Theairwascoolenoughtomakethewarmsunpleasantonone’sbackandshoulders，andsoclearthattheeyecouldfollowahawkupandup，intotheblazingbluedepthsofthesky。
EvenCarl，neveraverycheerfulboy，andcon—
siderablydarkenedbytheselasttwobitteryears，lovedthecountryondayslikethis，feltsomethingstrongandyoungandwildcomeoutofit，thatlaughedatcare。
\"Alexandra，\"hesaidasheapproachedher，\"Iwanttotalktoyou。Let’ssitdownbythegooseberrybushes。\"Hepickeduphersackofpotatoesandtheycrossedthegarden。\"Boysgonetotown？\"heaskedashesankdownonthewarm，sun—bakedearth。\"Well，wehavemadeupourmindsatlast，Alexandra。Wearereallygoingaway。\"
Shelookedathimasifshewerealittlefright—
ened。\"Really，Carl？Isitsettled？\"
\"Yes，fatherhasheardfromSt。Louis，andtheywillgivehimbackhisoldjobinthecigarfactory。HemustbetherebythefirstofNovember。Theyaretakingonnewmenthen。
Wewillselltheplaceforwhateverwecanget，andauctionthestock。Wehaven’tenoughtoship。IamgoingtolearnengravingwithaGermanengraverthere，andthentrytogetworkinChicago。\"
Alexandra’shandsdroppedinherlap。Hereyesbecamedreamyandfilledwithtears。
Carl’ssensitivelowerliptrembled。Hescratchedinthesoftearthbesidehimwithastick。\"That’sallIhateaboutit，Alexandra，\"
hesaidslowly。\"You’vestoodbyusthroughsomuchandhelpedfatheroutsomanytimes，andnowitseemsasifwewererunningoffandleavingyoutofacetheworstofit。Butitisn’tasifwecouldreallyeverbeofanyhelptoyou。
Weareonlyonemoredrag，onemorethingyoulookoutforandfeelresponsiblefor。Fatherwasnevermeantforafarmer，youknowthat。
AndIhateit。We’donlygetindeeperanddeeper。\"
\"Yes，yes，Carl，Iknow。Youarewastingyourlifehere。Youareabletodomuchbetterthings。Youarenearlynineteennow，andI
wouldn’thaveyoustay。I’vealwayshopedyouwouldgetaway。ButIcan’thelpfeelingscaredwhenIthinkhowIwillmissyou——
morethanyouwilleverknow。\"Shebrushedthetearsfromhercheeks，nottryingtohidethem。
\"But，Alexandra，\"hesaidsadlyandwist—
fully，\"I’veneverbeenanyrealhelptoyou，beyondsometimestryingtokeeptheboysinagoodhumor。\"
Alexandrasmiledandshookherhead。\"Oh，it’snotthat。Nothinglikethat。It’sbyunder—
standingme，andtheboys，andmother，thatyou’vehelpedme。Iexpectthatistheonlywayonepersoneverreallycanhelpanother。
Ithinkyouareabouttheonlyonethateverhelpedme。Somehowitwilltakemorecouragetobearyourgoingthaneverythingthathashappenedbefore。\"
Carllookedattheground。\"Yousee，we’vealldependedsoonyou，\"hesaid，\"evenfather。
Hemakesmelaugh。Whenanythingcomesuphealwayssays，’IwonderwhattheBergsonsaregoingtodoaboutthat？IguessI’llgoandaskher。’I’llneverforgetthattime，whenwefirstcamehere，andourhorsehadthecolic，andIranovertoyourplace——yourfatherwasaway，andyoucamehomewithmeandshowedfatherhowtoletthewindoutofthehorse。Youwereonlyalittlegirlthen，butyoukneweversomuchmoreaboutfarmworkthanpoorfather。
YourememberhowhomesickIusedtoget，andwhatlongtalksweusedtohavecomingfromschool？We’vesomewayalwaysfeltalikeaboutthings。\"
\"Yes，that’sit;we’velikedthesamethingsandwe’velikedthemtogether，withoutany—
bodyelseknowing。Andwe’vehadgoodtimes，huntingforChristmastreesandgoingforducksandmakingourplumwinetogethereveryyear。
We’venevereitherofushadanyotherclosefriend。Andnow——\"Alexandrawipedhereyeswiththecornerofherapron，\"andnowI
mustrememberthatyouaregoingwhereyouwillhavemanyfriends，andwillfindtheworkyouweremeanttodo。Butyou’llwritetome，Carl？Thatwillmeanagreatdealtomehere。\"
\"I’llwriteaslongasIlive，\"criedtheboyimpetuously。\"AndI’llbeworkingforyouasmuchasformyself，Alexandra。Iwanttodosomethingyou’lllikeandbeproudof。I’mafoolhere，butIknowIcandosomething！\"Hesatupandfrownedattheredgrass。
Alexandrasighed。\"Howdiscouragedtheboyswillbewhentheyhear。Theyalwayscomehomefromtowndiscouraged，anyway。
Somanypeoplearetryingtoleavethecountry，andtheytalktoourboysandmakethemlow—
spirited。I’mafraidtheyarebeginningtofeelhardtowardmebecauseIwon’tlistentoanytalkaboutgoing。SometimesIfeellikeI’mgettingtiredofstandingupforthiscountry。\"
\"Iwon’ttelltheboysyet，ifyou’drathernot。\"
\"Oh，I’lltellthemmyself，to—night，whentheycomehome。They’llbetalkingwild，any—
way，andnogoodcomesofkeepingbadnews。
It’sallharderonthemthanitisonme。Louwantstogetmarried，poorboy，andhecan’tuntiltimesarebetter。See，theregoesthesun，Carl。Imustbegettingback。Motherwillwantherpotatoes。It’schillyalready，themomentthelightgoes。\"
Alexandraroseandlookedabout。Agoldenafterglowthrobbedinthewest，butthecoun—
tryalreadylookedemptyandmournful。A
darkmovingmasscameoverthewesternhill，theLeeboywasbringingintheherdfromtheotherhalf—section。Emilranfromthewindmilltoopenthecorralgate。Fromtheloghouse，onthelittleriseacrossthedraw，thesmokewascurling。Thecattlelowedandbellowed。Intheskythepalehalf—moonwasslowlysilvering。
AlexandraandCarlwalkedtogetherdownthepotatorows。\"Ihavetokeeptellingmyselfwhatisgoingtohappen，\"shesaidsoftly。
\"Sinceyouhavebeenhere，tenyearsnow，I
haveneverreallybeenlonely。ButIcanrememberwhatitwaslikebefore。NowIshallhavenobodybutEmil。Butheismyboy，andheistender—hearted。\"
