the bohemian girl-第5部分

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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。〃







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