the bohemian girl-第3章

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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　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