Thatnight，whentheboyswerecalledtosupper，theysatdownmoodily。Theyhadworntheircoatstotown，buttheyateintheirstripedshirtsandsuspenders。Theyweregrownmennow，and，asAlexandrasaid，forthelastfewyearstheyhadbeengrowingmoreandmorelikethemselves。Louwasstilltheslighterofthetwo，thequickerandmoreintelligent，butapttogooffathalf—cock。Hehadalivelyblueeye，athin，fairskin（alwaysburnedredtotheneckbandofhisshirtinsummer），stiff，yellowhairthatwouldnotliedownonhishead，andabristlylittleyellowmustache，ofwhichhewasveryproud。Oscarcouldnotgrowamus—
tache;hispalefacewasasbareasanegg，andhiswhiteeyebrowsgaveitanemptylook。Hewasamanofpowerfulbodyandunusualendur—
ance;thesortofmanyoucouldattachtoacorn—shellerasyouwouldanengine。Hewouldturnitallday，withouthurrying，withoutslow—
ingdown。Buthewasasindolentofmindashewasunsparingofhisbody。Hisloveofroutineamountedtoavice。Heworkedlikeaninsect，alwaysdoingthesamethingoverinthesameway，regardlessofwhetheritwasbestorno。Hefeltthattherewasasovereignvirtueinmerebodilytoil，andheratherlikedtodothingsinthehardestway。Ifafieldhadoncebeenincorn，hecouldn’tbeartoputitintowheat。Helikedtobeginhiscorn—plantingatthesametimeeveryyear，whethertheseasonwerebackwardorforward。Heseemedtofeelthatbyhisownirreproachableregularityhewouldclearhimselfofblameandreprovetheweather。Whenthewheatcropfailed，hethreshedthestrawatadeadlosstodemon—
stratehowlittlegraintherewas，andthusprovehiscaseagainstProvidence。
Lou，ontheotherhand，wasfussyandflighty;alwaysplannedtogetthroughtwodays’workinone，andoftengotonlytheleastimportantthingsdone。Helikedtokeeptheplaceup，buthenevergotroundtodoingoddjobsuntilhehadtoneglectmorepressingworktoattendtothem。Inthemiddleofthewheatharvest，whenthegrainwasover—ripeandeveryhandwasneeded，hewouldstoptomendfencesortopatchtheharness;thendashdowntothefieldandoverworkandbelaidupinbedforaweek。Thetwoboysbalancedeachother，andtheypulledwelltogether。Theyhadbeengoodfriendssincetheywerechildren。Oneseldomwentanywhere，eventotown，withouttheother。
To—night，aftertheysatdowntosupper，OscarkeptlookingatLouasifheexpectedhimtosaysomething，andLoublinkedhiseyesandfrownedathisplate。ItwasAlexandraherselfwhoatlastopenedthediscussion。
\"TheLinstrums，\"shesaidcalmly，assheputanotherplateofhotbiscuitonthetable，\"aregoingbacktoSt。Louis。Theoldmanisgoingtoworkinthecigarfactoryagain。\"
AtthisLouplungedin。\"Yousee，Alex—
andra，everybodywhocancrawloutisgoingaway。There’snouseofustryingtostickitout，justtobestubborn。There’ssomethinginknowingwhentoquit。\"
\"Wheredoyouwanttogo，Lou？\"
\"Anyplacewherethingswillgrow。\"saidOscargrimly。
Loureachedforapotato。\"ChrisArnsonhastradedhishalf—sectionforaplacedownontheriver。\"
\"Whodidhetradewith？\"
\"CharleyFuller，intown。\"
\"Fullertherealestateman？Yousee，Lou，thatFullerhasaheadonhim。He’sbuy—
ingandtradingforeverybitoflandhecangetuphere。It’llmakehimarichman，someday。\"
\"He’srichnow，that’swhyhecantakeachance。\"
\"Whycan’twe？We’lllivelongerthanhewill。Somedaythelanditselfwillbeworthmorethanallwecaneverraiseonit。\"
Loulaughed。\"Itcouldbeworththat，andstillnotbeworthmuch。Why，Alexandra，youdon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout。Ourplacewouldn’tbringnowwhatitwouldsixyearsago。Thefellowsthatsettledupherejustmadeamistake。Nowthey’rebeginningtoseethishighlandwasn’tnevermeanttogrowno—
thingon，andeverybodywhoain’tfixedtograzecattleistryingtocrawlout。It’stoohightofarmuphere。AlltheAmericansareskinningout。ThatmanPercyAdams，northoftown，toldmethathewasgoingtoletFullertakehislandandstuffforfourhundreddollarsandatickettoChicago。\"
\"There’sFulleragain！\"Alexandraex—
claimed。\"Iwishthatmanwouldtakemeforapartner。He’sfeatheringhisnest！Ifonlypoorpeoplecouldlearnalittlefromrichpeople！
Butallthesefellowswhoarerunningoffarebadfarmers，likepoorMr。Linstrum。Theycouldn’tgetaheadeveningoodyears，andtheyallgotintodebtwhilefatherwasgettingout。
Ithinkweoughttoholdonaslongaswecanonfather’saccount。Hewassosetonkeepingthisland。Hemusthaveseenhardertimesthanthis，here。Howwasitintheearlydays，mother？\"
Mrs。Bergsonwasweepingquietly。Thesefamilydiscussionsalwaysdepressedher，andmadeherrememberallthatshehadbeentornawayfrom。\"Idon’tseewhytheboysarealwaystakingonaboutgoingaway，\"shesaid，wipinghereyes。\"Idon’twanttomoveagain;
outtosomerawplace，maybe，wherewe’dbeworseoffthanwearehere，andalltodooveragain。Iwon’tmove！Iftherestofyougo，I
willasksomeoftheneighborstotakemein，andstayandbeburiedbyfather。I’mnotgoingtoleavehimbyhimselfontheprairie，forcattletorunover。\"Shebegantocrymorebitterly。
Theboyslookedangry。Alexandraputasoothinghandonhermother’sshoulder。
\"There’snoquestionofthat，mother。Youdon’thavetogoifyoudon’twantto。AthirdoftheplacebelongstoyoubyAmericanlaw，andwecan’tsellwithoutyourconsent。Weonlywantyoutoadviseus。Howdiditusetobewhenyouandfatherfirstcame？Wasitreallyasbadasthis，ornot？\"
\"Oh，worse！Muchworse，\"moanedMrs。
Bergson。\"Drouth，chince—bugs，hail，every—
thing！Mygardenallcuttopieceslikesauer—
kraut。Nograpesonthecreek，nonothing。
Thepeoplealllivedjustlikecoyotes。\"
Oscargotupandtrampedoutofthekitchen。
Loufollowedhim。TheyfeltthatAlexandrahadtakenanunfairadvantageinturningtheirmotherlooseonthem。Thenextmorningtheyweresilentandreserved。Theydidnotoffertotakethewomentochurch，butwentdowntothebarnimmediatelyafterbreakfastandstayedthereallday。WhenCarlLinstrumcameoverintheafternoon，Alexandrawinkedtohimandpointedtowardthebarn。Heunder—
