VIII
OntheeveningofthedayofAlexandra’scallattheShabatas’，aheavyrainsetin。FranksatupuntilalatehourreadingtheSundaynewspa—
pers。OneoftheGouldswasgettingadivorce，andFranktookitasapersonalaffront。Inprintingthestoryoftheyoungman’smar—
italtroubles，theknowingeditorgaveasuffi—
cientlycoloredaccountofhiscareer，statingtheamountofhisincomeandthemannerinwhichhewassupposedtospendit。FrankreadEnglishslowly，andthemorehereadaboutthisdivorcecase，theangrierhegrew。Atlasthethrewdownthepagewithasnort。Heturnedtohisfarm—handwhowasreadingtheotherhalfofthepaper。
\"ByGod！ifIhavethatyoungfellerindehayfieldonce，Ishowhimsometing。Listenherewhathedowithismoney。\"AndFrankbeganthecatalogueoftheyoungman’sreputedextravagances。
Mariesighed。ShethoughtithardthattheGoulds，forwhomshehadnothingbutgoodwill，shouldmakehersomuchtrouble。ShehatedtoseetheSundaynewspaperscomeintothehouse。Frankwasalwaysreadingaboutthedoingsofrichpeopleandfeelingoutraged。Hehadaninexhaustiblestockofstoriesabouttheircrimesandfollies，howtheybribedthecourtsandshotdowntheirbutlerswithimpunitywhenevertheychose。FrankandLouBergsonhadverysimilarideas，andtheyweretwoofthepoliticalagitatorsofthecounty。
Thenextmorningbrokeclearandbrilliant，butFranksaidthegroundwastoowettoplough，sohetookthecartanddroveovertoSainte—AgnestospendthedayatMosesMar—
cel’ssaloon。Afterhewasgone，Mariewentouttothebackporchtobeginherbutter—making。A
briskwindhadcomeupandwasdrivingpuffywhitecloudsacrossthesky。Theorchardwassparklingandripplinginthesun。Mariestoodlookingtowarditwistfully，herhandonthelidofthechurn，whensheheardasharpringintheair，themerrysoundofthewhetstoneonthescythe。Thatinvitationdecidedher。Sheranintothehouse，putonashortskirtandapairofherhusband’sboots，caughtupatinpailandstartedfortheorchard。Emilhadalreadybe—
gunworkandwasmowingvigorously。Whenhesawhercoming，hestoppedandwipedhisbrow。
Hisyellowcanvasleggingsandkhakitrousersweresplashedtotheknees。
\"Don’tletmedisturbyou，Emil。I’mgoingtopickcherries。Isn’teverythingbeautifulaftertherain？Oh，butI’mgladtogetthisplacemowed！WhenIhearditraininginthenight，Ithoughtmaybeyouwouldcomeanddoitformeto—day。Thewindwakenedme。
Didn’titblowdreadfully？Justsmellthewildroses！Theyarealwayssospicyafterarain。
Weneverhadsomanyoftheminherebefore。
Isupposeit’sthewetseason。Willyouhavetocutthem，too？\"
\"IfIcutthegrass，Iwill，\"Emilsaidteas—
ingly。\"What’sthematterwithyou？Whatmakesyousoflighty？\"
\"AmIflighty？Isupposethat’sthewetsea—
son，too，then。It’sexcitingtoseeeverythinggrowingsofast，——andtogetthegrasscut！
Pleaseleavetherosestilllast，ifyoumustcutthem。Oh，Idon’tmeanallofthem，Imeanthatlowplacedownbymytree，wheretherearesomany。Aren’tyousplashed！Lookatthespider—websalloverthegrass。Good—bye。
I’llcallyouifIseeasnake。\"
ShetrippedawayandEmilstoodlookingafterher。Inafewmomentsheheardthecher—
riesdroppingsmartlyintothepail，andhebegantoswinghisscythewiththatlong，evenstrokethatfewAmericanboyseverlearn。
Mariepickedcherriesandsangsoftlytoherself，strippingoneglitteringbranchafteranother，shiveringwhenshecaughtashowerofrain—
dropsonherneckandhair。AndEmilmowedhiswayslowlydowntowardthecherrytrees。
ThatsummertherainshadbeensomanyandopportunethatitwasalmostmorethanShabataandhismancoulddotokeepupwiththecorn;theorchardwasaneglectedwilder—
ness。Allsortsofweedsandherbsandflowershadgrownupthere;splotchesofwildlarkspur，palegreen—and—whitespikesofhoarhound，plantationsofwildcotton，tanglesoffoxtailandwildwheat。Southoftheapricottrees，cor—
neringonthewheatfield，wasFrank’salfalfa，wheremyriadsofwhiteandyellowbutterflieswerealwaysflutteringabovethepurpleblos—
soms。WhenEmilreachedthelowercornerbythehedge，Mariewassittingunderherwhitemulberrytree，thepailfulofcherriesbesideher，lookingoffatthegentle，tirelessswellingofthewheat。
\"Emil，\"shesaidsuddenly——hewasmowingquietlyaboutunderthetreesoasnottodisturbher——\"whatreligiondidtheSwedeshaveawayback，beforetheywereChristians？\"
Emilpausedandstraightenedhisback。\"I
don’tknow。AboutliketheGermans’，wasn’tit？\"
Mariewentonasifshehadnotheardhim。
\"TheBohemians，youknow，weretreewor—
shipersbeforethemissionariescame。Fathersaysthepeopleinthemountainsstilldoqueerthings，sometimes，——theybelievethattreesbringgoodorbadluck。\"
Emillookedsuperior。\"Dothey？Well，whicharetheluckytrees？I’dliketoknow。\"
\"Idon’tknowallofthem，butIknowlindensare。Theoldpeopleinthemountainsplantlindenstopurifytheforest，andtodoawaywiththespellsthatcomefromtheoldtreestheysayhavelastedfromheathentimes。
I’magoodCatholic，butIthinkIcouldgetalongwithcaringfortrees，ifIhadn’tanythingelse。\"
\"That’sapoorsaying，\"saidEmil，stoopingovertowipehishandsinthewetgrass。
\"Whyisit？IfIfeelthatway，Ifeelthatway。Iliketreesbecausetheyseemmoreresignedtothewaytheyhavetolivethanotherthingsdo。IfeelasifthistreeknowseverythingIeverthinkofwhenIsithere。
