The frontier. (O'Neill City, Holt County, Neb.) 1880-1965, November 07, 1935, Image 3
there's™ ALWAYS 1 ANOTHER YEAR / •-V MARTHA OSTCNSO i W.NU.SCR.VI CC COPYRIGHT MARTHA OSTtNSO | SYNOPSIS Anna ("Silver") Grenoble, daugh ter of “Gentleman Jim." formerly of the community, but known ns a gambler, news of whose recent mur der In Chicago has reached the town, comes to Heron Klver to live with Sophronia Willard, Jim Grenoble’s sister. Sophronla’s household consists of her husband, and stepsons, Roder ick and Jason. The Willards own only half of the farm, the other half being Anna’s. On Silver's arrival Duke Melbank, shiftless youth, makes himself obnoxious. Roderick is on the eve of marriage to Cortnne Meader. Silver snys she wants to live on the farm, and has no inten tion iof selling her half, which the Willards had feared. Silver tells Sophronia (“Phronie,” by request) something—but by no means all—of her relations with Gerald Lucas, gambler friend of her father. Roddy marries Corinne. She has a maid, Paula, who seems to attract Jason. Silver again meets Lucas, who has established a gambling resort near town. She introduces him to Co rinne, though against her will. Friendship between the two devel ops, to Silver’s dismay. At a dance Duke Melbank insults Silver. Rod dy’s solicitude brings Silver to the realization that she loves him. Rod dy is offered a position at the Uni versity farm, but, to Corlnne's dis may, he declines it, declaring he is a farmer, not a "white collar man." Determined to break up the growing Intimacy between Lucas and Co rinne, Silver tells Roddy she has decided to sell her portion of the farm. Not understanding, he re proaches her for her "treachery.” CHAPTER VIII—Continued —9— Jason went self-consciously to> a shelf and drew down a portfolio of drawings. “Nobody but Paula has ever seen these,” he said. The drawings were pastel scenes with a simplicity of line and tone that surprised Silver. “Why, .Tase, they are lovely 1" she exclaimed. She turned to him Impulsively. “Would you rather do this than farm?” He laughed and shook his head, then looked at Paula. “I guess not,” he said quietly. “I’m a farmer. But it’s because I like farming that I get a kick out of doing this once in a while. Which one do you want, Silver?” After a moment’s thought Silver selected a light autumn sketch In grays and browns. “Has Roddy never seen this?” she asked. “No—he hasn’t seen any of them. I used to show him some of my things—and he liked them. But after he met Corinne—well, It’s none of my business. I never could quite figure it out, myself. D—n it —I feel sorry for Roddy 1” Silver tucked the drawing under her arm. “I’ll hang this In my room.” she said, then started toward the door. “And don’t worry about Roddy. When a man falls in love, It does funny things to him some times.” Jason laughed. “Gosh, doesn’t It?” he exclaimed, and looked at Paula. “Shall I tell Silver?” he asked suddenly. “Sure!” she said at once. Jason looked at Sliver and smiled. "Paula and I are going to be mar ried in the summer,” Jason con fessed, “—maybe In the spring. We’re thinking of a little dairy farm up north—maybe—we're not sure yet.” Silver exclaimed with delight. "Am I the first to hear about it?" “We didn’t know ourselves—not until this afternoon,’’ Juson grinned. Tears came Into Silver’s eyes as she looked at them. Jason and Paula —beginning life together on a dairy farm . . . “Don't say anything," Jason said. “Don’t tell the others just yet.” “Well, I suppose I ought to wish you luck,” Silver said, “but when two people are In love, there’s nothing much anyone can say. Isn't that so, Paula?" “It sure Is so,” Paula agreed, laps ing into an accent she had almost conquered since her advent from the Rhineland ten years ago. The days passed, and Silver Grenoble came presently to know what it meant to live on a farm in winter. Rut the weekly round of hard work fell into a rhythm which somehow eased the discomfort, and in the old stone house there was al ways an overtone of contentment. In Roddy alone, it seemed, was there any discontent. He had ex plained that Mrs. Meader had not been well and that Corinne was staying with her for a few days. Rut when the middle of December approached and Corinne was still with her mother, Sophronia became rather voluble on the subject of Roddy’s living alone in the big house. For Roddy had withdrawn more and more to himself. His day* he spent in work about the placn. And at night he would shut himself la his “shop" sorting and grading ami completing his records, so as to be ready for another season of ex perimenting with his beloved corn. Roddy’s mood was rarely dis cussed by the others, but Silver knew that beneath their silence lay an Intensity of feeling that one day must break the bonds of reticence that held it. She knew, too, that while Corinne’s absence had some thing to do with the way ltoddy felt, behind it all was the growing re sentment toward herself that had begun that night when she had told him of her intention to sell her land as soon as his lease hud expired. That had rankled until he could think of nothing else. She knew, too, that the family was aware of it. That, undoubtedly, accounted for much of their restraint. It was a black, blustery night, and Silver put on her old leather Jacket and her close-fitting tweed hat. She went out Into the inky darkness and started toward the summit of the hill, when a sudden flare of light, like the striking of a match, arrested her attention through the small window of Rod dy’s workshop in the shelter of the slope. Roddy must be In there, she thought, getting ready for another night’s work. The thought