　shook　hands　with　Nils　he　looked　at



him　from　under　his　light　eyebrows；　but　Nils　felt　that　no　one　could



ever　say　what　that　pale　look　might　mean。　　The　one　thing　he　had



always　felt　in　Olaf　was　a　heavy　stubbornness；　like　the　unyielding



stickiness　of　wet　loam　against　the　plow。　　He　had　always　found　Olaf



the　most　difficult　of　his　brothers。







〃How　do　you　do；　Nils？　　Expect　to　stay　with　us　long？〃







〃Oh；　I　may　stay　forever；〃　Nils　answered　gaily。　　〃I　like　this



country　better　than　I　used　to。〃







〃There's　been　some　work　put　into　it　since　you　left；〃　Olaf　remarked。







〃Exactly。　　I　think　it's　about　ready　to　live　in　nowand　I'm



about　ready　to　settle　down。〃　　Nils　saw　his　brother　lower　his　big



head　（〃Exactly　like　a　bull；〃　he　thought。）　〃Mother's　been　persuading



me　to　slow　down　now；　and　go　in　for　farming；〃　he　went　on　lightly。







Olaf　made　a　deep　sound　in　his　throat。　　〃Farming　ain't　learned



in　a　day；〃　he　brought　out；　still　looking　at　the　ground。







〃Oh；　I　know！　　But　I　pick　things　up　quickly。〃　　Nils　had　not　meant



to　antagonize　his　brother；　and　he　did　not　know　now　why　he　was　doing



it。　　〃Of　course；〃　he　went　on；　〃I　shouldn't　expect　to　make　a　big



success；　as　you　fellows　have　done。　　But　then；　I'm　not　ambitious。　



I　won't　want　much。　　A　little　land；　and　some　cattle；　maybe。〃







Olaf　still　stared　at　the　ground；　his　head　down。　　He　wanted　to



ask　Nils　what　he　had　been　doing　all　these　years；　that　he　didn't



have　a　business　somewhere　he　couldn't　afford　to　leave；　why　he



hadn't　more　pride　than　to　come　back　with　only　a　little　sole…leather



trunk　to　show　for　himself；　and　to　present　himself　as　the　only



failure　in　the　family。　　He　did　not　ask　one　of　these　questions；　but



he　made　them　all　felt　distinctly。







〃Humph！〃　Nils　thought。　　〃No　wonder　the　man　never　talks；　when



he　can　butt　his　ideas　into　you　like　that　without　ever　saying　a





word。　　I　suppose　he　uses　that　kind　of　smokeless　powder　on　his　wife



all　the　time。　　But　I　guess　she　has　her　innings。〃　　He　chuckled；　and



Olaf　looked　up。　　〃Never　mind　me；　Olaf。　　I　laugh　without　knowing



why；　like　little　Eric。　　He's　another　cheerful　dog。〃







〃Eric；〃　said　Olaf　slowly；　〃is　a　spoiled　kid。　　He's　just　let



his　mother's　best　cow　go　dry　because　he　don't　milk　her　right。　　I



was　hoping　you'd　take　him　away　somewhere　and　put　him　into　business。







If　he　don't　do　any　good　among　strangers；　he　never　will。〃　　This　was



a　long　speech　for　Olaf；　and　as　he　finished　it　he　climbed　into　his



buggy。







Nils　shrugged　his　shoulders。　　〃Same　old　tricks；〃　he



thought。　　〃Hits　from　behind　you　every　time。　　What　a　whale　of　a



man！〃　　He　turned　and　went　round　to　the　kitchen；　where　his　mother



was　scolding　little　Eric　for　letting　the　gasoline　get　low。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IV