stoodherandwentdowntoplaycardswiththeboys。TheybelievedthataverywickedthingtodoonSunday，anditrelievedtheirfeelings。
Alexandrastayedinthehouse。OnSundayafternoonMrs。Bergsonalwaystookanap，andAlexandraread。Duringtheweekshereadonlythenewspaper，butonSunday，andinthelongeveningsofwinter，shereadagooddeal;readafewthingsoveragreatmanytimes。Sheknewlongportionsofthe\"FrithjofSaga\"byheart，and，likemostSwedeswhoreadatall，shewasfondofLongfellow’sverse，——theballadsandthe\"GoldenLegend\"and\"TheSpanishStu—
dent。\"To—dayshesatinthewoodenrocking—
chairwiththeSwedishBibleopenonherknees，butshewasnotreading。Shewaslookingthoughtfullyawayatthepointwheretheup—
landroaddisappearedovertherimoftheprairie。Herbodywasinanattitudeofperfectrepose，suchasitwasapttotakewhenshewasthinkingearnestly。Hermindwasslow，truth—
ful，steadfast。Shehadnottheleastsparkofcleverness。
Allafternoonthesitting—roomwasfullofquietandsunlight。Emilwasmakingrabbittrapsinthekitchenshed。Thehenswerecluck—
ingandscratchingbrownholesintheflowerbeds，andthewindwasteasingtheprince’sfeatherbythedoor。
ThateveningCarlcameinwiththeboystosupper。
\"Emil，\"saidAlexandra，whentheywereallseatedatthetable，\"howwouldyouliketogotraveling？BecauseIamgoingtotakeatrip，andyoucangowithmeifyouwantto。\"
Theboyslookedupinamazement;theywerealwaysafraidofAlexandra’sschemes。Carlwasinterested。
\"I’vebeenthinking，boys，\"shewenton，\"thatmaybeIamtoosetagainstmakingachange。I’mgoingtotakeBrighamandthebuckboardto—morrowanddrivedowntotherivercountryandspendafewdayslookingoverwhatthey’vegotdownthere。IfIfindanythinggood，youboyscangodownandmakeatrade。\"
\"Nobodydowntherewilltradeforanythinguphere，\"saidOscargloomily。
\"That’sjustwhatIwanttofindout。Maybetheyarejustasdiscontenteddownthereasweareuphere。Thingsawayfromhomeoftenlookbetterthantheyare。YouknowwhatyourHansAndersenbooksays，Carl，abouttheSwedeslikingtobuyDanishbreadandtheDaneslikingtobuySwedishbread，becausepeoplealwaysthinkthebreadofanothercountryisbetterthantheirown。Anyway，I’veheardsomuchabouttheriverfarms，I
won’tbesatisfiedtillI’veseenformyself。\"
Loufidgeted。\"Lookout！Don’tagreetoanything。Don’tletthemfoolyou。\"
Louwasapttobefooledhimself。Hehadnotyetlearnedtokeepawayfromtheshell—gamewagonsthatfollowedthecircus。
AftersupperLouputonanecktieandwentacrossthefieldstocourtAnnieLee，andCarlandOscarsatdowntoagameofcheckers，whileAlexandraread\"TheSwissFamilyRobinson\"
aloudtohermotherandEmil。Itwasnotlongbeforethetwoboysatthetableneglectedtheirgametolisten。Theywereallbigchildrentogether，andtheyfoundtheadventuresofthefamilyinthetreehousesoabsorbingthattheygavethemtheirundividedattention。
V
AlexandraandEmilspentfivedaysdownamongtheriverfarms，drivingupanddownthevalley。Alexandratalkedtothemenabouttheircropsandtothewomenabouttheirpoul—
try。Shespentawholedaywithoneyoungfarmerwhohadbeenawayatschool，andwhowasexperimentingwithanewkindofcloverhay。Shelearnedagreatdeal。Astheydrovealong，sheandEmiltalkedandplanned。Atlast，onthesixthday，AlexandraturnedBrig—
ham’sheadnorthwardandlefttheriverbehind。
\"There’snothinginitforusdownthere，Emil。Thereareafewfinefarms，buttheyareownedbytherichmenintown，andcouldn’tbebought。Mostofthelandisroughandhilly。
Theycanalwaysscrapealongdownthere，buttheycanneverdoanythingbig。Downtheretheyhavealittlecertainty，butupwithusthereisabigchance。Wemusthavefaithinthehighland，Emil。Iwanttoholdonharderthanever，andwhenyou’reamanyou’llthankme。\"SheurgedBrighamforward。
WhentheroadbegantoclimbthefirstlongswellsoftheDivide，AlexandrahummedanoldSwedishhymn，andEmilwonderedwhyhissisterlookedsohappy。Herfacewassoradiantthathefeltshyaboutaskingher。Forthefirsttime，perhaps，sincethatlandemergedfromthewatersofgeologicages，ahumanfacewassettowarditwithloveandyearning。Itseemedbeautifultoher，richandstrongandglorious。
Hereyesdrankinthebreadthofit，untilhertearsblindedher。ThentheGeniusoftheDivide，thegreat，freespiritwhichbreathesacrossit，musthavebentlowerthaniteverbenttoahumanwillbefore。Thehistoryofeverycountrybeginsintheheartofamanorawoman。
Alexandrareachedhomeintheafternoon。
Thateveningsheheldafamilycouncilandtoldherbrothersallthatshehadseenandheard。
\"Iwantyouboystogodownyourselvesandlookitover。Nothingwillconvinceyoulikeseeingwithyourowneyes。Theriverlandwassettledbeforethis，andsotheyareafewyearsaheadofus，andhavelearnedmoreaboutfarm—
ing。Thelandsellsforthreetimesasmuchasthis，butinfiveyearswewilldoubleit。Therichmendownthereownallthebestland，andtheyarebuyingalltheycanget。Thethingtodoistosellourcattleandwhatlittleoldcornwehave，andbuytheLinstrumplace。Thenthenextthingtodoistotakeouttwoloansonourhalf—sections，andbuyPeterCrow’splace;
raiseeverydollarwecan，andbuyeveryacrewecan。\"
\"Mortgagethehomesteadagain？\"Loucried。
Hesprangupandbegantowindtheclockfuriously。\"Iwon’tslavetopayoffanothermortgage。I’llneverdoit。You’djustassoonkillusall，Alexandra，tocarryoutsomescheme！\"
Oscarrubbedhishigh，paleforehead。\"Howdoyouproposetopayoffyourmortgages？\"
Alexandralookedfromonetotheotherandbitherlip。Theyhadneverseenhersoner—
vous。\"Seehere，\"shebroughtoutatlast。
\"Weborrowthemoneyforsixyears。Well，withthemoneywebuyahalf—sectionfromLinstrumandahalffromCrow，andaquarterfromStruble，maybe。Thatwillgiveusup—
wardsoffourteenhundredacres，won’tit？