WhenIcomebacktoit，Ineverhavetore—
minditofanything;IbeginjustwhereIleftoff。\"
Emilhadnothingtosaytothis。Hereachedupamongthebranchesandbegantopickthesweet，insipidfruit，——longivory—coloredber—
ries，tippedwithfaintpink，likewhitecoral，thatfalltothegroundunheededallsummerthrough。Hedroppedahandfulintoherlap。
\"DoyoulikeMr。Linstrum？\"Marieaskedsuddenly。
\"Yes。Don’tyou？\"
\"Oh，eversomuch;onlyheseemskindofstaidandschool—teachery。But，ofcourse，heisolderthanFrank，even。I’msureIdon’twanttolivetobemorethanthirty，doyou？DoyouthinkAlexandralikeshimverymuch？\"
\"Isupposeso。Theywereoldfriends。\"
\"Oh，Emil，youknowwhatImean！\"Marietossedherheadimpatiently。\"Doesshereallycareabouthim？Whensheusedtotellmeabouthim，Ialwayswonderedwhethershewasn’talittleinlovewithhim。\"
\"Who，Alexandra？\"Emillaughedandthrusthishandsintohistrouserspockets。
\"Alexandra’sneverbeeninlove，youcrazy！\"
Helaughedagain。\"Shewouldn’tknowhowtogoaboutit。Theidea！\"
Marieshruggedhershoulders。\"Oh，youdon’tknowAlexandraaswellasyouthinkyoudo！Ifyouhadanyeyes，youwouldseethatsheisveryfondofhim。ItwouldserveyouallrightifshewalkedoffwithCarl。Ilikehimbecauseheappreciateshermorethanyoudo。\"
Emilfrowned。\"Whatareyoutalkingabout，Marie？Alexandra’sallright。SheandIhavealwaysbeengoodfriends。Whatmoredoyouwant？IliketotalktoCarlaboutNewYorkandwhatafellowcandothere。\"
\"Oh，Emil！Surelyyouarenotthinkingofgoingoffthere？\"
\"Whynot？Imustgosomewhere，mustn’tI？\"Theyoungmantookuphisscytheandleanedonit。\"WouldyouratherIwentoffinthesandhillsandlivedlikeIvar？\"
Marie’sfacefellunderhisbroodinggaze。Shelookeddownathiswetleggings。\"I’msureAlexandrahopesyouwillstayonhere，\"shemurmured。
\"ThenAlexandrawillbedisappointed，\"theyoungmansaidroughly。\"WhatdoIwanttohangaroundherefor？Alexandracanrunthefarmallright，withoutme。Idon’twanttostandaroundandlookon。Iwanttobedoingsomethingonmyownaccount。\"
\"That’sso，\"Mariesighed。\"Therearesomany，manythingsyoucando。Almostany—
thingyouchoose。\"
\"Andtherearesomany，manythingsIcan’tdo。\"Emilechoedhertonesarcastically。\"Some—
timesIdon’twanttodoanythingatall，andsometimesIwanttopullthefourcornersoftheDividetogether，\"——hethrewouthisarmandbroughtitbackwithajerk，——\"so，likeatable—cloth。Igettiredofseeingmenandhorsesgoingupanddown，upanddown。\"
Marielookedupathisdefiantfigureandherfaceclouded。\"Iwishyouweren’tsorestless，anddidn’tgetsoworkedupoverthings，\"shesaidsadly。
\"Thankyou，\"hereturnedshortly。
Shesigheddespondently。\"EverythingIsaymakesyoucross，don’tit？Andyouneverusedtobecrosstome。\"
Emiltookastepnearerandstoodfrowningdownatherbenthead。Hestoodinanattitudeofself—defense，hisfeetwellapart，hishandsclenchedanddrawnupathissides，sothatthecordsstoodoutonhisbarearms。\"Ican’tplaywithyoulikealittleboyanymore，\"hesaidslowly。\"That’swhatyoumiss，Marie。You’llhavetogetsomeotherlittleboytoplaywith。\"
Hestoppedandtookadeepbreath。Thenhewentoninalowtone，sointensethatitwasalmostthreatening：\"Sometimesyouseemtounderstandperfectly，andthensometimesyoupretendyoudon’t。Youdon’thelpthingsanybypretending。It’sthenthatIwanttopullthecornersoftheDividetogether。IfyouWON’Tunderstand，youknow，Icouldmakeyou！\"
Marieclaspedherhandsandstartedupfromherseat。Shehadgrownverypaleandhereyeswereshiningwithexcitementanddistress。
\"But，Emil，ifIunderstand，thenallourgoodtimesareover，wecanneverdonicethingsto—
getheranymore。WeshallhavetobehavelikeMr。Linstrum。And，anyhow，there’snothingtounderstand！\"Shestruckthegroundwithherlittlefootfiercely。\"Thatwon’tlast。Itwillgoaway，andthingswillbejustastheyusedto。IwishyouwereaCatholic。TheChurchhelpspeople，indeeditdoes。Iprayforyou，butthat’snotthesameasifyouprayedyourself。\"
Shespokerapidlyandpleadingly，lookedentreatinglyintohisface。Emilstooddefiant，gazingdownather。
\"Ican’tpraytohavethethingsIwant，\"hesaidslowly，\"andIwon’tpraynottohavethem，notifI’mdamnedforit。\"
Marieturnedaway，wringingherhands。
\"Oh，Emil，youwon’ttry！Thenallourgoodtimesareover。\"
\"Yes;over。Ineverexpecttohaveanymore。\"
Emilgrippedthehand—holdsofhisscytheandbegantomow。Marietookuphercherriesandwentslowlytowardthehouse，cryingbitterly。
IX
OnSundayafternoon，amonthafterCarlLinstrum’sarrival，herodewithEmilupintotheFrenchcountrytoattendaCatholicfair。
Hesatformostoftheafternooninthebase—
mentofthechurch，wherethefairwasheld，talkingtoMarieShabata，orstrolledaboutthegravelterrace，thrownuponthehillsideinfrontofthebasementdoors，wheretheFrenchboyswerejumpingandwrestlingandthrowingthediscus。Someoftheboyswereintheirwhitebaseballsuits;theyhadjustcomeupfromaSundaypracticegamedownintheball—
grounds。Amedee，thenewlymarried，Emil’sbestfriend，wastheirpitcher，renownedamongthecountrytownsforhisdashandskill。
Amedeewasalittlefellow，ayearyoungerthanEmilandmuchmoreboyishinappearance;
