The Homesteader: A Novel

by Oscar Micheaux

  CHAPTER VIII

  AN ENTERPRISING YOUNG MAN

  When Jean Baptiste had found the papers belonging to Barr, and had cometo understand that it had been Barr's intention to destroy the same,natural curiosity had prompted him to read into and examine what was inhis possession.

  But after having read them, and realizing fully to return the same then,would be to have Barr know, at least feel, that he was in possession ofsuch a grave secret, would make their, up to this time agreeable,relationship rather awkward, he was at a loss as to what to do. So inthe end he laid the papers away, and waited. If Barr should makeinquiries for them, he would try to find some convenient way to returnthe same. But on after thought, he knew that Barr would hardly start aninquiry about the matter--even if he did come to realize he had lostinstead of destroyed the papers.

  A few days later he saw Peter Kaden in the village, and this timeobserved him more closely than had been his wont theretofore. Alwayssad, he so remained, and down in Baptiste's heart he was sorry for thewretch. It was after he had returned home and lingered at the fire thathe heard a light knock at the door. He called "Come in." The door wasopened and Augustus M. Barr stood in the doorway.

  Baptiste was for a time slightly nervous. He was glad then that it wasdark within the room, otherwise Barr must have seen him give a quickstart.

  "Ah-ha," began Barr, cheerfully, coming forward and taking the chairBaptiste placed at his disposal. "Quite comfortable in the little sodhouse on the claim."

  "Quite comfortable," returned Baptiste evenly, his mind upon the papersso near. He didn't trust himself to comment. He waited for whatever wasto happen.

  "Suppose you are thinking about the big crop you will seed in thespringtime," ventured Barr.

  "Yes," admitted Baptiste, for in truth, the same had been on his mindbefore Barr put in his appearance. "Suppose you will put out quite acrop yourself in the spring," he ventured in return.

  "Well, I don't know," said Barr thoughtfully. "I fear I'm getting alittle old to farm--and this baching!" Baptiste thought about Christinewho was not so far away instead of in England.... He marveled at theman's calm nerve. It did not seem possible that a man of this one'sbroad education could be so low as to resort to fallacies.

  "No," he heard Barr again. "I don't think that I shall farm next summer.In fact I have about decided to make proof on my claim, and that is whatI have called on you in regard to. I suppose I can count you as witnessto the fact?" Baptiste was relieved. Barr still thought he had destroyedthe papers. He was smiling when he replied:

  "Indeed, I shall be glad to attest to the fact you refer to."

  "Thanks," Said Barr, and rose to go.

  "No hurry."

  "I must go into town on a matter of business," said Barr from thedoorway. "Well," he paused briefly and then said, "I am applying for adate, and when that is settled I shall let you know."

  "Very well. Good day."

  "Good day, my friend," and he went over the hill.

  Baptiste was thoughtful when he was gone. He looked after him andthought about the papers. He marveled again at the man's calmness....Then suddenly he arose as a thought struck him, and going to his trunk,lifted from the top the last issue of the Dallas _Enterprise_. Heglanced quickly through the columns and then his eyes rested on a legalnotice. He smiled.

  "Old Peter is going to make proof.... So is Barr. The eternal trianglebegins to take shape...." He got up and went to the door. Over the hillhe saw Barr just entering the town.... "This is beginning to getinteresting.... But I don't like the Kaden end of it.... I wish I coulddo something.... Something to help Kaden...."

  * * * * *

  Saturday was a beautiful day. To Gregory from miles around went almosteverybody. So along with the rest went Jean Baptiste. He fosteredcertain hopes,--had ulterior purposes in view. Firstly, it was a niceday, the town he knew would be filled; and secondly, he was subtlyinterested in Kaden. He had seen by the paper that he was advertised tomake proof that day on his homestead.... Another thing, whenever hethought of Kaden, he could not keep Barr, and Syfe, and lastly,Christine, out of his mind....

