the bohemian girl-第3部分

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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　always　it　talks



to　me　about　you。〃







They　sat　a　while　longer；　watching　the　stars。　　At　last　Eric



whispered　anxiously：　〃Hadn't　we　better　go　back　now？　　Mother　will



get　tired　waiting　for　us。〃　　They　rose　and　took　a　short　cut　home；



through　the　pasture。











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　II







The　next　morning　Nils　woke　with　the　first　flood　of　light　that



came　with　dawn。　　The　white…plastered　walls　of　his　room　reflected



the　glare　that　shone　through　the　thin　window　shades；　and　he　found



it　impossible　to　sleep。　　He　dressed　hurriedly　and　slipped　down　the



hall　and　up　the　back　stairs　to　the　half…story　room　which　be　used　to



share　with　his　little　brother。　　Eric；　in　a　skimpy　nightshirt；　was



sitting　on　the　edge　of　the　bed；　rubbing　his　eyes；　his　pale　yellow



hair　standing　up　in　tufts　all　over　his　head。　　When　he　saw　Nils；　he



murmured　something　confusedly　and　hustled　his　long　legs　into



his　trousers。　　〃I　didn't　expect　you'd　be　up　so　early；　Nils；〃　he



said；　as　his　head　emerged　from　his　blue　shirt。







〃Oh；　you　thought　I　was　a　dude；　did　you？〃　　Nils　gave　him　a



playful　tap　which　bent　the　tall　boy　up　like　a　clasp　knife。　　〃See



here：　I　must　teach　you　to　box。〃　　Nils　thrust　his　hands　into　his



pockets　and　walked　about。　　〃You　haven't　changed　things　much　up



here。　　Got　most　of　my　old　traps；　haven't　you？〃







He　took　down　a　bent；　withered　piece　of　sapling　that　hung　over



the　dresser。　　〃If　this　isn't　the　stick　Lou　Sandberg　killed　himself



with！〃







The　boy　looked　up　from　his　shoe…lacing。







〃Yes；　you　never　used　to　let　me　play　with　that。　　Just　how　did



he　do　it；　Nils？　　You　were　with　father　when　he　found　Lou；　weren't



you？〃







〃Yes。　　Father　was　going　off　to　preach　somewhere；　and；　as　we



drove　along；　Lou's　place　looked　sort　of　forlorn；　and　we　thought



we'd　stop　and　cheer　him　up。　　When　we　found　him　father　said　he'd



been　dead　a　couple　days。　　He'd　tied　a　piece　of　binding　twine　round



his　neck；　made　a　noose　in　each　end；　fixed　the　nooses　over　the　ends



of　a　bent　stick；　and　let　the　stick　spring　straight；　strangled



himself。〃







〃What　made　him　kill　himself　such　a　silly　way？〃







The　simplicity　of　the　boy's　question　set　Nils　laughing。　　He



clapped　little　Eric　on　the　shoulder。　　〃What　made　him　such　a　silly



as　to　kill　himself　at　all；　I　should　say！〃







〃Oh；　well！　　But　his　hogs　had　the　cholera；　and　all　up　and　died



on　him；　didn't　they？〃







〃Sure　they　did；　but　he　didn't　have　cholera；　and　there　were



plenty　of　bogs　left　in　the　world；　weren't　there？〃







〃Well；　but；　if　they　weren't　his；　how　could　they　do　him　any



good？〃　Eric　asked；　in　astonishment。







〃Oh；　scat！　　He　could　have　had　lots　of　fun　with　other　people's



hogs。　　He　was　a　chump；　Lou　Sandberg。　　To　kill　yourself　for　a　pig



think　of　that；　now！〃　　Nils　laughed　all　the　way　downstairs；　and



quite　embarrassed　little　Eric；　who　fell　to　scrubbing　his　face　and



hands　at　the　tin　basin。　　While　he　was　parting　his　wet　hair　at　the



kitchen　looking　glass；　a　heavy　tread　sounded　on　the　stairs。　　The



boy　dropped　his　comb。　　〃Gracious；　there's　Mother。　　We　must　have



talked　too　long。〃　　He　hurried　out　to　the　shed；　slipped　on　his



overalls；　and　disappeared　with　the　milking　pails。







Mrs。　Ericson　came　in；　wearing　a　clean　white　apron；　her　black



hair　shining　from　the　application　of　a　wet　brush。







〃Good　morning；　Mother。　　Can't　I　make　the　fire　for　you？〃







〃No；　thank　you；　Nils。　　It's　no　trouble　to　make　a　cob　fire；　and



I　like　to　manage　the　kitchen　stove　myself〃　Mrs。　Ericson　paused　with



a　shovel　full　of　ashes　in　her　hand。　　〃I　expect　you　will　be　wanting



to　see　your　brothers　as　soon　as　possible。　　I'll　take　you　up　to