verylitheandactiveandneatlymade，withaclearbrownandwhiteskin，andflashingwhiteteeth。TheSainte—AgnesboysweretoplaytheHastingsnineinafortnight，andAmedee’slightningballswerethehopeofhisteam。ThelittleFrenchmanseemedtogeteveryouncetherewasinhimbehindtheballasitlefthishand。
\"You’dhavemadethebatteryattheUniver—
sityforsure，’Medee，\"Emilsaidastheywerewalkingfromtheball—groundsbacktothechurchonthehill。\"You’repitchingbetterthanyoudidinthespring。\"
Amedeegrinned。\"Sure！Amarriedmandon’tlosehisheadnomore。\"HeslappedEmilonthebackashecaughtstepwithhim。\"Oh，Emil，youwannagetmarriedrightoffquick！
It’sthegreatestthingever！\"
Emillaughed。\"HowamIgoingtogetmar—
riedwithoutanygirl？\"
Amedeetookhisarm。\"Pooh！Thereareplentygirlswillhaveyou。YouwannagetsomeniceFrenchgirl，now。Shetreatyouwell;
alwaysbejolly。See，\"——hebegancheckingoffonhisfingers，——\"thereisSeverine，andAlphosen，andJosephine，andHectorine，andLouise，andMalvina——why，Icouldloveanyofthemgirls！Whydon’tyougetafterthem？
Areyoustuckup，Emil，orisanythingthematterwithyou？Ineverdidknowaboytwenty—twoyearsoldbeforethatdidn’thavenogirl。Youwannabeapriest，maybe？Not—aforme！\"Amedeeswaggered。\"IbringmanygoodCatholicsintothisworld，Ihope，andthat’sawayIhelptheChurch。\"
Emillookeddownandpattedhimontheshoulder。\"Nowyou’rewindy，’Medee。YouFrenchiesliketobrag。\"
ButAmedeehadthezealofthenewlymar—
ried，andhewasnottobelightlyshakenoff。
\"Honestandtrue，Emil，don’tyouwantANY
girl？Maybethere’ssomeyoungladyinLin—
coln，now，verygrand，\"——Amedeewavedhishandlanguidlybeforehisfacetodenotethefanofheartlessbeauty，——\"andyoulostyourheartupthere。Isthatit？\"
\"Maybe，\"saidEmil。
ButAmedeesawnoappropriateglowinhisfriend’sface。\"Bah！\"heexclaimedindisgust。
\"ItellalltheFrenchgirlstokeep’wayfromyou。Yougottarockinthere，\"thumpingEmilontheribs。
Whentheyreachedtheterraceatthesideofthechurch，Amedee，whowasexcitedbyhissuccessontheball—grounds，challengedEmiltoajumping—match，thoughheknewhewouldbebeaten。Theybeltedthemselvesup，andRaoulMarcel，thechoirtenorandFatherDuchesne’spet，andJeanBordelau，heldthestringoverwhichtheyvaulted。AlltheFrenchboysstoodround，cheeringandhump—
ingthemselvesupwhenEmilorAmedeewentoverthewire，asiftheywerehelpinginthelift。
Emilstoppedatfive—feet—five，declaringthathewouldspoilhisappetiteforsupperifhejumpedanymore。
Angelique，Amedee’sprettybride，asblondeandfairashername，whohadcomeouttowatchthematch，tossedherheadatEmilandsaid：——
\"’Medeecouldjumpmuchhigherthanyouifhewereastall。Andanyhow，heismuchmoregraceful。Hegoesoverlikeabird，andyouhavetohumpyourselfallup。\"
\"Oh，Ido，doI？\"Emilcaughtherandkissedhersaucymouthsquarely，whileshelaughedandstruggledandcalled，\"’Medee！
’Medee！\"
\"There，youseeyour’Medeeisn’tevenbigenoughtogetyouawayfromme。Icouldrunawaywithyourightnowandhecouldonlysitdownandcryaboutit。I’llshowyouwhetherIhavetohumpmyself！\"Laughingandpant—
ing，hepickedAngeliqueupinhisarmsandbeganrunningabouttherectanglewithher。
NotuntilhesawMarieShabata’stigereyesflashingfromthegloomofthebasementdoor—
waydidhehandthedisheveledbrideovertoherhusband。\"There，gotoyourgraceful;
Ihaven’tthehearttotakeyouawayfromhim。\"
AngeliqueclungtoherhusbandandmadefacesatEmiloverthewhiteshoulderofAmedee’sball—shirt。EmilwasgreatlyamusedatherairofproprietorshipandatAmedee’sshamelesssubmissiontoit。Hewasdelightedwithhisfriend’sgoodfortune。HelikedtoseeandtothinkaboutAmedee’ssunny，natural，happylove。
HeandAmedeehadriddenandwrestledandlarkedtogethersincetheywereladsoftwelve。
OnSundaysandholidaystheywerealwaysarminarm。ItseemedstrangethatnowheshouldhavetohidethethingthatAmedeewassoproudof，thatthefeelingwhichgaveoneofthemsuchhappinessshouldbringtheothersuchdespair。ItwaslikethatwhenAlexandratestedherseed—corninthespring，hemused。
Fromtwoearsthathadgrownsidebyside，thegrainsofoneshotupjoyfullyintothelight，projectingthemselvesintothefuture，andthegrainsfromtheotherlaystillintheearthandrotted;andnobodyknewwhy。
X
WhileEmilandCarlwereamusingthem—
selvesatthefair，Alexandrawasathome，busywithheraccount—books，whichhadbeenne—
glectedoflate。Shewasalmostthroughwithherfigureswhensheheardacartdriveuptothegate，andlookingoutofthewindowshesawhertwoolderbrothers。TheyhadseemedtoavoidhereversinceCarlLinstrum’sarrival，fourweeksagothatday，andshehurriedtothedoortowelcomethem。Shesawatoncethattheyhadcomewithsomeverydefinitepurpose。
Theyfollowedherstifflyintothesitting—room。
Oscarsatdown，butLouwalkedovertothewindowandremainedstanding，hishandsbe—
hindhim。
\"Youarebyyourself？\"heasked，lookingtowardthedoorwayintotheparlor。
\"Yes。CarlandEmilwentuptotheCatho—
licfair。\"
Forafewmomentsneitherofthemenspoke。
ThenLoucameoutsharply。\"Howsoondoesheintendtogoawayfromhere？\"
\"Idon’tknow，Lou。Notforsometime，I
hope。\"Alexandraspokeinaneven，quiettonethatoftenexasperatedherbrothers。Theyfeltthatshewastryingtobesuperiorwiththem。
Oscarspokeupgrimly。\"Wethoughtweoughttotellyouthatpeoplehavebeguntotalk，\"hesaidmeaningly。