Youwon’thavetopayoffyourmortgagesforsixyears。Bythattime，anyofthislandwillbeworththirtydollarsanacre——itwillbeworthfifty，butwe’llsaythirty;thenyoucansellagardenpatchanywhere，andpayoffadebtofsixteenhundreddollars。It’snottheprincipalI’mworriedabout，it’stheinterestandtaxes。
We’llhavetostraintomeetthepayments。Butassureaswearesittinghereto—night，wecansitdownheretenyearsfromnowindependentlandowners，notstrugglingfarmersanylonger。
Thechancethatfatherwasalwayslookingforhascome。\"
Louwaspacingthefloor。\"ButhowdoyouKNOWthatlandisgoingtogoupenoughtopaythemortgagesand——\"
\"Andmakeusrichbesides？\"Alexandraputinfirmly。\"Ican’texplainthat，Lou。You’llhavetotakemywordforit。IKNOW，that’sall。
Whenyoudriveaboutoverthecountryyoucanfeelitcoming。\"
Oscarhadbeensittingwithhisheadlowered，hishandshangingbetweenhisknees。\"Butwecan’tworksomuchland，\"hesaiddully，asifheweretalkingtohimself。\"Wecan’teventry。
Itwouldjustliethereandwe’dworkourselvestodeath。\"Hesighed，andlaidhiscallousedfistonthetable。
Alexandra’seyesfilledwithtears。Sheputherhandonhisshoulder。\"Youpoorboy，youwon’thavetoworkit。Themenintownwhoarebuyingupotherpeople’slanddon’ttrytofarmit。Theyarethementowatch，inanewcountry。Let’strytodoliketheshrewdones，andnotlikethesestupidfellows。Idon’twantyouboysalwaystohavetoworklikethis。I
wantyoutobeindependent，andEmiltogotoschool。\"
Louheldhisheadasifitweresplitting。
\"Everybodywillsaywearecrazy。Itmustbecrazy，oreverybodywouldbedoingit。\"
\"Iftheywere，wewouldn’thavemuchchance。No，Lou，Iwastalkingaboutthatwiththesmartyoungmanwhoisraisingthenewkindofclover。Hesaystherightthingisusu—
allyjustwhateverybodydon’tdo。Whyarewebetterfixedthananyofourneighbors？
Becausefatherhadmorebrains。Ourpeoplewerebetterpeoplethantheseintheoldcoun—
try。WeOUGHTtodomorethantheydo，andseefurtherahead。Yes，mother，I’mgoingtoclearthetablenow。\"
Alexandrarose。Theboyswenttothestabletoseetothestock，andtheyweregonealongwhile。WhentheycamebackLouplayedonhisDRAGHARMONIKAandOscarsatfiguringathisfather’ssecretaryallevening。Theysaidno—
thingmoreaboutAlexandra’sproject，butshefeltsurenowthattheywouldconsenttoit。
JustbeforebedtimeOscarwentoutforapailofwater。Whenhedidnotcomeback，Alexandrathrewashawloverherheadandrandownthepathtothewindmill。Shefoundhimsittingtherewithhisheadinhishands，andshesatdownbesidehim。
\"Don’tdoanythingyoudon’twanttodo，Oscar，\"shewhispered。Shewaitedamoment，buthedidnotstir。\"Iwon’tsayanymoreaboutit，ifyou’drathernot。Whatmakesyousodiscouraged？\"
\"Idreadsigningmynametothempiecesofpaper，\"hesaidslowly。\"AllthetimeIwasaboywehadamortgagehangingoverus。\"
\"Thendon’tsignone。Idon’twantyouto，ifyoufeelthatway。\"
Oscarshookhishead。\"No，Icanseethere’sachancethatway。I’vethoughtagoodwhiletheremightbe。We’reinsodeepnow，wemightaswellgodeeper。Butit’shardworkpullingoutofdebt。Likepullingathreshing—
machineoutofthemud;breaksyourback。MeandLou’sworkedhard，andIcan’tseeit’sgotusaheadmuch。\"
\"NobodyknowsaboutthataswellasIdo，Oscar。That’swhyIwanttotryaneasierway。
Idon’twantyoutohavetogrubforeverydollar。\"
\"Yes，Iknowwhatyoumean。Maybeit’llcomeoutright。Butsigningpapersissigningpapers。Thereain’tnomaybeaboutthat。\"
Hetookhispailandtrudgedupthepathtothehouse。
Alexandradrewhershawlcloseraboutherandstoodleaningagainsttheframeofthemill，lookingatthestarswhichglitteredsokeenlythroughthefrostyautumnair。Shealwayslovedtowatchthem，tothinkoftheirvastnessanddistance，andoftheirorderedmarch。Itfortifiedhertoreflectuponthegreatoperationsofnature，andwhenshethoughtofthelawthatlaybehindthem，shefeltasenseofpersonalsecurity。Thatnightshehadanewconscious—
nessofthecountry，feltalmostanewrelationtoit。EvenhertalkwiththeboyshadnottakenawaythefeelingthathadoverwhelmedherwhenshedrovebacktotheDividethatafternoon。Shehadneverknownbeforehowmuchthecountrymeanttoher。Thechirpingoftheinsectsdowninthelonggrasshadbeenlikethesweetestmusic。Shehadfeltasifherheartwerehidingdownthere，somewhere，withthequailandtheploverandallthelit—
tlewildthingsthatcroonedorbuzzedinthesun。Underthelongshaggyridges，shefeltthefuturestirring。
EndofPartI
PARTII
NeighboringFieldsI
ITissixteenyearssinceJohnBergsondied。
Hiswifenowliesbesidehim，andthewhiteshaftthatmarkstheirgravesgleamsacrossthewheat—fields。Couldherisefrombeneathit，hewouldnotknowthecountryunderwhichhehasbeenasleep。Theshaggycoatoftheprairie，whichtheyliftedtomakehimabed，hasvan—
ishedforever。FromtheNorwegiangraveyardonelooksoutoveravastchecker—board，markedoffinsquaresofwheatandcorn;lightanddark，darkandlight。Telephonewireshumalongthewhiteroads，whichalwaysrunatrightangles。Fromthegraveyardgateonecancountadozengaylypaintedfarmhouses;thegildedweather—vanesonthebigredbarnswinkateachotheracrossthegreenandbrownandyellowfields。Thelightsteelwindmillstrem—
blethroughouttheirframesandtugattheirmoorings，astheyvibrateinthewindthatoftenblowsfromoneweek’sendtoanotheracrossthathigh，active，resolutestretchofcountry。
TheDivideisnowthicklypopulated。Therichsoilyieldsheavyharvests;thedry，bracingclimateandthesmoothnessofthelandmakelaboreasyformenandbeasts。Therearefewscenesmoregratifyingthanaspringplowinginthatcountry，wherethefurrowsofasinglefieldoftenlieamileinlength，andthebrownearth，withsuchastrong，cleansmell，andsuchapowerofgrowthandfertilityinit，yieldsitselfeagerlytotheplow;rollsawayfromtheshear，notevendimmingthebrightnessofthemetal，withasoft，deepsighofhappiness。Thewheat—
