the bohemian girl-第12节

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together。　　But　Olaf　once　saw　Eric　coming　out　of　Vavrika's　house



the　old　man　had　never　asked　the　boy　to　come　into　his　saloonand



Olaf　went　straight　to　his　mother　and　told　her。　　That　night　Mrs。



Ericson　came　to　Eric's　room　after　he　was　in　bed　and　made　a　terrible



scene。　　She　could　be　very　terrifying　when　she　was　really　angry。　



She　forbade　him　ever　to　speak　to　Vavrika　again；　and　after　that



night　she　would　not　allow　him　to　go　to　town　alone。　　So　it　was　a



long　while　before　Eric　got　any　more　news　of　his　brother。　　But　old



Joe　suspected　what　was　going　on；　and　he　carried　Clara's　letters



about　in　his　pocket。　　One　Sunday　he　drove　out　to　see　a　German



friend　of　his；　and　chanced　to　catch　sight　of　Eric；　sitting　by　the



cattle　pond　in　the　big　pasture。　　They　went　together　into　Fritz



Oberlies'　barn；　and　read　the　letters　and　talked　things　over。　　Eric



admitted　that　things　were　getting　hard　for　him　at　home。　　That　very



night　old　Joe　sat　down　and　laboriously　penned　a　statement　of　the



case　to　his　daughter。







Things　got　no　better　for　Eric。　　His　mother　and　Olaf　felt



that；　however　closely　he　was　watched；　he　still；　as　they　said；



〃heard。〃　　Mrs。　Ericson　could　not　admit　neutrality。　　She　had　sent



Johanna　Vavrika　packing　back　to　her　brother's；　though　Olaf　would



much　rather　have　kept　her　than　Anders'　eldest　daughter；　whom　Mrs。



Ericson　installed　in　her　place。　　He　was　not　so　highhanded　as　his



mother；　and　he　once　sulkily　told　her　that　she　might　better　have



taught　her　granddaughter　to　cook　before　she　sent　Johanna　away。　



Olaf　could　have　borne　a　good　deal　for　the　sake　of　prunes　spiced



in　honey；　the　secret　of　which　Johanna　had　taken　away　with　her。







At　last　two　letters　came　to　Joe　Vavrika：　one　from　Nils；



enclosing　a　postal　order　for　money　to　pay　Eric's　passage　to



Bergen；　and　one　from　Clara；　saying　that　Nils　had　a　place　for　Eric



in　the　offices　of　his　company；　that　he　was　to　live　with　them；　and



that　they　were　only　waiting　for　him　to　come。　　He　was　to　leave　New



York　on　one　of　the　boats　of　Nils'　own　line；　the　captain　was　one



of　their　friends；　and　Eric　was　to　make　himself　known　at　once。







Nils'　directions　were　so　explicit　that　a　baby　could　have



followed　them；　Eric　felt。　　And　here　he　was；　nearing　Red　Oak；



Iowa；　and　rocking　backward　and　forward　in　despair。　　Never　had　he



loved　his　brother　so　much；　and　never　had　the　big　world　called　to



him　so　hard。　　But　there　was　a　lump　in　his　throat　which　would　not



go　down。　　Ever　since　nightfall　he　had　been　tormented　by　the



thought　of　his　mother；　alone　in　that　big　house　that　had　sent



forth　so　many　men。　　Her　unkindness　now　seemed　so　little；　and　her



loneliness　so　great。　　He　remembered　everything　she　had　ever　done



for　him：　how　frightened　she　had　been　when　he　tore　his　hand　in　the



corn…sheller；　and　how　she　wouldn't　let　Olaf　scold　him。　　When　Nils



went　away　he　didn't　leave　his　mother　all　alone；　or　he　would　never



have　gone。　　Eric　felt　sure　of　that。







The　train　whistled。　　The　conductor　came　in；　smiling　not　unkindly。　



〃Well；　young　man；　what　are　you　going　to　do？　　We　stop　at　Red　Oak　in



three　minutes。〃







〃Yes；　thank　you。　　I'll　let　you　know。〃　　The　conductor　went　out；



and　the　boy　doubled　up　with　misery。　　He　couldn't　let　his　one　chance



go　like　this。　　He　felt　for　his　breast　pocket　and　crackled　Nils'



letter　to　give　him　courage。　　He　didn't　want　Nils　to　be　ashamed　of



him。　　The　train　stopped。　　Suddenly　he　remembered　his　brother's



kind；　twinkling　eyes；　that　always　looked　at　you　as　if　from　far



away。　　The　lump　in　his　throat　softened。　　〃Ah；　but　Nils；　Nils　would



understand！〃　he　thought。　　〃That's　just　it　about　Nils；　he



always　understands。〃







A　lank；　pale　boy　with　a　canvas　telescope　stumbled　off　the



train　to　the　Red　Oak　siding；　just　as　the　conductor　called；　〃All



aboard！〃







The　next　night　Mrs。　Ericson　was　sitting　alone　in　her　wooden



rocking…chair　on　the　front　porch。　　Little　Hilda　had　been　sent　to



bed　and　had　cried　herself　to　sleep。　　The　old　woman's　knitting　was



on　her　lap；　but　her　hands　lay　motionless　on　top　of　it。　　For　more



than　an　hour　she　had　not　moved　a　muscle。　　She　simply　sat；　as　only



the　Ericsons　and　the　mountains　can　sit。　　The　house　was　dark；　and



there　was　no　sound　but　the　croaking　of　the　frogs　down　in　the　pond



of　the　little　pasture。







Eric　did　not　come　home　by　the　road；　but　across　the　fields；



where　no　one　could　see　him。　　He　set　his　telescope　down　softly　in



the　kitchen　shed；　and　slipped　noiselessly　along　the　path　to　the



front　porch。　　He　sat　down　on　the　step　without　saying　anything。　



Mrs。　Ericson　made　no　sign；　and　the　frogs　croaked　on。　　At　last　the



boy　spoke　timidly。







〃I've　come　back；　Mother。〃







〃Very　well；〃　said　Mrs。　Ericson。







Eric　leaned　over　and　picked　up　a　little　stick　out　of　the　grass。







〃How　about　the　milking？〃　he　faltered。







〃That's　been　done；　hours　ago。〃







〃Who　did　you　get？〃







〃Get？　　I　did　it　myself。　　I　can　milk　as　good　as　any　of　you。〃







Eric　slid　along　the　step　nearer　to　her。　　〃Oh；　Mother；　why　did　you？〃



he　asked　sorrowfully。　　〃Why　didn't　you　get　one　of　Otto's　boys？〃







〃I　didn't　want　anybody　to　know　I　was　in　need　of　a　boy；〃　said



Mrs。　Ericson　bitterly。　　She　looked　straight　in　front　of　her　and　her



mouth　tightened。　　〃I　always　meant　to　give　you　the　home　farm；〃　she



added。







The　boy　stared　and　slid　closer。　　〃Oh；　Mother；〃　he　faltered；　〃I



don't　care　about　the　farm。　　I　came　back　because　I　thought　you　might



be　needing　me；　maybe。〃　　He　hung　his　head　and　got　no　further。







〃Very　well；〃　said　Mrs。　Ericson。　　Her　hand　went　out　from　her



suddenly　and　rested　on　his　head。　　Her　fingers　twined　themselves　in



his　soft；　pale　hair。　　His　tears　splashed　down　on　the　boards；



happiness　filled　his　heart。







End