Alexandralookedathim。\"Whatabout？\"
Oscarmethereyesblankly。\"Aboutyou，keepinghimheresolong。Itlooksbadforhimtobehangingontoawomanthisway。Peoplethinkyou’regettingtakenin。\"
Alexandrashutheraccount—bookfirmly。
\"Boys，\"shesaidseriously，\"don’tlet’sgoonwiththis。Wewon’tcomeoutanywhere。I
can’ttakeadviceonsuchamatter。Iknowyoumeanwell，butyoumustnotfeelresponsibleformeinthingsofthissort。Ifwegoonwiththistalkitwillonlymakehardfeeling。\"
Louwhippedaboutfromthewindow。\"Yououghttothinkalittleaboutyourfamily。
You’remakingusallridiculous。\"
\"HowamI？\"
\"Peoplearebeginningtosayyouwanttomarrythefellow。\"
\"Well，andwhatisridiculousaboutthat？\"
LouandOscarexchangedoutragedlooks。
\"Alexandra！Can’tyouseehe’sjustatrampandhe’safteryourmoney？Hewantstobetakencareof，hedoes！\"
\"Well，supposeIwanttotakecareofhim？
Whosebusinessisitbutmyown？\"
\"Don’tyouknowhe’dgetholdofyourproperty？\"
\"He’dgetholdofwhatIwishedtogivehim，certainly。\"
OscarsatupsuddenlyandLouclutchedathisbristlyhair。
\"Givehim？\"Loushouted。\"Ourproperty，ourhomestead？\"
\"Idon’tknowaboutthehomestead，\"saidAlexandraquietly。\"IknowyouandOscarhavealwaysexpectedthatitwouldbelefttoyourchildren，andI’mnotsurebutwhatyou’reright。ButI’lldoexactlyasIpleasewiththerestofmyland，boys。\"
\"Therestofyourland！\"criedLou，growingmoreexcitedeveryminute。\"Didn’tallthelandcomeoutofthehomestead？Itwasboughtwithmoneyborrowedonthehomestead，andOscarandmeworkedourselvestothebonepayinginterestonit。\"
\"Yes，youpaidtheinterest。Butwhenyoumarriedwemadeadivisionoftheland，andyouweresatisfied。I’vemademoreonmyfarmssinceI’vebeenalonethanwhenweallworkedtogether。\"
\"Everythingyou’vemadehascomeoutoftheoriginallandthatusboysworkedfor，hasn’tit？Thefarmsandallthatcomesoutofthembelongstousasafamily。\"
Alexandrawavedherhandimpatiently。
\"Comenow，Lou。Sticktothefacts。Youaretalkingnonsense。Gotothecountyclerkandaskhimwhoownsmyland，andwhethermytitlesaregood。\"
Louturnedtohisbrother。\"Thisiswhatcomesoflettingawomanmeddleinbusiness，\"
hesaidbitterly。\"Weoughttohavetakenthingsinourownhandsyearsago。Butshelikedtorunthings，andwehumoredher。Wethoughtyouhadgoodsense，Alexandra。Weneverthoughtyou’ddoanythingfoolish。\"
Alexandrarappedimpatientlyonherdeskwithherknuckles。\"Listen，Lou。Don’ttalkwild。Yousayyououghttohavetakenthingsintoyourownhandsyearsago。Isupposeyoumeanbeforeyoulefthome。Buthowcouldyoutakeholdofwhatwasn’tthere？I’vegotmostofwhatIhavenowsincewedividedtheprop—
erty;I’vebuiltitupmyself，andithasnothingtodowithyou。\"
Oscarspokeupsolemnly。\"Thepropertyofafamilyreallybelongstothemenofthefamily，nomatteraboutthetitle。Ifanythinggoeswrong，it’sthementhatareheldresponsible。\"
\"Yes，ofcourse，\"Loubrokein。\"Everybodyknowsthat。Oscarandmehavealwaysbeeneasy—goingandwe’venevermadeanyfuss。
Wewerewillingyoushouldholdthelandandhavethegoodofit，butyougotnorighttopartwithanyofit。Weworkedinthefieldstopayforthefirstlandyoubought，andwhat—
ever’scomeoutofithasgottobekeptinthefamily。\"
Oscarreinforcedhisbrother，hismindfixedontheonepointhecouldsee。\"Thepropertyofafamilybelongstothemenofthefamily，becausetheyareheldresponsible，andbecausetheydothework。\"
Alexandralookedfromonetotheother，hereyesfullofindignation。Shehadbeenimpa—
tientbefore，butnowshewasbeginningtofeelangry。\"Andwhataboutmywork？\"sheaskedinanunsteadyvoice。
Loulookedatthecarpet。\"Oh，now，Alex—
andra，youalwaystookitprettyeasy！Ofcoursewewantedyouto。Youlikedtomanageround，andwealwayshumoredyou。Werealizeyouwereagreatdealofhelptous。There’snowomananywherearoundthatknowsasmuchaboutbusinessasyoudo，andwe’vealwaysbeenproudofthat，andthoughtyouwereprettysmart。But，ofcourse，therealworkalwaysfellonus。Goodadviceisallright，butitdon’tgettheweedsoutofthecorn。\"
\"Maybenot，butitsometimesputsinthecrop，anditsometimeskeepsthefieldsforcorntogrowin，\"saidAlexandradryly。\"Why，Lou，IcanrememberwhenyouandOscarwantedtosellthishomesteadandalltheim—
provementstooldpreacherEricsonfortwothousanddollars。IfI’dconsented，you’dhavegonedowntotheriverandscrapedalongonpoorfarmsfortherestofyourlives。WhenI
putinourfirstfieldofalfalfayoubothopposedme，justbecauseIfirstheardaboutitfromayoungmanwhohadbeentotheUniversity。
YousaidIwasbeingtakeninthen，andalltheneighborssaidso。YouknowaswellasIdothatalfalfahasbeenthesalvationofthiscoun—
try。YoualllaughedatmewhenIsaidourlandherewasaboutreadyforwheat，andIhadtoraisethreebigwheatcropsbeforetheneigh—
borsquitputtingalltheirlandincorn。Why，I
rememberyoucried，Lou，whenweputinthefirstbigwheat—planting，andsaideverybodywaslaughingatus。\"
LouturnedtoOscar。\"That’sthewomanofit;ifshetellsyoutoputinacrop，shethinksshe’sputitin。Itmakeswomenconceitedtomeddleinbusiness。Ishouldn’tthinkyou’dwanttoremindushowhardyouwereonus，Alexandra，afterthewayyoubabyEmil。\"
\"Hardonyou？Inevermeanttobehard。
