soul that revolted at the littleness of the device.
Lena was at home just at this time. Work was slack in the laundry
and Mary had not been well, so Lena stayed at home, glad enough to
get an opportunity to torment Canute once more.
She was washing in the side kitchen, singing loudly as she worked.
Mary was on her knees, blacking the stove and scolding violently
about the young man who was coming out from town that night. The
young man had committed the fatal error of laughing at Mary’s
ceaseless babble and had never been forgiven.
“He is no good, and you will come to a bad end by running with him!
I do not see why a daughter of mine should act so. I do not see why
the Lord should visit such a punishment upon me as to give me such a
daughter. There are plenty of good men you can marry.”
Lena tossed her head and answered curtly, “I don’t happen to want to
marry any man right away, and so long as Dick dresses nice and has
plenty of money to spend, there is no harm in my going with him.”
“Money to spend? Yes, and that is all he does with it I’ll be bound.
You think it very fine now, but you will change your tune when you
have been married five years and see your children running naked and
your cupboard empty. Did Anne Hermanson come to any good end by
marrying a town man?”
“I don’t know anything about Anne Hermanson, but I know any of the
laundry girls would have Dick quick enough if they could get him.”
“Yes, and a nice lot of store clothes huzzies you are too. Now there
is Canuteson who has an ‘eighty’ proved up and fifty head of cattle
and----”
“And hair that ain’t been cut since he was a baby, and a big dirty
beard, and he wears overalls on Sundays, and drinks like a pig.
Besides he will keep. I can have all the fun I want, and when I am
old and ugly like you he can have me and take care of me. The Lord
knows there ain’t nobody else going to marry him.”
Canute drew his hand back from the latch as though it were red hot.
He was not the kind of a man to make a good eavesdropper, and he
wished he had knocked sooner. He pulled himself together and struck
the door like a battering ram. Mary jumped and opened it with a
screech.
“God! Canute, how you scared us! I thought it was crazy Lou,—he has
been tearing around the neighborhood trying to convert folks. I am
afraid as death of him. He ought to be sent off, I think. He is just
as liable as not to kill us all, or burn the barn, or poison the
dogs. He has been worrying even the poor minister to death, and he
laid up with the rheumatism, too! Did you notice that he was too
sick to preach last Sunday? But don’t stand there in the cold,—come
in. Yensen isn’t here, but he just went over to Sorenson’s for the
mail; he won’t be gone long. Walk right in the other room and sit
down.”
Canute followed her, looking steadily in front of him and not
noticing Lena as he passed her. But Lena’s vanity would not allow
him to pass unmolested. She took the wet sheet she was wringing out