cuttingsometimesgoesonallnightaswellasallday，andingoodseasonstherearescarcelymenandhorsesenoughtodotheharvesting。
Thegrainissoheavythatitbendstowardthebladeandcutslikevelvet。
Thereissomethingfrankandjoyousandyoungintheopenfaceofthecountry。Itgivesitselfungrudginglytothemoodsoftheseason，holdingnothingback。LiketheplainsofLom—
bardy，itseemstorisealittletomeetthesun。
Theairandtheeartharecuriouslymatedandintermingled，asiftheonewerethebreathoftheother。Youfeelintheatmospherethesametonic，puissantqualitythatisinthetilth，thesamestrengthandresoluteness。
OneJunemorningayoungmanstoodatthegateoftheNorwegiangraveyard，sharpeninghisscytheinstrokesunconsciouslytimedtothetunehewaswhistling。Heworeaflannelcapandducktrousers，andthesleevesofhiswhiteflannelshirtwererolledbacktotheelbow。
Whenhewassatisfiedwiththeedgeofhisblade，heslippedthewhetstoneintohishippocketandbegantoswinghisscythe，stillwhistling，butsoftly，outofrespecttothequietfolkabouthim。Unconsciousrespect，probably，forheseemedintentuponhisownthoughts，and，liketheGladiator’s，theywerefaraway。
Hewasasplendidfigureofaboy，tallandstraightasayoungpinetree，withahand—
somehead，andstormygrayeyes，deeplysetunderaseriousbrow。Thespacebetweenhistwofrontteeth，whichwereunusuallyfarapart，gavehimtheproficiencyinwhistlingforwhichhewasdistinguishedatcollege。
（HealsoplayedthecornetintheUniversityband。）
Whenthegrassrequiredhiscloseattention，orwhenhehadtostooptocutaboutahead—
stone，hepausedinhislivelyair，——the\"Jewel\"
song，——takingitupwherehehadleftitwhenhisscytheswungfreeagain。Hewasnotthink—
ingaboutthetiredpioneersoverwhomhisbladeglittered。Theoldwildcountry，thestruggleinwhichhissisterwasdestinedtosuc—
ceedwhilesomanymenbroketheirheartsanddied，hecanscarcelyremember。Thatisallamongthedimthingsofchildhoodandhasbeenforgotteninthebrighterpatternlifeweavesto—day，inthebrightfactsofbeingcaptainofthetrackteam，andholdingtheinterstaterecordforthehighjump，intheall—suffusingbrightnessofbeingtwenty—one。Yetsome—
times，inthepausesofhiswork，theyoungmanfrownedandlookedatthegroundwithanintentnesswhichsuggestedthateventwenty—
onemighthaveitsproblems。
Whenhehadbeenmowingthebetterpartofanhour，heheardtherattleofalightcartontheroadbehindhim。Supposingthatitwashissistercomingbackfromoneofherfarms，hekeptonwithhiswork。Thecartstoppedatthegateandamerrycontraltovoicecalled，\"Almostthrough，Emil？\"Hedroppedhisscytheandwenttowardthefence，wipinghisfaceandneckwithhishandkerchief。Inthecartsatayoungwomanwhoworedrivinggauntletsandawideshadehat，trimmedwithredpoppies。Herface，too，wasratherlikeapoppy，roundandbrown，withrichcolorinhercheeksandlips，andherdancingyellow—browneyesbubbledwithgayety。Thewindwasflap—
pingherbighatandteasingacurlofherchestnut—coloredhair。Sheshookherheadatthetallyouth。
\"Whattimedidyougetoverhere？That’snotmuchofajobforanathlete。HereI’vebeentotownandback。Alexandraletsyousleeplate。Oh，Iknow！Lou’swifewastellingmeaboutthewayshespoilsyou。Iwasgoingtogiveyoualift，ifyouweredone。\"Shegath—
eredupherreins。
\"ButIwillbe，inaminute。Pleasewaitforme，Marie，\"Emilcoaxed。\"Alexandrasentmetomowourlot，butI’vedonehalfadozenothers，yousee。JustwaittillIfinishofftheKourdnas’。Bytheway，theywereBohemians。
Whyaren’ttheyupintheCatholicgrave—
yard？\"
\"Free—thinkers，\"repliedtheyoungwomanlaconically。
\"LotsoftheBohemianboysattheUniver—
sityare，\"saidEmil，takinguphisscytheagain。
\"WhatdidyoueverburnJohnHussfor，any—
way？It’smadeanawfulrow。Theystilljawaboutitinhistoryclasses。\"
\"We’ddoitrightoveragain，mostofus，\"
saidtheyoungwomanhotly。\"Don’ttheyeverteachyouinyourhistoryclassesthatyou’dallbeheathenTurksifithadn’tbeenfortheBohemians？\"
Emilhadfallentomowing。\"Oh，there’snodenyingyou’reaspunkylittlebunch，youCzechs，\"hecalledbackoverhisshoulder。
MarieShabatasettledherselfinherseatandwatchedtherhythmicalmovementoftheyoungman’slongarms，swingingherfootasifintimetosomeairthatwasgoingthroughhermind。Theminutespassed。EmilmowedvigorouslyandMariesatsunningherselfandwatchingthelonggrassfall。Shesatwiththeeasethatbelongstopersonsofanessentiallyhappynature，whocanfindacomfortablespotalmostanywhere;whoaresupple，andquickinadaptingthemselvestocircumstances。Afterafinalswish，Emilsnappedthegateandsprangintothecart，holdinghisscythewelloutoverthewheel。\"There，\"hesighed。\"IgaveoldmanLeeacutorso，too。Lou’swifeneedn’ttalk。IneverseeLou’sscytheoverhere。\"
Mariecluckedtoherhorse。\"Oh，youknowAnnie！\"Shelookedattheyoungman’sbarearms。\"Howbrownyou’vegotsinceyoucamehome。IwishIhadanathletetomowmyorchard。IgetwettomykneeswhenIgodowntopickcherries。\"
\"Youcanhaveone，anytimeyouwanthim。
Betterwaituntilafteritrains。\"Emilsquintedoffatthehorizonasifhewerelookingforclouds。
\"Willyou？Oh，there’sagoodboy！\"Sheturnedherheadtohimwithaquick，brightsmile。Hefeltitratherthansawit。Indeed，hehadlookedawaywiththepurposeofnotsee—
ingit。\"I’vebeenuplookingatAngelique’sweddingclothes，\"Mariewenton，\"andI’msoexcitedIcanhardlywaituntilSunday。Ame—
deewillbeahandsomebridegroom。Isany—