  He found the little town filled almost to overflowing when he arrived.Teams were tied seemingly to every available post. The narrow boardwalks were crowded, the saloons were full, red liquor was doing its bit;while the general stores were alive with girls, women and children. Ajovial day was ahead and old friendships were revived and new ones made.There is about a new country an air of hopefulness that is contagious.Here in this land had come the best from everywhere: the best becausethey were for the most part hopeful and courageous; that great army ofdiscontented persons that have been the forerunners of the new world.Mingled in the crowd, Jean Baptiste regarded the unusual conglomerationof kinds. There were Germans, from Germany, and there were Swedes fromSweden, Danes from Denmark, Norwegians from Norway. There were Poles,and Finns and Lithuanians and Russians; there were French and a fewEnglish; but of his race he was the only one.

  As a whole the greater portion were from the northern parts of theUnited States, and he was glad that they were. With them there was no"Negro problem," and he was glad there was not. The world was too busyto bother with such: he was glad to know he could work unhampered. Hewas looked at curiously by many. To the young, a man of his skin wassomething rare, something new. He smiled over it with equal amusement,and then in a store he walked right into Agnes, the first time he hadseen her since the morning at the sod house. He was greatly surprised,and rather flustrated,--and was glad again his skin was dark. She couldnot see the blood that went to his face; while with her, it showed mostfuriously.

  As the meeting was unexpected, all she had thought and felt in the weekssince, came suddenly to the surface in her expression. In spite of hereffort at self control, her blushing face evidenced her confusion uponseeing him again. But with an effort, she managed to bow courteously,while he was just as dignified. They would have passed and gone theirways had it not been that in that instant another, a lady, a neighborand friend of Baptiste's, came upon them. She had become acquainted withAgnes that day, and was very fond of Baptiste. Although her name wasReynolds, she was a red blooded German, sociable, kind and obliging. Shehad not observed that they had exchanged greetings--did not know,obviously, that the two were acquainted; wherefore, her neighborlyinstincts became assertive.

  Coming forward volubly, anxiously, she caught Baptiste by the hand andshook it vigorously. "Mr. Baptiste, Mr. Baptiste!" she cried,punctuating the hand shaking with her voice full of joy, her red,healthy face beaming with smiles. "How very glad I am to see you! Youhave not been to see us for an age, and I have asked Tom where you were.We feared you had gone off and done something serious," whereupon shewinked mischievously. Baptiste understood and smiled.

  "You are certainly looking well for an old bachelor," she commented,after releasing his hand and looking into his face seriously, albeitamusedly, mischievously. "We were at Dallas and got some of the coal youwere brave enough to bring from Bonesteel that awful cold day. My, Jean,you certainly are possessed with great nerve! While that coal toeverybody was a godsend, yet think of the risk you took! Why, supposingyou had gotten lost in that terrific storm; lost as people have been inthe West before! You must be careful," she admonished, kindly. "You arereally too fine a young man to go out here and get frozen to death,indeed!" Baptiste started perceptibly. She regarded him questioningly.Unconsciously his eyes wandered toward Agnes who stood near, absorbed inall Mrs. Reynolds had been saying. His eyes met hers briefly, and theevents of the night at the sod house passed through the minds of both.The next moment they looked away, and Mrs. Reynolds, not understanding,glanced toward Agnes. She was by disposition versatile. But she caughther breath now with sudden equanimity, as she turned to Agnes and cried:

  "Oh, Miss Stewart, you!" she smiled with her usual delight and goingtoward Agnes caught her arm affectionately, and then, with face stillbeaming, she turned to where Baptiste stood.

  "
I want you, Miss Stewart," she said with much ostentation, "to meet oneof our neighbors and friends; one of the most enterprising young men ofthe country, Mr. Jean Baptiste. Mr. Baptiste, Miss Agnes Stewart." Shedid it gracefully, and for a time was overcome by her own vanity. In themeantime the lips of both those before her parted to say that they hadmet, and then slowly, understandingly, they saw that this would mean toexplain.... Their faces lighted with the logic of meeting formally, andgreetings were exchanged to fit the occasion.