Conditionswerehard。MaybeIwouldneverhavebeenverysoft，anyhow;butIcertainlydidn’tchoosetobethekindofgirlIwas。Ifyoutakeevenavineandcutitbackagainandagain，itgrowshard，likeatree。\"
Loufeltthattheywerewanderingfromthepoint，andthatindigressionAlexandramightunnervehim。Hewipedhisforeheadwithajerkofhishandkerchief。\"Weneverdoubtedyou，Alexandra。Weneverquestionedany—
thingyoudid。You’vealwayshadyourownway。Butyoucan’texpectustositlikestumpsandseeyoudoneoutofthepropertybyanyloaferwhohappensalong，andmakingyourselfridiculousintothebargain。\"
Oscarrose。\"Yes，\"hebrokein，\"every—
body’slaughingtoseeyougettookin;atyourage，too。Everybodyknowshe’snearlyfiveyearsyoungerthanyou，andisafteryourmoney。Why，Alexandra，youarefortyyearsold！\"
\"Allthatdoesn’tconcernanybodybutCarlandme。Gototownandaskyourlawyerswhatyoucandotorestrainmefromdisposingofmyownproperty。AndIadviseyoutodowhattheytellyou;fortheauthorityyoucanexertbylawistheonlyinfluenceyouwilleverhaveovermeagain。\"Alexandrarose。\"IthinkI
wouldrathernothavelivedtofindoutwhatI
haveto—day，\"shesaidquietly，closingherdesk。
LouandOscarlookedateachotherques—
tioningly。Thereseemedtobenothingtodobuttogo，andtheywalkedout。
\"Youcan’tdobusinesswithwomen，\"Oscarsaidheavilyasheclamberedintothecart。
\"Butanyhow，we’vehadoursay，atlast。\"
Louscratchedhishead。\"Talkofthatkindmightcometoohigh，youknow;butshe’sapttobesensible。Youhadn’toughttosaidthataboutherage，though，Oscar。I’mafraidthathurtherfeelings;andtheworstthingwecandoistomakehersoreatus。She’dmarryhimoutofcontrariness。\"
\"Ionlymeant，\"saidOscar，\"thatsheisoldenoughtoknowbetter，andsheis。Ifshewasgoingtomarry，sheoughttodoneitlongago，andnotgomakingafoolofherselfnow。\"
Loulookedanxious，nevertheless。\"Ofcourse，\"hereflectedhopefullyandincon—
sistently，\"Alexandraain’tmuchlikeotherwomen—folks。Maybeitwon’tmakehersore。
Maybeshe’dassoonbefortyasnot！\"
XI
Emilcamehomeatabouthalf—pastseveno’clockthatevening。OldIvarmethimatthewindmillandtookhishorse，andtheyoungmanwentdirectlyintothehouse。Hecalledtohissisterandsheansweredfromherbedroom，behindthesitting—room，sayingthatshewaslyingdown。
Emilwenttoherdoor。
\"CanIseeyouforaminute？\"heasked。\"I
wanttotalktoyouaboutsomethingbeforeCarlcomes。\"
Alexandrarosequicklyandcametothedoor。
\"WhereisCarl？\"
\"LouandOscarmetusandsaidtheywantedtotalktohim，soherodeovertoOscar’swiththem。Areyoucomingout？\"Emilaskedimpatiently。
\"Yes，sitdown。I’llbedressedinamo—
ment。\"
Alexandraclosedherdoor，andEmilsankdownontheoldslatloungeandsatwithhisheadinhishands。Whenhissistercameout，helookedup，notknowingwhethertheintervalhadbeenshortorlong，andhewassurprisedtoseethattheroomhadgrownquitedark。Thatwasjustaswell;itwouldbeeasiertotalkifhewerenotunderthegazeofthoseclear，deliber—
ateeyes，thatsawsofarinsomedirectionsandweresoblindinothers。Alexandra，too，wasgladofthedusk。Herfacewasswollenfromcrying。
Emilstartedupandthensatdownagain。
\"Alexandra，\"hesaidslowly，inhisdeepyoungbaritone，\"Idon’twanttogoawaytolawschoolthisfall。Letmeputitoffanotheryear。
Iwanttotakeayearoffandlookaround。It’sawfullyeasytorushintoaprofessionyoudon’treallylike，andawfullyhardtogetoutofit。
LinstrumandIhavebeentalkingaboutthat。\"
\"Verywell，Emil。Onlydon’tgoofflookingforland。\"Shecameupandputherhandonhisshoulder。\"I’vebeenwishingyoucouldstaywithmethiswinter。\"
\"That’sjustwhatIdon’twanttodo，Alex—
andra。I’mrestless。Iwanttogotoanewplace。
IwanttogodowntotheCityofMexicotojoinoneoftheUniversityfellowswho’sattheheadofanelectricalplant。Hewrotemehecouldgivemealittlejob，enoughtopaymyway，andIcouldlookaroundandseewhatIwanttodo。
Iwanttogoassoonasharvestisover。IguessLouandOscarwillbesoreaboutit。\"
\"Isupposetheywill。\"Alexandrasatdownontheloungebesidehim。\"Theyareveryangrywithme，Emil。Wehavehadaquarrel。
Theywillnotcomehereagain。\"
Emilscarcelyheardwhatshewassaying;hedidnotnoticethesadnessofhertone。HewasthinkingabouttherecklesslifehemeanttoliveinMexico。
\"Whatabout？\"heaskedabsently。
\"AboutCarlLinstrum。TheyareafraidIamgoingtomarryhim，andthatsomeofmypropertywillgetawayfromthem。\"
Emilshruggedhisshoulders。\"Whatnon—
sense！\"hemurmured。\"Justlikethem。\"
Alexandradrewback。\"Whynonsense，Emil？\"
\"Why，you’veneverthoughtofsuchathing，haveyou？Theyalwayshavetohavesomethingtofussabout。\"
\"Emil，\"saidhissisterslowly，\"yououghtnottotakethingsforgranted。DoyouagreewiththemthatIhavenorighttochangemywayofliving？\"
Emillookedattheoutlineofhissister’sheadinthedimlight。Theyweresittingcloseto—
getherandhesomehowfeltthatshecouldhearhisthoughts。Hewassilentforamo—
ment，andthensaidinanembarrassedtone，\"Why，no，certainlynot。Yououghttodowhateveryouwantto。I’llalwaysbackyou。\"
\"ButitwouldseemalittlebitridiculoustoyouifImarriedCarl？\"
Emilfidgeted。Theissueseemedtohimtoofar—fetchedtowarrantdiscussion。\"Why，no。
Ishouldbesurprisedifyouwantedto。Ican’tseeexactlywhy。Butthat’snoneofmybusi—
