the bohemian girl-第2节

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straggled　the　sheds　and　stables。　　The　old　man　stopped　his　horses



where　the　Ericsons'　road　branched　across　a　dry　sand　creek　that



wound　about　the　foot　of　the　hill。







〃That's　the　old　lady's　place。　　Want　I　should　drive　in？〃　　〃No；



thank　you。　　I'll　roll　out　here。　　Much　obliged　to　you。　　Good



night。〃







His　passenger　stepped　down　over　the　front　wheel；　and　the　old



man　drove　on　reluctantly；　looking　back　as　if　he　would　like　to　see



how　the　stranger　would　be　received。







As　Nils　was　crossing　the　dry　creek　he　heard　the　restive



tramp　of　a　horse　coming　toward　him　down　the　hill。　　Instantly　he



flashed　out　of　the　road　and　stood　behind　a　thicket　of　wild　plum



bushes　that　grew　in　the　sandy　bed。　　Peering　through　the　dusk；　be



saw　a　light　horse；　under　tight　rein；　descending　the　hill　at　a



sharp　walk。　　The　rider　was　a　slender　womanbarely　visible



against　the　dark　hillsidewearing　an　old…fashioned　derby　hat　and



a　long　riding　skirt。　　She　sat　lightly　in　the　saddle；　with　her



chin　high；　and　seemed　to　be　looking　into　the　distance。　　As　she



passed　the　plum　thicket　her　horse　snuffed　the　air　and　shied。　　She



struck　him；　pulling　him　in　sharply；　with　an　angry　exclamation；



〃Blazne！〃　in　Bohemian。　　Once　in　the　main　road；　she　let　him



out　into　a　lope；　and　they　soon　emerged　upon　the　crest　of　high　land；



where　they　moved　along　the　skyline；　silhouetted　against　the　band



of　faint　colour　that　lingered　in　the　west。　　This　horse　and　rider；



with　their　free；　rhythmical　gallop；　were　the　only　moving　things



to　be　seen　on　the　face　of　the　flat　country。　　They　seemed；　in　the



last　sad　light　of　evening；　not　to　be　there　accidentally；　but　as



an　inevitable　detail　of　the　landscape。







Nils　watched　them　until　they　had　shrunk　to　a　mere　moving



speck　against　the　sky；　then　he　crossed　the　sand　creek　and　climbed



the　hill。　　When　he　reached　the　gate　the　front　of　the　house　was



dark；　but　a　light　was　shining　from　the　side　windows。　　The　pigs



were　squealing　in　the　hog　corral；　and　Nils　could　see　a　tall　boy；



who　carried　two　big　wooden　buckets；　moving　about　among　them。　



Halfway　between　the　barn　and　the　house；　the　windmill　wheezed



lazily。　　Following　the　path　that　ran　around　to　the　back　porch；



Nils　stopped　to　look　through　the　screen　door　into　the　lamplit



kitchen。　　The　kitchen　was　the　largest　room　in　the　house；　Nils



remembered　that　his　older　brothers　used　to　give　dances　there　when



he　was　a　boy。　　Beside　the　stove　stood　a　little　girl　with　two



light　yellow　braids　and　a　broad；　flushed　face；　peering



anxiously　into　a　frying　pan。　　In　the　dining…room　beyond；　a　large；



broad…shouldered　woman　was　moving　about　the　table。　　She　walked



with　an　active；　springy　step。　　Her　face　was　heavy　and　florid；



almost　without　wrinkles；　and　her　hair　was　black　at　seventy。　　Nils



felt　proud　of　her　as　he　watched　her　deliberate　activity；　never　a



momentary　hesitation；　or　a　movement　that　did　not　tell。　　He　waited



until　she　came　out　into　the　kitchen　and；　brushing　the　child　aside；



took　her　place　at　the　stove。　　Then　he　tapped　on　the　screen　door



and　entered。







〃It's　nobody　but　Nils；　Mother。　　I　expect　you　weren't　looking



for　me。〃







Mrs。　Ericson　turned　away　from　the　stove　and　stood　staring　at