bodybutyougoingtostandupwithhim？Well，thenitwillbeahandsomeweddingparty。\"
ShemadeadrollfaceatEmil，whoflushed。
\"Frank，\"Mariecontinued，flickingherhorse，\"iscrankyatmebecauseIloanedhissaddletoJanSmirka，andI’mterriblyafraidhewon’ttakemetothedanceintheevening。Maybethesupperwilltempthim。AllAngelique’sfolksarebakingforit，andallAmedee’stwentycousins。Therewillbebarrelsofbeer。IfonceIgetFranktothesupper，I’llseethatIstayforthedance。Andbytheway，Emil，youmustn’tdancewithmebutonceortwice。YoumustdancewithalltheFrenchgirls。Ithurtstheirfeelingsifyoudon’t。Theythinkyou’reproudbecauseyou’vebeenawaytoschoolorsomething。\"
Emilsniffed。\"Howdoyouknowtheythinkthat？\"
\"Well，youdidn’tdancewiththemmuchatRaoulMarcel’sparty，andIcouldtellhowtheytookitbythewaytheylookedatyou——andatme。\"
\"Allright，\"saidEmilshortly，studyingtheglitteringbladeofhisscythe。
TheydrovewestwardtowardNorwayCreek，andtowardabigwhitehousethatstoodonahill，severalmilesacrossthefields。Thereweresomanyshedsandoutbuildingsgroupedaboutitthattheplacelookednotunlikeatinyvillage。
Astranger，approachingit，couldnothelpnotic—
ingthebeautyandfruitfulnessoftheoutlyingfields。Therewassomethingindividualaboutthegreatfarm，amostunusualtrimnessandcarefordetail。Oneithersideoftheroad，foramilebeforeyoureachedthefootofthehill，stoodtallosageorangehedges，theirglossygreenmarkingofftheyellowfields。Southofthehill，inalow，shelteredswale，surroundedbyamulberryhedge，wastheorchard，itsfruittreesknee—deepintimothygrass。Anyonethere—
aboutswouldhavetoldyouthatthiswasoneoftherichestfarmsontheDivide，andthatthefarmerwasawoman，AlexandraBergson。
IfyougoupthehillandenterAlexandra’sbighouse，youwillfindthatitiscuriouslyunfinishedandunevenincomfort。Oneroomispapered，carpeted，over—furnished;thenextisalmostbare。Thepleasantestroomsinthehousearethekitchen——whereAlexandra’sthreeyoungSwedishgirlschatterandcookandpickleandpreserveallsummerlong——andthesitting—room，inwhichAlexandrahasbroughttogethertheoldhomelyfurniturethattheBergsonsusedintheirfirstloghouse，thefam—
ilyportraits，andthefewthingshermotherbroughtfromSweden。
Whenyougooutofthehouseintotheflowergarden，thereyoufeelagaintheorderandfinearrangementmanifestalloverthegreatfarm;
inthefencingandhedging，inthewindbreaksandsheds，inthesymmetricalpastureponds，plantedwithscrubwillowstogiveshadetothecattleinfly—time。Thereisevenawhiterowofbeehivesintheorchard，underthewalnuttrees。
Youfeelthat，properly，Alexandra’shouseisthebigout—of—doors，andthatitisinthesoilthatsheexpressesherselfbest。
II
Emilreachedhomealittlepastnoon，andwhenhewentintothekitchenAlexandrawasalreadyseatedattheheadofthelongtable，havingdinnerwithhermen，asshealwaysdidunlesstherewerevisitors。Heslippedintohisemptyplaceathissister’sright。ThethreeprettyyoungSwedishgirlswhodidAlexandra’shouseworkwerecuttingpies，refillingcoffee—
cups，placingplattersofbreadandmeatandpotatoesupontheredtablecloth，andcontinu—
allygettingineachother’swaybetweenthetableandthestove。Tobesuretheyalwayswastedagooddealoftimegettingineachother’swayandgigglingateachother’smistakes。But，asAlexandrahadpointedlytoldhersisters—in—
law，itwastohearthemgigglethatshekeptthreeyoungthingsinherkitchen;theworkshecoulddoherself，ifitwerenecessary。Thesegirls，withtheirlonglettersfromhome，theirfinery，andtheirlove—affairs，affordedheragreatdealofentertainment，andtheywerecom—
panyforherwhenEmilwasawayatschool。
Oftheyoungestgirl，Signa，whohasaprettyfigure，mottledpinkcheeks，andyellowhair，Alexandraisveryfond，thoughshekeepsasharpeyeuponher。Signaisapttobeskittishatmealtime，whenthemenareabout，andtospillthecoffeeorupsetthecream。Itissup—
posedthatNelseJensen，oneofthesixmenatthedinner—table，iscourtingSigna，thoughhehasbeensocarefulnottocommithimselfthatnooneinthehouse，leastofallSigna，cantelljusthowfarthematterhasprogressed。Nelsewatchesherglumlyasshewaitsuponthetable，andintheeveninghesitsonabenchbehindthestovewithhisDRAGHARMONIKA，playingmournfulairsandwatchingherasshegoesaboutherwork。WhenAlexandraaskedSignawhethershethoughtNelsewasinearnest，thepoorchildhidherhandsunderherapronandmurmured，\"Idon’tknow，ma’m。Buthescoldsmeabouteverything，likeasifhewantedtohaveme！\"
AtAlexandra’sleftsataveryoldman，bare—
footandwearingalongblueblouse，openattheneck。Hisshaggyheadisscarcelywhiterthanitwassixteenyearsago，buthislittleblueeyeshavebecomepaleandwatery，andhisruddyfaceiswithered，likeanapplethathasclungallwintertothetree。WhenIvarlosthislandthroughmismanagementadozenyearsago，Alexandratookhimin，andhehasbeenamem—
berofherhouseholdeversince。Heistoooldtoworkinthefields，buthehitchesandunhitchesthework—teamsandlooksafterthehealthofthestock。SometimesofawintereveningAlexandracallshimintothesitting—roomtoreadtheBiblealoudtoher，forhestillreadsverywell。Hedislikeshumanhabitations，soAlexandrahasfittedhimuparoominthebarn，whereheisverycomfortable，beingnearthehorsesand，ashesays，furtherfromtempta—
tions。Noonehaseverfoundoutwhathistemptationsare。Incoldweatherhesitsbythekitchenfireandmakeshammocksormendsharnessuntilitistimetogotobed。Thenhesayshisprayersatgreatlengthbehindthestove，putsonhisbuffalo—skincoatandgoesouttohisroominthebarn。
Alexandraherselfhaschangedverylittle。