of his self-imposed loneliness smote drear ily across Silver’s heart. Why should she not go to him now and talk to him—beg him not to re main away from his father’s house because of her? She stepped to the threshold and paused. “Roddy!” she called softly. He scooped up handfuls of corn. “Well?" “I came over to beg you not to— not to stay away from our house because of me,” Silver said. “If that’s the reason—” He stood up and looked at her. At the painful flush that sprang into her cheeks, he stepped toward her with contrite haste. Ills feel ings were in such confusion now that he could scarcely speak. “I’m sorry. Silver,” he said heav ily. ‘‘It’s certainly no time for me to hold out against you—after this. We don’t seem to understand each other, that’s all.” Silver turned her eyes from him. “I can't go on like this,” she said. “It has been utter misery.” “I can’t say I’ve been enjoying It myself." He looked down at her and saw that she was shivering. “But listen—you’d better get back into the house,” he remarked gruff l.v. He reached down and drew her to her feet, then took her hand In the most acute embarrassment he had ever known. “Let’s forget It, Silver." For a moment she permitted her hand to rest in his, then withdrew It hurriedly. Without a word she ran to the door and vanished in the darkness toward the stone house. Later, when Roddy thoughtfully returned home, the strong wind beating up the slope against him seemed fantastically like that sud den Impact of Silver’s cold, slender body. “Good Lord!” he muttered, and ran his hand across his eyes. “I must be crazy.” But as he lay In bed thinking over the events of the night, It was the memory of Silver Crenoble's clinging to him that gnawed and worried at the core of his being un til at last as he stared up toward the invisible celling, his whole life seemed to be tangled in a hopeless maze. He vowed savagely that tomor row he would do two things—he would write a letter to Neal An thony definitely rejecting his offer, and in the evening he would drive to Baliantyne and fetch Corinne home. Beneath the cobalt glitter of the sky Itodd.v found himself driving along at a snail’s pace, although he had forty miles yet to go—and fifty miles hack home again, with Co rinne beside him. Corinne had deliberately pro longed her visit with her mother, as Roddy knew, in the hope that he might finally nccept Neal Anthony’s offer, if only to please her. She had been affection itself, indeed, and al ways spoke regretfully of her pro longed absence. But Roddy had had time to do a little thinking about Corinne. She was young and spoiled and wholly untrained in responsibil ity. But she would grow up in time, Roddy reflected, and the pass ing months would bring to her a sense of her place In the scheme of things. But there would have to be a change. For one thing, Corinne must be thought to roadze that they’ would nave to economize at every turn during the coming year. It was two o’clock in the morning when Roddy returned to the farm with Corlnne. She had broached the subject of Neal Anthony. When he told her of the letter he had written that day, Corlnne had lapsed Into a silence more deadly than any virulent denunciation he might have anticipated. In the house she sank down on the couch in the living room and gazed blankly before her. Roddy came over to her. He drew a chair, seated himself, and took her hands into his own. "Look at me, Corrle!’’ he begged softly. "Let's not begin like this. You don't know what It means to have you home again. And you can’t guess how lonely It has been here without you.’’ She sighed and leaned back against the couch. Then she looked at him. “I wonder.’’ she said slowly. "It’s so easy to sentimentalize.” "Listen, Corrle. I'm sorry about that job Neal Anthony threw my way. I wish I could have tnken It —for your sake, Corrle. But—I couldn’t. And some day you’re go ing to be glad I didn’t." Corlnne sighed again. “I’d rather not discuss it any more," she said coldly, "You’ve made your deci sion." She drew her hands away from him and Roddy sat back In his chair. For a moment he regarded her thoughtfully. During the imst few days a hope had formed in his mind that he must express to her —a profound and solemn hope ok which, he believed, depended the serenity of their lives together. “All right, Corrle,’’ he said at last. “We’ll drop it—and start In again. But let us start In right this time. Let us face the problems together and work them out to gether. I want a home—a home with you, Corrle, where we can bring up our children and be happy She Sank Down on the Couch in the Living Room and Gazed Blankly Before Her. together. I’ve been thinking about that very thing while you’ve been away. If we had a baby, you’d find something to live for here. We’d be closer to each other, Corrie—” She sprang up suddenly. “Have you gone crazy?’’ she cried huskily/ “Do you want me to bring a child Into a place like this—where we may be starving next year? Or wasn’t it enough for you to throw Xnthony's offer into my face? You had to think up something more brutal—’’ “Corrlne—for God's sake!’’Roddy stammered in despair. "We are not going to starve,” he went on lame ly, obstinately. “Lots of people are bringing up children on less than we have.” It dawned on him painfully that Corinne was not listening. lie felt completely lost, floundering about In a gray and chilling chaos. “All right, Corinne,” he conclud ed dully, “I did not know that I was Insulting you. I’ll not do It again.” He got to his feet and turned to And her eyes upon him, widening for a moment with reflective Indo lence, then closing as though she were shutting him out of her con sciousness, shutting herself in with her own resignation and defeat. On an evening In February, Paula bad come down from tbe big house and sat beside the table munching nn apple. Sophronia pushed her glasses back into place on the bridge of her nose and shook her head. “There’s no use in gettln’ your self worked up Into a state over Co rlnne,” she said to Paula. “If you ask me—all that woman needs Is exercise. If she’d do a bit of her own housework, it’d be better for her." "I don’t know," Pauln ventured. “She doesn’t seem right. She took one of them headaches again today. Sometimes she scares me. She stares at the walls and says the wind Is drivln’ her crazy." "I think I’ll go up and stay with Corlnne for a while," Silver said. “That’s better,” old Roderick said. “It’s the first time anybody here has been In Roddy's house In almost a week." "I think I’ll go along with you," Paula said hesitatingly. “Let's go, then," Silver said. Corlnne was huddled up In bed weeping stormlly. “Corlnne!” Silver said sharply. "You ought to be ashamed of your self!” Corlnne stared at her with wild eyes. "Who sent you here?” she de manded petulantly. “I suppose the whole Willard family has been hav ing a conclave!" “Stop It!" Silver broke In. “No one sent me—and you’re acting like a child." Corlnne began to weep in earnest “Ia-I might have known—you'd say that. This place Is driving me mad! The wind—and the cold—and being alone—" "You don’t have to be alone," Sil ver protested. “Why didn’t you come down with I’aula tonight and—" "Because they all hate me! I know it. They hnte me because Pm not a farm lout—like the rest of them, Roddy hates me—and loves to see me suffer! lie’s tickled to deatli because Jason has humil iated me. Paula for a sister-in-law —oh!" Silver took her by the shoulder. “I’m not going to sit here and listen to that nonsense.” she said severe ly. "You've got to get yourself out of this mood. Turn over here! Is your head aching?” "It has been bursting—all day!”' Silver ran her fingers gently over Corlnne’s shoulders. "I used to do this for my father when lie had a headache,” she said quietly, and be gan pressing her finger tips into the tendons and muscles thnt were knot ted at the back of Cori one’s neck. Corinne turned over on her face and moaned. But Silver continued to ply her fingers until Corinne be gan to relax at last, and her uiuf flled wailing ceased. “That’s better," Silver said. “O-oh—that hurts!” Silver worked more gently. “You ought to get out and see what the world is like around you. I’ll tell you—tnke a walk with me early to morrow morning, over to the Flathe place and back. You have no Idea how good It make's you feel.” A sort of docility had crept over Corinne. "I’ll do anything," she mumbled, “Just to get away from the grayness of this hill." For some time there was silence between them, until Silver began to wonder If Corinne had fallen asleep. Presently, however, Corinne spoke up unexpectedly. "Why didn’t you marry Gerald Lucas, Silver, when you had the chnnce?” “I should have been the most un happy creature in the world,” Silver replied. “Why?" “Because—I’ve seen enough of that life to know," Silver said. Corinne lay still and did not speak. Fear filled Silver's heart as she fixed her eyes upon Corinne and wondered, with something like de spair, what was passing in the mind of this girl who was Roddy Willard’s wife. Once or twice she felt that she must say something to warn her against Gernld Lucas and the bright disnster that awaited any woman who gave him her love. But the words would not come. At last, with an inner trembling, she got up and spoke softly. “I hope you feel better.” Corinne turned over and yawned. “Lots better. Thanks so much, Sil ver.” Silver patted the coverlet on Co rlnne’s shoulder. “Try to sleep now. And I’ll come up in the morning, right after breakfast, to take you on our hike.” “Perhaps it would be better to postpone it till the afternoon—or maybe another day,” Corlnne sug gested. "I’m expecting a telephone call tomorrow." Silver regarded her for a moment In silence. “Well, go to sleep now. anyhow,” she said, and stole quiet ly out of the room. Alone again under the cold star light, Sliver found that her minis tering to Roddy's wife had had a profound effect upon herself. All that lawless feeling for Roddy that had battled within her for weeks retreated now before a burning pity for Corlnne and a feverish resolve to do everything In her power to save Roddy's wife from herself and her false sense of values. CHAPTER IX IN MARCH, after a prolonged spell of bitter cold and very lit tle snow, a sudden tbaw set In. The bark of the winter, as Sophronlo said, was broken. Rut everywhere the talk was of the gloomy outlook for the farmer. “A man doesn’t know whether to pray for rain or drouth. If there’s a bumper crop, prices will go still lower—and If you don’t plant at all. you get nothing.” Roddy reflected. What If be had to sell his last year’s grain at prac tically no profit to himself! He was no worse off than countless farmers whose obligations were staggering compared with his own He could still give Corlnne enough money to buy herself some spring clothes, though she probably would never know how much It meant to him. Well, perhaps things would be better now that spring, was here. For that matter, things were bet ter. Corlnne bad been more like her old self during the past weeks. He was well aware that Silver Grenoble had had much to do with the change In Corlnne’s state of mind He hnd seen very little of Silver but she and Corlnne had beconv *ery friendly. 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