him。　　〃Bring　the　lamp；　Hilda；　and　let　me　look。〃







Nils　laughed　and　unslung　his　valise。　　〃What's　the　matter；



Mother？　　Don't　you　know　me？〃







Mrs。　Ericson　put　down　the　lamp。　　〃You　must　be　Nils。　　You



don't　look　very　different；　anyway。〃







〃Nor　you；　Mother。　　You　hold　your　own。　　Don't　you　wear



glasses　yet？〃







〃Only　to　read　by。　　Where's　your　trunk；　Nils？〃







〃Oh；　I　left　that　in　town。　　I　thought　it　might　not　be



convenient　for　you　to　have　company　so　near　threshing…time。〃







〃Don't　be　foolish；　Nils。〃　　Mrs。　Ericson　turned　back　to　the



stove。　　〃I　don't　thresh　now。　　I　hitched　the　wheat　land　onto　the



next　farm　and　have　a　tenant。　　Hilda；　take　some　hot　water　up　to



the　company　room；　and　go　call　little　Eric。〃







The　tow…haired　child；　who　had　been　standing　in　mute



amazement；　took　up　the　tea…kettle　and　withdrew；　giving　Nils　a



long；　admiring　look　from　the　door　of　the　kitchen　stairs。







〃Who's　the　youngster？〃　Nils　asked；　dropping　down　on　the



bench　behind　the　kitchen　stove。







〃One　of　your　Cousin　Henrik's。〃







〃How　long　has　Cousin　Henrik　been　dead？〃







〃Six　years。　　There　are　two　boys。　　One　stays　with　Peter　and



one　with　Anders。　　Olaf　is　their　guardeen。〃







There　was　a　clatter　of　pails　on　the　porch；　and　a　tall；　lanky



boy　peered　wonderingly　in　through　the　screen　door。　　He　had　a



fair；　gentle　face　and　big　grey　eyes；　and　wisps　of　soft　yellow



hair　hung　down　under　his　cap。　　Nils　sprang　up　and　pulled



him　into　the　kitchen；　hugging　him　and　slapping　him　on　the



shoulders。　　〃Well；　if　it　isn't　my　kid！　　Look　at　the　size　of　him！



Don't　you　know　me；　Eric？〃







The　boy　reddened　tinder　his　sunburn　and　freckles；　and　hung　his



head。　　〃I　guess　it's　Nils；〃　he　said　shyly。







〃You're　a　good　guesser；〃　laughed　Nils　giving　the　lad's　hand　a



swing。　　To　himself　he　was　thinking：　〃That's　why　the　little　girl



looked　so　friendly。　　He's　taught　her　to　like　me。　　He　was　only　six



when　I　went　away；　and　he's　remembered　for　twelve　years。〃







Eric　stood　fumbling　with　his　cap　and　smiling。　　〃You　look　just



like　I　thought　you　would；〃　he　ventured。







〃Go　wash　your　hands；　Eric；〃　called　Mrs。　Ericson。　　〃I've　got



cob　corn　for　supper；　Nils。　　You　used　to　like　it。　　I　guess　you　don't



get　much　of　that　in　the　old　country。　　Here's　Hilda；　she'll　take　you



up　to　your　room。　　You'll　want　to　get　the　dust　off　you　before　you



eat。〃







Mrs。　Ericson　went　into　the　dining…room　to　lay　another　plate；



and　the　little　girl　came　up　and　nodded　to　Nils　as　if　to　let　him



know　that　his　room　was　ready。　　He　put　out　his　hand　and　she　took　it；



with　a　startled　glance　up　at　his　face。　　Little　Eric　dropped　his



towel；　threw　an　arm　about　Nils　and　one　about　Hilda；　gave　them　a



clumsy　squeeze；　and　then　stumbled　out　to　the　porch。







During　supper　Nils　heard　exactly　how　much　land　each　of　his



eight　grown　brothers　farmed；　how　their　crops　were　coming　on；　and



how　much　livestock　they　were　feeding。　　His　mother　watched　him



narrowly　as　she　talked。　　〃You've　got　better　looking；　Nils；〃　she



remarked　abruptly；　whereupon　he　grinned　and　the　children　giggled。　



Eric；　although　he　was　eighteen　and　as　tall　as　Nils；　was　always



accounted　a　child；　being　the　last　of　so　many　sons。　　His　face　seemed



childlike；　too；　Nils　thought；　and　he　had　the　open；　wandering　eves



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