Herfigureisfuller，andshehasmorecolor。Sheseemssunnierandmorevigorousthanshedidasayounggirl。Butshestillhasthesamecalmnessanddeliberationofmanner，thesamecleareyes，andshestillwearsherhairintwobraidswoundroundherhead。Itissocurlythatfieryendsescapefromthebraidsandmakeherheadlooklikeoneofthebigdoublesunflowersthatfringehervegetablegarden。Herfaceisalwaystannedinsummer，forhersunbonnetisofteneronherarmthanonherhead。Butwherehercollarfallsawayfromherneck，orwherehersleevesarepushedbackfromherwrist，theskinisofsuchsmoothnessandwhitenessasnonebutSwedishwomeneverpossess;skinwiththefreshnessofthesnowitself。
Alexandradidnottalkmuchatthetable，butsheencouragedhermentotalk，andshealwayslistenedattentively，evenwhentheyseemedtobetalkingfoolishly。
To—dayBarneyFlinn，thebigred—headedIrishmanwhohadbeenwithAlexandraforfiveyearsandwhowasactuallyherforeman，thoughhehadnosuchtitle，wasgrumblingaboutthenewsiloshehadputupthatspring。Ithap—
penedtobethefirstsiloontheDivide，andAlexandra’sneighborsandhermenwereskep—
ticalaboutit。\"Tobesure，ifthethingdon’twork，we’llhaveplentyoffeedwithoutit，indeed，\"Barneyconceded。
NelseJensen，Signa’sgloomysuitor，hadhisword。\"Lou，hesayshewouldn’thavenosiloonhisplaceifyou’dgiveittohim。Hesaysthefeedoutenitgivesthestockthebloat。Heheardofsomebodylostfourheadofhorses，feedin’’emthatstuff。\"
Alexandralookeddownthetablefromonetoanother。\"Well，theonlywaywecanfindoutistotry。LouandIhavedifferentnotionsaboutfeedingstock，andthat’sagoodthing。
It’sbadifallthemembersofafamilythinkalike。Theynevergetanywhere。LoucanlearnbymymistakesandIcanlearnbyhis。Isn’tthatfair，Barney？\"
TheIrishmanlaughed。HehadnoloveforLou，whowasalwaysuppishwithhimandwhosaidthatAlexandrapaidherhandstoomuch。
\"I’venothoughtbuttogivethethinganhonesttry，mum。’Twouldbeonlyright，afterputtin’
somuchexpenseintoit。MaybeEmilwillcomeoutan’havealookatitwidme。\"Hepushedbackhischair，tookhishatfromthenail，andmarchedoutwithEmil，who，withhisuniver—
sityideas，wassupposedtohaveinstigatedthesilo。Theotherhandsfollowedthem，allexceptoldIvar。Hehadbeendepressedthroughoutthemealandhadpaidnoheedtothetalkofthemen，evenwhentheymentionedcornstalkbloat，uponwhichhewassuretohaveopinions。
\"Didyouwanttospeaktome，Ivar？\"Alex—
andraaskedassherosefromthetable。\"Comeintothesitting—room。\"
TheoldmanfollowedAlexandra，butwhenshemotionedhimtoachairheshookhishead。Shetookupherworkbasketandwaitedforhimtospeak。Hestoodlookingatthecar—
pet，hisbushyheadbowed，hishandsclaspedinfrontofhim。Ivar’sbandylegsseemedtohavegrownshorterwithyears，andtheywerecom—
pletelymisfittedtohisbroad，thickbodyandheavyshoulders。
\"Well，Ivar，whatisit？\"Alexandraaskedaftershehadwaitedlongerthanusual。
IvarhadneverlearnedtospeakEnglishandhisNorwegianwasquaintandgrave，likethespeechofthemoreold—fashionedpeople。HealwaysaddressedAlexandraintermsofthedeepestrespect，hopingtosetagoodexampletothekitchengirls，whomhethoughttoofam—
iliarintheirmanners。
\"Mistress，\"hebeganfaintly，withoutraisinghiseyes，\"thefolkhavebeenlookingcoldlyatmeoflate。Youknowtherehasbeentalk。\"
\"Talkaboutwhat，Ivar？\"
\"Aboutsendingmeaway;totheasylum。\"
Alexandraputdownhersewing—basket。
\"Nobodyhascometomewithsuchtalk，\"shesaiddecidedly。\"Whyneedyoulisten？YouknowIwouldneverconsenttosuchathing。\"
Ivarliftedhisshaggyheadandlookedatheroutofhislittleeyes。\"Theysaythatyoucan—
notpreventitifthefolkcomplainofme，ifyourbrotherscomplaintotheauthorities。Theysaythatyourbrothersareafraid——Godforbid！——
thatImaydoyousomeinjurywhenmyspellsareonme。Mistress，howcananyonethinkthat？——thatIcouldbitethehandthatfedme！\"Thetearstrickleddownontheoldman’sbeard。
Alexandrafrowned。\"Ivar，Iwonderatyou，thatyoushouldcomebotheringmewithsuchnonsense。Iamstillrunningmyownhouse，andotherpeoplehavenothingtodowitheitheryouorme。SolongasIamsuitedwithyou，thereisnothingtobesaid。\"
Ivarpulledaredhandkerchiefoutofthebreastofhisblouseandwipedhiseyesandbeard。\"ButIshouldnotwishyoutokeepmeif，astheysay，itisagainstyourinterests，andifitishardforyoutogethandsbecauseIamhere。\"
Alexandramadeanimpatientgesture，buttheoldmanputouthishandandwentonearnestly：——
\"Listen，mistress，itisrightthatyoushouldtakethesethingsintoaccount。YouknowthatmyspellscomefromGod，andthatIwouldnotharmanylivingcreature。YoubelievethateveryoneshouldworshipGodinthewayrevealedtohim。Butthatisnotthewayofthiscountry。Thewayhereisforalltodoalike。
IamdespisedbecauseIdonotwearshoes，becauseIdonotcutmyhair，andbecauseI
havevisions。Athome，intheoldcountry，thereweremanylikeme，whohadbeentouchedbyGod，orwhohadseenthingsinthegrave—
yardatnightandweredifferentafterward。Wethoughtnothingofit，andletthemalone。Buthere，ifamanisdifferentinhisfeetorinhishead，theyputhimintheasylum。LookatPeterKralik;whenhewasaboy，drinkingoutofacreek，heswallowedasnake，andalwaysafterthathecouldeatonlysuchfoodasthecreatureliked，forwhenheateanythingelse，itbecameenragedandgnawedhim。Whenhefeltitwhippingaboutinhim，hedrankalcoholtostupefyitandgetsomeeaseforhimself。Hecouldworkasgoodasanyman，andhisheadwasclear，buttheylockedhimupforbeingdifferentinhisstomach。Thatistheway;theyhavebuilttheasylumforpeoplewhoaredif—
ferent，andtheywillnotevenletusliveintheholeswiththebadgers。Onlyyourgreatpros—