Joe　Vavrika's　saloon　was　not　in　the　county　seat；　where　Olaf



and　Mrs。　Ericson　did　their　trading；　but　in　a　cheerfuller　place；　a



little　Bohemian　settlement　which　lay　at　the　other　end　of　the



county；　ten　level　miles　north　of　Olaf's　farm。　　Clara　rode　up　to　see



her　father　almost　every　day。　　Vavrika's　house　was；　so　to　speak；　in



the　back　yard　of　his　saloon。　　The　garden　between　the　two　buildings



was　inclosed　by　a　high　board　fence　as　tight　as　a　partition；　and　in



summer　Joe　kept　beer　tables　and　wooden　benches　among　the　gooseberry



bushes　under　his　little　cherry　tree。　　At　one　of　these　tables　Nils



Ericson　was　seated　in　the　late　afternoon；　three　days　after　his



return　home。　　Joe　had　gone　in　to　serve　a　customer；　and　Nils　was



lounging　on　his　elbows；　looking　rather　mournfully　into　his　half…



emptied　pitcher；　when　he　heard　a　laugh　across　the　little　garden。　



Clara；　in　her　riding　habit；　was　standing　at　the　back　door　of　the



house；　under　the　grapevine　trellis　that　old　Joe　had　grown　there



long　ago。　　Nils　rose。







〃Come　out　and　keep　your　father　and　me　company。　　We've　been



gossiping　all　afternoon。　　Nobody　to　bother　us　but　the　flies。〃







She　shook　her　head。　　〃No；　I　never　come　out　here　any　more。　　Olaf



doesn't　like　it。　　I　must　live　up　to　my　position；　you　know。〃







〃You　mean　to　tell　me　you　never　come　out　and　chat　with　the　boys；　as



you　used　to？　　He　has　tamed　you！　　Who　keeps　up　these



flower…beds？〃







〃I　come　out　on　Sundays；　when　father　is　alone；　and　read　the



Bohemian　papers　to　him。　　But　I　am　never　here　when　the　bar　is　open。　



What　have　you　two　been　doing？〃







〃Talking；　as　I　told　you。　　I've　been　telling　him　about　my



travels。　　I　find　I　can't　talk　much　at　home；　not　even　to　Eric。〃







Clara　reached　up　and　poked　with　her　riding…whip　at　a　white



moth　that　was　fluttering　in　the　sunlight　among　the　vine　leaves。　　〃I



suppose　you　will　never　tell　me　about　all　those　things。〃







〃Where　can　I　tell　them？　　Not　in　Olaf's　house；　certainly。　



What's　the　matter　with　our　talking　here？〃　　He　pointed　persuasively



with　his　hat　to　the　bushes　and　the　green　table；　where　the　flies



were　singing　lazily　above　the　empty　beer　glasses。







Clara　shook　her　head　weakly。　　〃No；　it　wouldn't　do。　　Besides；



I　am　going　now。〃







〃I'm　on　Eric's　mare。　　Would　you　be　angry　if　I　overtook　you？〃







Clara　looked　back　and　laughed。　　〃You　might　try　and　see。　　I　can



leave　you　if　I　don't　want　you。　　Eric's　mare　can't　keep　up　with



Norman。〃







Nils　went　into　the　bar　and　attempted　to　pay　his　score。　　Big



Joe；　six　feet　four；　with　curly　yellow　hair　and　mustache；　clapped



him　on　the　shoulder。　　〃Not　a　Goddamn　a　your　money　go　in　my　drawer；



you　hear？　　Only　next　time　you　bring　your　flute；　te…te…te…te…te…ty。〃



Joe　wagged　his　fingers　in　imitation　of　the　flute　player's　position。







〃My　Clara；　she　come　all…a…time　Sundays　an'　play　for　me。　　She　not



like　to　play　at　Ericson's　place。〃　　He　shook　his　yellow　curls　and



laughed。　　〃Not　a　Goddamn　a　fun　at　Ericson's。　　You　come　a　Sunday。　



You　like…a　fun。　　No　forget　de　flute。〃　　Joe　talked　very　rapidly　and



always　tumbled　over　his　English。　　He　seldom　spoke　it　to　his



customers；　and　had　never　learned　much。







Nils　swung　himself　into　the　saddle　and　trotted　to　the　west　of



the　village；　where　the　houses　and　gardens　scattered　into　prairie



land　and　the　road　turned　south。　　Far　ahead　of　him；　in　the　declining



light；　he　saw　Clara　Vavrika's　slender　figure；　loitering　on



horseback。　　He　touched　his　mare　with　the　whip；　and　shot　along　the



white；　level　road；　under　the　reddening　sky。　　When　he　overtook



Olaf's　wife　he　saw　that　she　had　been　crying。　　〃What's　the　matter；



Clara　Vavrika？〃　he　asked　kindly。







〃Oh；　I　get　blue　sometimes。　　It　was　awfully　jolly　living　there



with　father。　　I　wonder　why　I　ever　went　away。〃







Nils　spoke　in　a　low；　kind　tone　that　he　sometimes　used　with　women：



〃That's　what　I've　been　wondering　these　many　years。　　You　were　the



last　girl　in　the　country　I'd　have　picked　for　a　wife　for　Olaf。　　What



made　you　do　it；　Clara？〃







〃I　suppose　I　really　did　it　to　oblige　the　neighbours〃Clara



tossed　her　head。　　〃People　were　beginning　to　wonder。〃







〃To　wonder？〃







〃Yeswhy　I　didn't　get　married。　　I　suppose　I　didn't　like　to



keep　them　in　suspense。　　I've　discovered　that　most　girls　marry　out



of　consideration　for　the　neighbourhood。〃







Nils　bent　his　head　toward　her　and　his　white　teeth　flashed。　



〃I'd　have　gambled　that　one　girl　I　knew　would　say；　'Let　the



neighbourhood　be　damned。'〃







Clara　shook　her　head　mournfully。　　〃You　see；　they　have　it　on



you；　Nils；　that　is；　if　you're　a　woman。　　They　say　you're　beginning



to　go　off。　　That's　what　makes　us　get　married：　we　can't　stand　the



laugh。〃







Nils　looked　sidewise　at　her。　　He　had　never　seen　her　head　droop



before。　　Resignation　was　the　last　thing　he　would　have　expected　of



her。　　〃In　your　case；　there　wasn't　something　else？〃







〃Something　else？〃







〃I　mean；　you　didn't　do　it　to　spite　somebody？　　Somebody　who



didn't　come　back？〃







Clara　drew　herself　up。　　〃Oh；　I　never　thought　you'd　come　back。　



Not　after　I　stopped　writing　to　you；　at　least。　　That　was　all



over；　long　before　I　married　Olaf。〃







〃It　never　occurred　to　you；　then；　that　the　meanest　thing　you



could　do　to　me　was　to　marry