ness。Yououghttodoasyouplease。Certainlyyououghtnottopayanyattentiontowhattheboyssay。\"
Alexandrasighed。\"Ihadhopedyoumightunderstand，alittle，whyIdowantto。ButI
supposethat’stoomuchtoexpect。I’vehadaprettylonelylife，Emil。BesidesMarie，CarlistheonlyfriendIhaveeverhad。\"
Emilwasawakenow;anameinherlastsen—
tencerousedhim。Heputouthishandandtookhissister’sawkwardly。\"Yououghttodojustasyouwish，andIthinkCarl’safinefel—
low。HeandIwouldalwaysgeton。Idon’tbelieveanyofthethingstheboyssayabouthim，honestIdon’t。Theyaresuspiciousofhimbecausehe’sintelligent。Youknowtheirway。
They’vebeensoreatmeeversinceyouletmegoawaytocollege。They’realwaystryingtocatchmeup。IfIwereyou，Iwouldn’tpayanyattentiontothem。There’snothingtogetupsetabout。Carl’sasensiblefellow。Hewon’tmindthem。\"
\"Idon’tknow。Iftheytalktohimthewaytheydidtome，Ithinkhe’llgoaway。\"
Emilgrewmoreandmoreuneasy。\"Thinkso？Well，Mariesaiditwouldserveusallrightifyouwalkedoffwithhim。\"
\"Didshe？Blessherlittleheart！SHEwould。\"
Alexandra’svoicebroke。
Emilbeganunlacinghisleggings。\"Whydon’tyoutalktoheraboutit？There’sCarl，I
hearhishorse。IguessI’llgoupstairsandgetmybootsoff。No，Idon’twantanysupper。Wehadsupperatfiveo’clock，atthefair。\"
Emilwasgladtoescapeandgettohisownroom。Hewasalittleashamedforhissister，thoughhehadtriednottoshowit。Hefeltthattherewassomethingindecorousinherproposal，andshedidseemtohimsomewhatridiculous。Therewastroubleenoughintheworld，hereflected，ashethrewhimselfuponhisbed，withoutpeoplewhowerefortyyearsoldimaginingtheywantedtogetmarried。InthedarknessandsilenceEmilwasnotlikelytothinklongaboutAlexandra。Everyimageslippedawaybutone。HehadseenMarieinthecrowdthatafternoon。Shesoldcandyatthefair。WHYhadsheeverrunawaywithFrankShabata，andhowcouldshegoonlaughingandworkingandtakinganinterestinthings？Whydidshelikesomanypeople，andwhyhadsheseemedpleasedwhenalltheFrenchandBohe—
mianboys，andthepriesthimself，crowdedroundhercandystand？Whydidshecareaboutanyonebuthim？Whycouldhenever，neverfindthethinghelookedforinherplayful，affectionateeyes？
Thenhefelltoimaginingthathelookedoncemoreandfounditthere，andwhatitwouldbelikeifshelovedhim，——shewho，asAlexandrasaid，couldgiveherwholeheart。Inthatdreamhecouldlieforhours，asifinatrance。HisspiritwentoutofhisbodyandcrossedthefieldstoMarieShabata。
AttheUniversitydancesthegirlshadoftenlookedwonderinglyatthetallyoungSwedewiththefinehead，leaningagainstthewallandfrowning，hisarmsfolded，hiseyesfixedontheceilingorthefloor。Allthegirlswerealittleafraidofhim。Hewasdistinguished—looking，andnotthejollyingkind。Theyfeltthathewastoointenseandpreoccupied。Therewassome—
thingqueerabouthim。Emil’sfraternityratherprideditselfuponitsdances，andsome—
timeshedidhisdutyanddancedeverydance。
Butwhetherhewasonthefloororbroodinginacorner，hewasalwaysthinkingaboutMarieShabata。Fortwoyearsthestormhadbeengatheringinhim。
XII
Carlcameintothesitting—roomwhileAlex—
andrawaslightingthelamp。Shelookedupathimassheadjustedtheshade。Hissharpshoul—
dersstoopedasifhewereverytired，hisfacewaspale，andtherewerebluishshadowsunderhisdarkeyes。Hisangerhadburneditselfoutandlefthimsickanddisgusted。
\"YouhaveseenLouandOscar？\"Alexandraasked。
\"Yes。\"Hiseyesavoidedhers。
Alexandratookadeepbreath。\"Andnowyouaregoingaway。Ithoughtso。\"
Carlthrewhimselfintoachairandpushedthedarklockbackfromhisforeheadwithhiswhite，nervoushand。\"Whatahopelessposi—
tionyouarein，Alexandra！\"heexclaimedfeverishly。\"Itisyourfatetobealwayssur—
roundedbylittlemen。AndIamnobetterthantherest。IamtoolittletofacethecriticismofevensuchmenasLouandOscar。Yes，Iamgoingaway;to—morrow。IcannotevenaskyoutogivemeapromiseuntilIhavesomethingtoofferyou。Ithought，perhaps，Icoulddothat;
butIfindIcan’t。\"
\"Whatgoodcomesofofferingpeoplethingstheydon’tneed？\"Alexandraaskedsadly。\"I
don’tneedmoney。ButIhaveneededyouforagreatmanyyears。IwonderwhyIhavebeenpermittedtoprosper，ifitisonlytotakemyfriendsawayfromme。\"
\"Idon’tdeceivemyself，\"Carlsaidfrankly。
\"IknowthatIamgoingawayonmyownaccount。Imustmaketheusualeffort。Imusthavesomethingtoshowformyself。Totakewhatyouwouldgiveme，Ishouldhavetobeeitheraverylargemanoraverysmallone，andIamonlyinthemiddleclass。\"
Alexandrasighed。\"Ihaveafeelingthatifyougoaway，youwillnotcomeback。Some—
thingwillhappentooneofus，ortoboth。
Peoplehavetosnatchathappinesswhentheycan，inthisworld。Itisalwayseasiertolosethantofind。WhatIhaveisyours，ifyoucareenoughaboutmetotakeit。\"
CarlroseandlookedupatthepictureofJohnBergson。\"ButIcan’t，mydear，Ican’t！
IwillgoNorthatonce。InsteadofidlingaboutinCaliforniaallwinter，Ishallbegettingmybearingsupthere。Iwon’twasteanotherweek。
Bepatientwithme，Alexandra。Givemeayear！\"
\"Asyouwill，\"saidAlexandrawearily。\"Allatonce，inasingleday，Iloseeverything;andI
donotknowwhy。Emil，too，isgoingaway。\"