  For the first time he was permitted to see her, to regard her as thereal Agnes. There was no embarrassment in her face but composure as sheextended her small ungloved hand this time and permitted it to restlightly in his palm. She smiled easily as she accepted his ardent gazeand showed a row of even white teeth momentarily before turningcoquetishly away.

  He regarded her intimately in one sweep of his eyes. She accepted thisalso with apparent composure. She was now fully normal in hercomposition. That about her which others had understood, and wereinspired to call beautiful now seemed to strangely affect him.

  Was it because he was hungry for woman's love; because since he hadlooked upon this land of promise and out of the visions she had come tohim in those long silent days; because of his lonely young life there inthe sod house she had communed with him; was it that he had imaginedher sweet radiance that now caused him to feel that she was beautiful?

  She had looked away only briefly, as if to give him time to think, toconsider her, and then she turned her eyes upon him again. She regardedhim frankly then, albeit admiringly. She wanted to hear him saysomething. She was not herself aware of how anxious she was to hear himspeak; for him to say anything, would please her. And as she stoodbefore him in her sweet innocence, all the goodness she possessed, theheart and desire always to be kind, to do for others as she had always,was revealed to him. His dream girl she was, and in reality she had notdisappointed him.

  If visionary he had loved her, he now saw her and what was hers. Herwondrous hair, rolled into a frivolous knot at the back of her head madeher face appear the least slender when it was really square; thechestnut glint of it seemed to contrast coquettishly with her whiteskin; and the life, the healthy, cheerful life that now gave vigor toher blood brought faint red roses to her cheeks; roses that seemed tocome and go. Her red lips seemed to tempt him, he was captivated. Heforgot in this intimate survey that she was of one race while he, JeanBaptiste, was of another.... And that between their two races, theinvisible barrier, the barrier which, while invisible was so absolute,so strong, so impossible of melting that it was best for the moment thathe forget it.

  While all he saw passed in a moment, he regarded her slenderness as shestood buttoned in the long coat, and wondered how she, so slight andfragile, had been able to lift his heavy frame upon the bed where he hadfound himself. And still before words had passed between them, he sawher again, and that singularity in the eyes had come back; they wereblue and then they were brown, but withal they were so baffling. He didnot seem to understand her when they were like this, yet when so he feltstrangely a greater right, the right to look into and feast in what hesaw, regardless of _the custom of the country and its law_.... And stillwhile he was not aware of it, Jean Baptiste came to feel that there wassomething between them. Though infinite, in the life that was to come,he now came strangely to feel sure that he was to know her, to becomemore intimately acquainted with her, and with this consciousness herelaxed. The spell that had come from meeting her again, from being nearher, from holding her hand in his though formally, the exchange of wordspassed and he gradually became his usual self; the self that had alwaysbeen his in this land where others than those of the race to which hebelonged were the sole inhabitants. He was relieved when he heard Mrs.Reynolds' voice:

  "Miss Stewart and her folks have just moved out from Indiana, Jean, andare renting on the Watson place over east of you; the place that cornerswith the quarter you purchased last fall, you understand."

  "Indeed!" Baptiste echoed with feigned ignorance, his eyebrows dilating.

  "Yes," she went on with concern, "And you are neighbors."

  "I'm glad--honored," Baptiste essayed.

  "He is flattering," blushed Agnes, but she was pleased.

  "And you'll find Mr. Baptiste the finest kind of neighbor, too," criedMrs. Reynolds with equal delight.

  "I'm a bad neighbor, Miss Stewart," he disdained. "Our friend here, Mrs.Reynolds, you see, is full of flattery."

