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low whistle。 She did not turn at once； but listened intently as
she drew her cloth slowly along the round of a chair。 Yes； there
it was：
I dreamt that I dwelt in ma…a…arble halls。
She turned and saw Nils Ericson laughing in the sunlight； his
hat in his hand； just outside the window。 As she crossed the room
he leaned against the wire screen。 〃Aren't you at all surprised to
see me； Clara Vavrika？〃
〃No； I was expecting to see you。 Mother Ericson telephoned
Olaf last night that you were here。〃
Nils squinted and gave a long whistle。 〃Telephoned？ That must
have been while Eric and I were out walking。 Isn't she
enterprising？ Lift this screen； won't you？〃
Clara lifted the screen； and Nils swung his leg across the
window…sill。 As he stepped into the room she said： 〃You didn't
think you were going to get ahead of your mother； did you？〃
He threw his hat on the piano。 〃Oh； I do sometimes。 You see；
I'm ahead of her now。 I'm supposed to be in Anders' wheat…field。
But； as we were leaving； Mother ran her car into a soft place
beside the road and sank up to the hubs。 While they were going for
the horses to pull her out； I cut away behind the stacks and
escaped。〃 Nils chuckled。 Clara's dull eyes lit up as she looked
at him admiringly。
〃You've got them guessing already。 1 don't know what your
mother said to Olaf over the telephone； but be came back looking as
if he'd seen a ghost； and he didn't go to bed until a dreadful
hourten o'clock； I should think。 He sat out on the porch in the
dark like a graven image。 It had been one of his talkative days；
too。〃 They both laughed； easily and lightly； like people who have
laughed a great deal together； but they remained standing。
〃Anders and Otto and Peter looked as if they had seen ghosts；
too； over in the threshing field。 What's the matter with them
all？〃
Clara gave him a quick； searching look。 〃Well； for one thing；
they've always been afraid you have the other will。〃
Nils looked interested。 〃The other will？〃
〃Yes。 A later one。 They knew your father made another； but
they never knew what he did with it。 They almost tore the old
house to pieces looking for it。 They always suspected that he
carried on a clandestine correspondence with you； for the one thing
he would do was to get his own mail himself。 So they thought he
might have sent the new will to you for safekeeping。 The old one；
leaving everything to your mother； was made long before you went
away； and it's understood among them that it cuts you outthat she
will leave all the property to the others。 Your father made the
second will to prevent that。 I've been hoping you had it。 It
would be such fun to spring it on them。〃 Clara laughed mirthfully；
a thing she did not often do now。
Nils shook his head reprovingly。 〃Come； now； you're malicious。〃
〃No； I'm not。 But I'd like something to happen to stir them
all up； just for once。 There never was such a family for having
nothing ever happen to them but dinner and threshing。 I'd almost
be willing to die； just to have a funeral。 You wouldn't
stand it for three weeks。〃
Nils bent over the piano and began pecking at the keys with
the finger of one hand。 〃I wouldn't？ My dear young lady； how do
you know what I can stand？ You wouldn't wait to find out。〃
Clara flushed darkly and frowned。 〃I didn't believe you would
ever come back〃 she said defiantly。
〃Eric believed I would； and he was only a baby when I went
away。 However； all's well that ends well； and I haven't come back
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
i