CarlwasstillstudyingJohnBergson’sfaceandAlexandra’seyesfollowedhis。\"Yes，\"shesaid，\"ifhecouldhaveseenallthatwouldcomeofthetaskhegaveme，hewouldhavebeensorry。I
hopehedoesnotseemenow。Ihopethatheisamongtheoldpeopleofhisbloodandcountry，andthattidingsdonotreachhimfromtheNewWorld。\"
EndofPartII
PARTIII
WinterMemoriesI
WinterhassettleddownovertheDivideagain;theseasoninwhichNaturerecuperates，inwhichshesinkstosleepbetweenthefruitful—
nessofautumnandthepassionofspring。Thebirdshavegone。Theteeminglifethatgoesondowninthelonggrassisexterminated。Theprairie—dogkeepshishole。Therabbitsrunshiveringfromonefrozengardenpatchtoan—
otherandarehardputtoittofindfrost—bittencabbage—stalks。Atnightthecoyotesroamthewintrywaste，howlingforfood。Thevariegatedfieldsareallonecolornow;thepastures，thestubble，theroads，theskyarethesameleadengray。Thehedgerowsandtreesarescarcelyper—
ceptibleagainstthebareearth，whoseslatyhuetheyhavetakenon。Thegroundisfrozensohardthatitbruisesthefoottowalkintheroadsorintheploughedfields。Itislikeanironcountry，andthespiritisoppressedbyitsrigorandmelancholy。Onecouldeasilybelievethatinthatdeadlandscapethegermsoflifeandfruit—
fulnesswereextinctforever。
Alexandrahassettledbackintoheroldroutine。ThereareweeklylettersfromEmil。
LouandOscarshehasnotseensinceCarlwentaway。Toavoidawkwardencountersinthepresenceofcuriousspectators，shehasstoppedgoingtotheNorwegianChurchanddrivesuptotheReformChurchatHanover，orgoeswithMarieShabatatotheCatholicChurch，locallyknownas\"theFrenchChurch。\"
ShehasnottoldMarieaboutCarl，orherdif—
ferenceswithherbrothers。Shewasneververycommunicativeaboutherownaffairs，andwhenshecametothepoint，aninstincttoldherthataboutsuchthingssheandMariewouldnotunderstandoneanother。
OldMrs。LeehadbeenafraidthatfamilymisunderstandingsmightdepriveherofheryearlyvisittoAlexandra。ButonthefirstdayofDecemberAlexandratelephonedAnniethatto—morrowshewouldsendIvaroverforhermother，andthenextdaytheoldladyarrivedwithherbundles。FortwelveyearsMrs。LeehadalwaysenteredAlexandra’ssitting—roomwiththesameexclamation，\"Nowwebeyust—alikeoldtimes！\"SheenjoyedthelibertyAlex—
andragaveher，andhearingherownlanguageaboutheralldaylong。Hereshecouldwearhernightcapandsleepwithallherwindowsshut，listentoIvarreadingtheBible，andhereshecouldrunaboutamongthestablesinapairofEmil’soldboots。Thoughshewasbentalmostdouble，shewasasspryasagopher。Herfacewasasbrownasifithadbeenvarnished，andasfullofwrinklesasawasherwoman’shands。Shehadthreejollyoldteethleftinthefrontofhermouth，andwhenshegrinnedshelookedveryknowing，asifwhenyoufoundouthowtotakeit，lifewasn’thalfbad。WhilesheandAlex—
andrapatchedandpiecedandquilted，shetalkedincessantlyaboutstoriesshereadinaSwedishfamilypaper，tellingtheplotsingreatdetail;oraboutherlifeonadairyfarminGottlandwhenshewasagirl。Sometimessheforgotwhichweretheprintedstoriesandwhichweretherealstories，itallseemedsofaraway。
Shelovedtotakealittlebrandy，withhotwaterandsugar，beforeshewenttobed，andAlexandraalwayshaditreadyforher。\"Itsendsgooddreams，\"shewouldsaywithatwinkleinhereye。
WhenMrs。LeehadbeenwithAlexandraforaweek，MarieShabatatelephonedonemorningtosaythatFrankhadgonetotownfortheday，andshewouldlikethemtocomeoverforcoffeeintheafternoon。Mrs。Leehurriedtowashoutandironhernewcross—stitchedapron，whichshehadfinishedonlythenightbefore;acheckedginghamapronworkedwithadesignteninchesbroadacrossthebottom;ahuntingscene，withfirtreesandastaganddogsandhuntsmen。
Mrs。Leewasfirmwithherselfatdinner，andrefusedasecondhelpingofappledumplings。
\"Ita—ankIsaveup，\"shesaidwithagiggle。
Attwoo’clockintheafternoonAlexandra’scartdroveuptotheShabatas’gate，andMariesawMrs。Lee’sredshawlcomebobbingupthepath。Sherantothedoorandpulledtheoldwomanintothehousewithahug，helpinghertotakeoffherwrapswhileAlexandrablan—
ketedthehorseoutside。Mrs。Leehadputonherbestblacksatinedress——sheabominatedwoolenstuffs，eveninwinter——andacrochetedcollar，fastenedwithabigpalegoldpin，con—
tainingfadeddaguerreotypesofherfatherandmother。Shehadnotwornherapronforfearofrumplingit，andnowsheshookitoutandtieditroundherwaistwithaconsciousair。Mariedrewbackandthrewupherhands，exclaiming，\"Oh，whatabeauty！I’veneverseenthisonebefore，haveI，Mrs。Lee？\"
Theoldwomangiggledandduckedherhead。
\"No，yustlas’nightIma—ake。Seedistread;
verrastrong，nowa—ashout，nofade。Mysis—
tersendfromSveden。Iyust—ata—ankyoulikedis。\"
Marierantothedooragain。\"Comein，Alexandra。IhavebeenlookingatMrs。Lee’sapron。DostoponyourwayhomeandshowittoMrs。Hiller。She’scrazyaboutcross—stitch。\"
WhileAlexandraremovedherhatandveil，Mrs。Leewentouttothekitchenandsettledherselfinawoodenrocking—chairbythestove，lookingwithgreatinterestatthetable，setforthree，withawhitecloth，andapotofpinkgeraniumsinthemiddle。\"My，a—an’tyougottafineplants;such—amuchflower。Howyoukeepfromfreeze？\"
Shepointedtothewindow—shelves，fullofbloomingfuchsiasandgeraniums。
