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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
return home。 Joe had gone in to serve a customer； and Nils was
lounging on his elbows； looking rather mournfully into his half…
emptied pitcher； when he heard a laugh across the little garden。
Clara； in her riding habit； was standing at the back door of the
house； under the grapevine trellis that old Joe had grown there
long ago。 Nils rose。
〃Come out and keep your father and me company。 We've been
gossiping all afternoon。 Nobody to bother us but the flies。〃
She shook her head。 〃No； I never come out here any more。 Olaf
doesn't like it。 I must live up to my position； you know。〃
〃You mean to tell me you never come out and chat with the boys； as
you used to？ He has tamed you！ Who keeps up these
flower…beds？〃
〃I come out on Sundays； when father is alone； and read the
Bohemian papers to him。 But I am never here when the bar is open。
What have you two been doing？〃
〃Talking； as I told you。 I've been telling him about my
travels。 I find I can't talk much at home； not even to Eric。〃
Clara reached up and poked with her riding…whip at a white
moth that was fluttering in the sunlight among the vine leaves。 〃I
suppose you will never tell me about all those things。〃
〃Where can I tell them？ Not in Olaf's house； certainly。
What's the matter with our talking here？〃 He pointed persuasively
with his hat to the bushes and the green table； where the flies
were singing lazily above the empty beer glasses。
Clara shook her head weakly。 〃No； it wouldn't do。 Besides；
I am going now。〃
〃I'm on Eric's mare。 Would you be angry if I overtook you？〃
Clara looked back and laughed。 〃You might try and see。 I can
leave you if I don't want you。 Eric's mare can't keep up with
Norman。〃
Nils went into the bar and attempted to pay his score。 Big
Joe； six feet four； with curly yellow hair and mustache； clapped
him on the shoulder。 〃Not a Goddamn a your money go in my drawer；
you hear？ Only next time you bring your flute； te…te…te…te…te…ty。〃
Joe wagged his fingers in imitation of the flute player's position。
〃My Clara； she come all…a…time Sundays an' play for me。 She not
like to play at Ericson's place。〃 He shook his yellow curls and
laughed。 〃Not a Goddamn a fun at Ericson's。 You come a Sunday。
You like…a fun。 No forget de flute。〃 Joe talked very rapidly and
always tumbled over his English。 He seldom spoke it to his
customers； and had never learned much。
Nils swung himself into the saddle and trotted to the west of
the village； where the houses and gardens scattered into prairie
land and the road turned south。 Far ahead of him； in the declining
light； he saw Clara Vavrika's slender figure； loitering on
horseback。 He touched his mare with the whip； and shot along the
white； level road； under the reddening sky。 When he overtook
Olaf's wife he saw that she had been crying。 〃What's the matter；
Clara Vavrika？〃 he asked kindly。
〃Oh； I get blue sometimes。 It was awfully jolly living there
with father。 I wonder why I ever went away。〃
Nils spoke in a low； kind tone that he sometimes used with women：
〃That's what I've been wondering these many years。 You were the
last girl in the country I'd have picked for a wife for Olaf。 What
made you do it； Clara？〃
〃I suppose I really did it to oblige the neighbours〃Clara
tossed her head。 〃People were beginning to wonder。〃
〃To wonder？〃
〃Yeswhy I didn't get married。 I suppose I didn't like to
keep them in suspense。 I've discovered that most girls marry out
of consideration for the neighbourhood。〃
Nils bent his head toward her and his white teeth flashed。