  "I don't believe so, Mr. Baptiste," she defended, glad to be given anopportunity to speak. "We have just become acquainted, but papa has toldme of her, and the family, and I'm sure we will be the best of friends,won't we?" she ended with her eyes upon Mrs. Reynolds.

  "Bless you, yes! Who could keep from liking you?" whereupon she caughtAgnes close and kissed her impulsively.

  "Oh, say, now," cried Baptiste, and then stopped.

  "You're not a woman," laughed Mrs. Reynolds, "but you understand," sheadded reprovingly. Suddenly her face lit up with a new thought, and theusual smiling gave way to seriousness, as she cried:

  "By the way, Jean. We hear that you are going to hire a man this spring,and that reminds me that Miss Stewart's father has two boys--herbrothers--whom he has not work enough nor horses enough to use, so hewishes to hire one out." She paused to observe Agnes, who had alsobecome serious and was looking up at her.

  At this point she turned to Baptiste, and with a slight hesitation, shesaid:

  "Do you really wish to hire a man--Mr.--a--Mr. Baptiste?" Saying it hadheightened her color, and the anxiety in her tone caused her to appearmore serious. She had turned her eyes up to his and he was for theinstant captivated again with the thought that she was beautiful. Hisanswer, however, was calm.

  "I must have a man," he acknowledged. "I have more work than I can doalone."

  "Why, papa wishes to hire Bill--" It was natural to say Bill because itwas Bill they always hired, although George was the older; but since weknow why George was never offered, we return to her. "I should sayWilliam," she corrected awkwardly, and with an effort she cast it outof her mind and went on: "So if--if you think you could--a--use him, orwould care to give him the job," she was annoyed with the fact that Billwas halfwitted, and it confused her, which explains the slight catchesin her voice. But bravely she continued, "That is, if you have notalready given some one else the job, you could speak to papa, and hewould be pleased, I'm sure." She ended with evident relief; but thethought that had confused her, being still in her mind, her face wasdark with a confusion that he did not understand.

  Hoping to relieve the annoyance he could see, although not understandingthe cause of it, he spoke up quickly.

  "I have not hired a man, and have no other in sight; so your suggestion,Miss, regarding your brother meets with my favor. I will endeavortherefore, to see your father today if possible, if not, later, anddiscuss the matter pro and con."

  He had made it so easy for her, and she was overly gracious as sheattempted to have him understand in some manner that her brother wasafflicted. So her effort this time was a bit braver, notwithstanding asanxious, however, as before.

  "Oh, papa will be glad to have my brother work for you, and I wish youwould--would please not hire any other until you have talked with him."She paused again as if to gather courage for the final drive.

  "You will find my brother faithful, and honest, and a good worker;but--but--" it seemed that she could not avoid the break in her voicewhen she came to this all embarrassing point, "but sometimes--he--hemakes mistakes. He is a little awkward, a little bunglesome in starting,but if you would--could exercise just a little patience for a fewdays--a day, I am sure he would please you." It was out at last. Shewas sure he would understand. It had cost her such an effort to try tomake it plain without just coming out and saying he was halfwitted. Shewas not aware that in concluding she had done so appealingly. He hadobserved it and his man's heart went out to her in her distress. Heremembered then too, although he had on their f
irst meeting forgottenthat he had been told all about her brothers, and had also heard of her.

  "You need have no fear there, Miss Stewart," he wilfully lied. "I am themost patient man in the world." He wondered then at himself, that hecould lie so easily. His one great failing was his impatience, and heknew it. Because he did and felt that he tried to crush it, was hisredeeming feature in this respect. But the words had lightened herburden, and there was heightening of her color, as she spoke now withunfeigned delight:

  "Oh, that is indeed kind of you. I am so glad to hear you say so. Billis a good hand--everybody likes him after he has worked a while. It isbecause he is a little awkward and forgetful in the beginning thatworries my father and me. So I'm glad you know now and will not beimpatient."