\"Ikeepthefireallnight，Mrs。Lee，andwhenit’sverycoldIputthemallonthetable，inthemiddleoftheroom。OthernightsIonlyputnewspapersbehindthem。Franklaughsatmeforfussing，butwhentheydon’tbloomhesays，’What’sthematterwiththedarnedthings？’——
WhatdoyouhearfromCarl，Alexandra？\"
\"HegottoDawsonbeforetheriverfroze，andnowIsupposeIwon’thearanymoreuntilspring。BeforeheleftCaliforniahesentmeaboxoforangeflowers，buttheydidn’tkeepverywell。IhavebroughtabunchofEmil’slettersforyou。\"Alexandracameoutfromthesitting—roomandpinchedMarie’scheekplay—
fully。\"Youdon’tlookasiftheweathereverfrozeyouup。Neverhavecolds，doyou？
That’sagoodgirl。Shehaddarkredcheekslikethiswhenshewasalittlegirl，Mrs。Lee。Shelookedlikesomequeerforeignkindofadoll。
I’veneverforgotthefirsttimeIsawyouinMieklejohn’sstore，Marie，thetimefatherwaslyingsick。CarlandIweretalkingaboutthatbeforehewentaway。\"
\"Iremember，andEmilhadhiskittenalong。
WhenareyougoingtosendEmil’sChristmasbox？\"
\"Itoughttohavegonebeforethis。I’llhavetosenditbymailnow，togetitthereintime。\"
Mariepulledadarkpurplesilknecktiefromherworkbasket。\"Iknitthisforhim。It’sagoodcolor，don’tyouthink？Willyoupleaseputitinwithyourthingsandtellhimit’sfromme，towearwhenhegoesserenading。\"
Alexandralaughed。\"Idon’tbelievehegoesserenadingmuch。HesaysinoneletterthattheMexicanladiesaresaidtobeverybeauti—
ful，butthatdon’tseemtomeverywarmpraise。\"
Marietossedherhead。\"Emilcan’tfoolme。
Ifhe’sboughtaguitar，hegoesserenading。
Whowouldn’t，withallthoseSpanishgirlsdroppingflowersdownfromtheirwindows！
I’dsingtothemeverynight，wouldn’tyou，Mrs。Lee？\"
Theoldladychuckled。HereyeslitupasMariebentdownandopenedtheovendoor。
Adelicioushotfragranceblewoutintothetidykitchen。\"My，somet’ingsmellgood！\"SheturnedtoAlexandrawithawink，herthreeyel—
lowteethmakingabraveshow，\"Ita—ankdatstopmyyawfromachenomore！\"shesaidcon—
tentedly。
Marietookoutapanofdelicatelittlerolls，stuffedwithstewedapricots，andbegantodustthemoverwithpowderedsugar。\"Ihopeyou’lllikethese，Mrs。Lee;Alexandradoes。TheBohemiansalwayslikethemwiththeircoffee。
Butifyoudon’t，Ihaveacoffee—cakewithnutsandpoppyseeds。Alexandra，willyougetthecreamjug？Iputitinthewindowtokeepcool。\"
\"TheBohemians，\"saidAlexandra，astheydrewuptothetable，\"certainlyknowhowtomakemorekindsofbreadthananyotherpeo—
pleintheworld。OldMrs。Hillertoldmeonceatthechurchsupperthatshecouldmakesevenkindsoffancybread，butMariecouldmakeadozen。\"
Mrs。Leehelduponeoftheapricotrollsbetweenherbrownthumbandforefingerandweigheditcritically。\"Yustlike—afedders，\"
shepronouncedwithsatisfaction。\"My，a—an’tdisnice！\"sheexclaimedasshestirredhercoffee。\"Iyustta—akealiddleyellynow，too，Ita—ank。\"
AlexandraandMarielaughedatherfore—
handedness，andfelltotalkingoftheirownaffairs。\"IwasafraidyouhadacoldwhenI
talkedtoyouoverthetelephonetheothernight，Marie。Whatwasthematter，hadyoubeencrying？\"
\"MaybeIhad，\"Mariesmiledguiltily。
\"Frankwasoutlatethatnight。Don’tyougetlonelysometimesinthewinter，whenevery—
bodyhasgoneaway？\"
\"Ithoughtitwassomethinglikethat。IfI
hadn’thadcompany，I’dhaverunovertoseeformyself。Ifyougetdown—hearted，whatwillbecomeoftherestofus？\"Alexandraasked。
\"Idon’t，veryoften。There’sMrs。Leewithoutanycoffee！\"
Later，whenMrs。Leedeclaredthatherpowerswerespent，MarieandAlexandrawentupstairstolookforsomecrochetpatternstheoldladywantedtoborrow。\"Betterputonyourcoat，Alexandra。It’scoldupthere，andI
havenoideawherethosepatternsare。Imayhavetolookthroughmyoldtrunks。\"Mariecaughtupashawlandopenedthestairdoor，run—
ningupthestepsaheadofherguest。\"WhileI
gothroughthebureaudrawers，youmightlookinthosehat—boxesonthecloset—shelf，overwhereFrank’sclotheshang。Therearealotofoddsandendsinthem。\"
Shebegantossingoverthecontentsofthedrawers，andAlexandrawentintotheclothes—
closet。Presentlyshecameback，holdingaslenderelasticyellowstickinherhand。
\"Whatintheworldisthis，Marie？Youdon’tmeantotellmeFrankevercarriedsuchathing？\"
Marieblinkedatitwithastonishmentandsatdownonthefloor。\"Wheredidyoufindit？
Ididn’tknowhehadkeptit。Ihaven’tseenitforyears。\"
\"Itreallyisacane，then？\"
\"Yes。Onehebroughtfromtheoldcoun—
try。HeusedtocarryitwhenIfirstknewhim。
Isn’titfoolish？PoorFrank！\"
Alexandratwirledthestickinherfingersandlaughed。\"Hemusthavelookedfunny！\"
Mariewasthoughtful。\"No，hedidn’t，really。
Itdidn’tseemoutofplace。Heusedtobeawfullygaylikethatwhenhewasayoungman。Iguesspeoplealwaysgetwhat’shard—
estforthem，Alexandra。\"Mariegatheredtheshawlcloseraboutherandstilllookedhardatthecane。\"Frankwouldbeallrightintherightplace，\"shesaidreflectively。\"Heoughttohaveadifferentkindofwife，foronething。Doyouknow，Alexandra，IcouldpickoutexactlytherightsortofwomanforFrank——now。
Thetroubleisyoualmosthavetomarryamanbeforeyoucanfindoutthesortofwifeheneeds;andusuallyit’sexactlythesortyouarenot。Thenwhatareyougoingtodoaboutit？\"
sheaskedcandidly。