Anders'　place　this　morning。　　He's　threshing；　and　most　of　our　boys



are　over　there。〃







〃Will　Olaf　be　there？〃







Mrs。　Ericson　went　on　taking　out　the　ashes；　and　spoke　between



shovels。　　〃No；　Olaf's　wheat　is　all　in；　put　away　in　his　new　barn。　



He　got　six　thousand　bushel　this　year。　　He's　going　to　town　today　to



get　men　to　finish　roofing　his　barn。〃







〃So　Olaf　is　building　a　new　barn？〃　Nils　asked　absently。







〃Biggest　one　in　the　county；　and　almost　done。　　You'll　likely　be



here　for　the　barn…raising。　　He's　going　to　have　a　supper　and　a　dance



as　soon　as　everybody's　done　threshing。　　Says　it　keeps　the　voters　in



good　humour。　　I　tell　him　that's　all　nonsense；　but　Olaf　has　a　head



for　politics。〃







〃Does　Olaf　farm　all　Cousin　Henrik's　land？〃







Mrs。　Ericson　frowned　as　she　blew　into　the　faint　smoke　curling　up



about　the　cobs。　　〃Yes；　he　holds　it　in　trust　for　the　children；　Hilda



and　her　brothers。　　He　keeps　strict　account　of　everything　he　raises



on　it；　and　puts　the　proceeds　out　at　compound　interest　for　them。〃







Nils　smiled　as　he　watched　the　little　flames　shoot　up。　　The



door　of　the　back　stairs　opened；　and　Hilda　emerged；　her　arms　behind



her；　buttoning　up　her　long　gingham　apron　as　she　came。　　He　nodded　to



her　gaily；　and　she　twinkled　at　him　out　of　her　little　blue　eyes；　set



far　apart　over　her　wide　cheekbones。







〃There；　Hilda；　you　grind　the　coffeeand　just　put　in　an　extra



handful；　I　expect　your　Cousin　Nils　likes　his　strong；〃　said　Mrs。



Ericson；　as　she　went　out　to　the　shed。







Nils　turned　to　look　at　the　little　girl；　who　gripped　the　coffee



grinder　between　her　knees　and　ground　so　hard　that　her　two　braids



bobbed　and　her　face　flushed　under　its　broad　spattering　of



freckles。　　He　noticed　on　her　middle　finger　something　that　had　not



been　there　last　night；　and　that　had　evidently　been　put　on　for



company：　a　tiny　gold　ring　with　a　clumsily　set　garnet　stone。　　As　her



hand　went　round　and　round　he　touched　the　ring　with　the　tip　of　his



finger；　smiling。







Hilda　glanced　toward　the　shed　door　through　which　Mrs。　Ericson



had　disappeared。　　〃My　Cousin　Clara　gave　me　that；〃　she　whispered



bashfully。　　〃She's　Cousin　Olaf's　wife。〃











　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III







Mrs。　Olaf　EricsonClara　Vavrika；　as　many　people　still　called



herwas　moving　restlessly　about　her　big　bare　house　that　morning。　



Her　husband　had　left　for　the　county　town　before　his　wife　was　out　of



bedher　lateness　in　rising　was　one　of　the　many　things　the　Ericson



family　had　against　her。　　Clara　seldom　came　downstairs　before　eight



o'clock；　and　this　morning　she　was　even　later；　for　she　had　dressed



with　unusual　care。　　She　put　on；　however；　only　a　tightfitting　black



dress；　which　people　thereabouts　thought　very　plain。　　She　was　a



tall；　dark　woman　of　thirty；　with　a　rather　sallow　complexion　and　a



touch　of　dull　salmon　red　in　her　cheeks；　where　the　blood　seemed　to



burn　under　her　brown　skin。　　Her　hair；　parted　evenly　above　her　low



forehead；　was　so　black　that　there　were　distinctly　blue　lights　in



it。　　Her　black　eyebrows　were　delicate　half…moons　and　her　lashes



were　long　and　heavy。　　Her　eyes　slanted　a　little；　as　if　she　had　a



strain　of　Tartar　or　gypsy　blood；　and　were　sometimes　full　of　fiery



determination　and　sometimes　dull　and　opaque。　　Her　expression　was



never　altogether　amiable；　was　often；　indeed；　distinctly　sullen；　or；



when　she　was　animated；　sarcastic。　　She　was　most　attractive　in



profile；　for　then　one　saw　to　advantage　her　small；　well…shaped　head



and　delicate　ears；　and　felt　at　once　that　here　was　a　very　positive；



if　not　an　altogether　pleasing；　personality。







The　entire　management　of　Mrs。　Olaf's　household　devolved　upon



her　aunt；　Johanna　Vavrika；　a　superstitious；　doting　woman　of　fifty。　



When　Clara　was　a　little　gi