  In truth while she did not know it, Jean was pleased with the prospect.He had not lived two years in the country, the new country, withouthaving experienced the difficulty that comes with the usual hired man.The class of men, with the exception of a homesteader, who came to thecountry for work usually fell into the pastime of gambling and drinkingwhich seemed to be contagious, and many were the griefs they gave thoseby whom they were employed. And Jean Baptiste, now that she had made itplain regarding her brother, had something to say himself.

  "There is one little thing I should like to mention, Miss Stewart," hesaid with apparent seriousness. She caught her breath with renewedanxiety as she returned his look. In the next instant she was relieved,however, as he said: "You understand that I am baching, a bachelor, andthe fare of bachelors is, I trust you will appreciate, not always thebest." He paused as he thought of how she must feel after having seenthe way he kept his house, and hoped that she could overlook thecondition in which she knew he kept it. But if he was embarrassed at thethought of it, it was not so with her. For her sympathy went out to him.She was conscious of how inconvenient it must be to bach, to live aloneas he was doing, and to work so hard.

  "It is not always to hired men's liking to forego the meals that onlywomen can prepare, and for that reason it is sometimes difficult for usto keep men."

  "Oh, you will not have to worry as to that, Mr. Baptiste," she assuredhim pleasantly. She caught her breath with something joyous apparentlyas she turned to him. "You see, we live almost directly between your twoplaces, and my brother can stay home and save you that trouble andbother." She was glad that she could be of assistance to him in someway, though it be indirectly. With sudden impulse, she turned to Mrs.Reynolds who had not interrupted:

  "It will be nice, now, won't it?"

  "Just dandy," the other agreed readily. "I am so glad we all three methere," she went on. "In meeting we have fortunately been of some serviceto each other. You will find Mr. Baptiste a fine fellow to work for. Welet our boys go over and help him out when he's pushed, and we know heappreciates it to the fullest." She halted, turned now mischievously toBaptiste and cried:

  "We are always after Jean that he should marry. Why, just think what agood husband he would make some nice girl." She had found her topic, hadMrs. Reynolds. Of all topics, she preferred to jolly the single withgetting married to anything else, so she went on with delight.

  "He goes off down to Chicago every winter and we wait to see the girlwhen he returns, but always he disappoints us." She affected a frown amoment before resuming: "It is certainly too bad that some good girlmust do without a home and the happiness that is due her, while he livesthere alone, having no comfort but what he gets when he goes visiting."She affected to appear serious and to have him feel it, while he coulddo nothing but grin awkwardly.

  "Oh, Mrs. Reynolds, you're hard on a fellow. My! Give him a chance. Ittakes two to make a bargain. I can't marry myself." He caught the eyesof Agnes who was enjoying his tender expression. Indeed the subjectappealed to him, and he had found it to his liking. She blushed. Sheenjoyed the humor.

  "I suspect Mrs. Reynolds speaks the truth," she said with affectedseriousness, but found it impossible to down the color in her flamingcheeks nevertheless.

  "Oh, but you two can jolly a fellow." He became serious now as he wenton: "But it isn't fair. There is no girl back in Chicago; there is nogirl anywhere for me." He was successful in his affectation of selfpity, and her feelings went out to him in her words that followed:

  "Now that is indeed, too bad, for him, Mrs. Reynolds, isn't it? Perhapshe is telling the truth. The girls in Chicago do not always understandthe life out here, and cannot make one feel very much encouraged." Shewondered at her own words. But she went on nevertheless. "Even back inIndiana they do not understand the West. They are--seem to be, sonarrow, they feel that they are living in the only place ofcivilization on earth." Her logical statement took away the joke. Theybecame serious. The store was filling and the crowd was pushing. So theyparted.

  A few minutes later as Baptiste passed down the street, he saw PeterKaden coming from the commissioners' office. Across the way he observedBarr and Syfe stop and exchange a few words. The next moment they wenttheir two ways while he stood looking after them.