perityhasprotectedmesofar。Ifyouhadhadill—fortune，theywouldhavetakenmetoHas—
tingslongago。\"
AsIvartalked，hisgloomlifted。Alexandrahadfoundthatshecouldoftenbreakhisfastsandlongpenancesbytalkingtohimandlet—
tinghimpouroutthethoughtsthattroubledhim。Sympathyalwaysclearedhismind，andridiculewaspoisontohim。
\"Thereisagreatdealinwhatyousay，Ivar。
LikeasnottheywillbewantingtotakemetoHastingsbecauseIhavebuiltasilo;andthenImaytakeyouwithme。ButatpresentIneedyouhere。Onlydon’tcometomeagaintellingmewhatpeoplesay。Letpeoplegoontalkingastheylike，andwewillgoonlivingaswethinkbest。Youhavebeenwithmenowfortwelveyears，andIhavegonetoyouforadviceoftenerthanIhaveevergonetoanyone。Thatoughttosatisfyyou。\"
Ivarbowedhumbly。\"Yes，mistress，Ishallnottroubleyouwiththeirtalkagain。Andasformyfeet，Ihaveobservedyourwishesalltheseyears，thoughyouhaveneverquestionedme;washingthemeverynight，eveninwinter。\"
Alexandralaughed。\"Oh，nevermindaboutyourfeet，Ivar。Wecanrememberwhenhalfourneighborswentbarefootinsummer。Iex—
pectoldMrs。Leewouldlovetosliphershoesoffnowsometimes，ifshedared。I’mgladI’mnotLou’smother—in—law。\"
Ivarlookedaboutmysteriouslyandloweredhisvoicealmosttoawhisper。\"YouknowwhattheyhaveoveratLou’shouse？Agreatwhitetub，likethestonewater—troughsintheoldcountry，towashthemselvesin。Whenyousentmeoverwiththestrawberries，theywereallintownbuttheoldwomanLeeandthebaby。
Shetookmeinandshowedmethething，andshetoldmeitwasimpossibletowashyourselfcleaninit，because，insomuchwater，youcouldnotmakeastrongsuds。Sowhentheyfillitupandsendherinthere，shepretends，andmakesasplashingnoise。Then，whentheyareallasleep，shewashesherselfinalittlewoodentubshekeepsunderherbed。\"
Alexandrashookwithlaughter。\"PooroldMrs。Lee！Theywon’tletherwearnightcaps，either。Nevermind;whenshecomestovisitme，shecandoalltheoldthingsintheoldway，andhaveasmuchbeerasshewants。
We’llstartanasylumforold—timepeople，Ivar。\"
Ivarfoldedhisbighandkerchiefcarefullyandthrustitbackintohisblouse。\"Thisisalwaystheway，mistress。Icometoyousor—
rowing，andyousendmeawaywithalightheart。AndwillyoubesogoodastotelltheIrishmanthatheisnottoworkthebrowngeldinguntilthesoreonitsshoulderishealed？\"
\"ThatIwill。NowgoandputEmil’smaretothecart。Iamgoingtodriveuptothenorthquartertomeetthemanfromtownwhoistobuymyalfalfahay。\"
III
AlexandrawastohearmoreofIvar’scase，however。OnSundayhermarriedbrotherscametodinner。ShehadaskedthemforthatdaybecauseEmil，whohatedfamilyparties，wouldbeabsent，dancingatAmedeeChevalier’swedding，upintheFrenchcountry。Thetablewassetforcompanyinthedining—room，wherehighlyvarnishedwoodandcoloredglassanduselesspiecesofchinawereconspicuousenoughtosatisfythestandardsofthenewprosperity。
AlexandrahadputherselfintothehandsoftheHanoverfurnituredealer，andhehadconscien—
tiouslydonehisbesttomakeherdining—roomlooklikehisdisplaywindow。Shesaidfranklythatsheknewnothingaboutsuchthings，andshewaswillingtobegovernedbythegeneralconvictionthatthemoreuselessandutterlyunusableobjectswere，thegreatertheirvirtueasornament。Thatseemedreasonableenough。
Sinceshelikedplainthingsherself，itwasallthemorenecessarytohavejarsandpunch—
bowlsandcandlesticksinthecompanyroomsforpeoplewhodidappreciatethem。Herguestslikedtoseeaboutthemthesereassuringemblemsofprosperity。
ThefamilypartywascompleteexceptforEmil，andOscar’swifewho，inthecountryphrase，\"wasnotgoinganywherejustnow。\"
Oscarsatatthefootofthetableandhisfourtow—headedlittleboys，agedfromtwelvetofive，wererangedatoneside。NeitherOscarnorLouhaschangedmuch;theyhavesimply，asAlexandrasaidofthemlongago，growntobemoreandmorelikethemselves。Lounowlookstheolderofthetwo;hisfaceisthinandshrewdandwrinkledabouttheeyes，whileOscar’sisthickanddull。Forallhisdullness，however，Oscarmakesmoremoneythanhisbrother，whichaddstoLou’ssharpnessanduneasinessandtemptshimtomakeashow。ThetroublewithLouisthatheistricky，andhisneighborshavefoundoutthat，asIvarsays，hehasnotafox’sfacefornothing。Politicsbeingthenat—
uralfieldforsuchtalents，heneglectshisfarmtoattendconventionsandtorunforcountyoffices。
Lou’swife，formerlyAnnieLee，hasgrowntolookcuriouslylikeherhusband。Herfacehasbecomelonger，sharper，moreaggressive。Shewearsheryellowhairinahighpompadour，andisbedeckedwithringsandchainsand\"beautypins。\"Hertight，high—heeledshoesgiveheranawkwardwalk，andsheisalwaysmoreorlesspreoccupiedwithherclothes。Asshesatatthetable，shekepttellingheryoung—
estdaughterto\"becarefulnow，andnotdropanythingonmother。\"
TheconversationatthetablewasallinEng—
lish。Oscar’swife，fromthemalariadistrictofMissouri，wasashamedofmarryingaforeigner，andhisboysdonotunderstandawordofSwedish。AnnieandLousometimesspeakSwedishathome，butAnnieisalmostasmuchafraidofbeing\"caught\"atitaseverhermotherwasofbeingcaughtbarefoot。Oscarstillhasathickaccent，butLouspeakslikeanybodyfromIowa。
\"WhenIwasinHastingstoattendthecon—
vention，\"hewassaying，\"Isawthesuperin—
tendentoftheasylum，andIwastellinghimaboutIvar’ssymptoms。HesaysIvar’scaseisoneofthemostdangerouskind，andit’sawonderhehasn’tdonesomethingviolentbeforethis。\"
Alexandralaughedgood—humoredly。\"Oh，nonsense，Lou！Thedoctorswouldhaveusallcrazyiftheycould。Ivar’squeer，certainly，buthehasmoresensethanhalfthehandsIhire。\"