The Homesteader: A Novel

by Oscar Micheaux

  CHAPTER VII

  VANITY

  "My father is home, and, oh! but he did carry on when he was informed regarding my trip West to take the homestead," Orlean wrote her betrothed in her next letter. "He was so much upset over it that he went out of the house and walked in the street for a time to still his intense excitement. When he returned, however, he listened to my explanation, and, after a time, I was pleased to note that he was pacified. And still later he was pleased, and when a half day had passed he was tickled to death.

  "Of course I was relieved then also, and now I am fully satisfied. I have not written you as soon as I should have on this account. I thought it would be best to wait until papa had heard the news and was settled on the matter, which he now is. He has written you and I think you should receive the letter about the same time you will this. He has never been anxious in his simple old heart for me to marry, but of course he understands that I must some day, and now that I am engaged to you, he appears to be greatly pleased.

  "By the way, I have not received the ring yet, and am rather anxious. Of course I wish to be quite reasonable, but on the whole, a girl hardly feels she's engaged until she is wearing the ring, you know. Write me a real sweet letter, and make it long. In the meantime remember me as one who thinks a great deal of you,

  "From your fond,

  "ORLEAN."

  Baptiste heard from his father-in-law-to-be in due time, and read theletter carefully, replying to the same forthwith.

  We should record before going further that the incident which hadhappened between them in his youth had been almost as completely buriedas it had been before the day of its recent resurrection. In his replyhe stated that he would come into the city Xmas, which meant of course,that they would meet and come to understand each other better. He wasglad that the formalities were in part through with, and would be gladwhen it was over. He did not appreciate so much ado where so little wasrepresented, as it were. He had it from good authority without inquirythat the Reverend McCarthy had never possessed two hundred dollars atone time in his life, and the formalities he felt compelled to gothrough with far exceeded that amount already. And with this in mind hebegan gathering his corn crop which he had been delayed in doing onaccount of the stress of other more urgent duties.

  He had been at work but a few days when snow began to fall. For days itfell from a northwesterly direction, and then turning, for a week camefrom an easterly direction. This kept up until the holidays arrived,therefore most of the corn crop over all the country was caught andremained in the field all the winter through. By the hardest work hissister and grandmother succeeded in reaching his place from theirhomesteads, and stayed there while he went into Chicago.

  "Mr. Baptiste, please meet my father," said Orlean when he called,following his arrival in the city again. He looked up to find a tall,dark but handsome old man extending his hand. He regarded him, studiedhim carefully in a flash, and in doing so his mind went back twentyyears; to a memorable day when he had been punished and had followed itby running away. He extended his hand and grasped the other's, andwondered if he also remembered.... They exchanged greetings, and if theother recalled him, he gave no evidence of the fact in his expression.

  When he had sat beside the teacher, such a long time before, Baptisterecalled now, that at the back of the other's head there had been awhite spot where the hair was changing color; but now this spot spreadover all the head, and the hair was almost as white as snow. With hisdark skin, this formed a contrast that gave the other a distinguishedappearance which was noticeably striking. But his eyes did not meet withBaptiste's favor, though he was not inclined to take this seriously. Butas he continued to glance at him at times during the evening he did notfail to see that the other seemed never to look straight and franklyinto his eyes; and there was in his gaze and expression when he metBaptiste,--so Baptiste thought--a peculiar lurking, as if some hiddenevil were looking out of the infinite depths of the other's soul. Itannoyed Baptiste because every time he caught the other's gaze herecalled the incident of twenty years before, and wanted to forget it;declared he would forget it, and to that task he set himself, andapparently succeeded while in the city.

  With Ethel and her husband, whose name was Glavis, he never got along atall. Ethel was pompous, and known to be disagreeable; while Glavis wasnarrow, and a victim of his wife's temper and disposition. So unlessthe talk was on society and "big" Negroes, which positively did notinterest Jean Baptiste, who was practical to the superlative, there wasno agreement.

  So when Jean Baptiste returned West, he was conscious of a great relief.

  The severe winter passed at last and with early spring everybodycompleted the gathering of the corn and immediately turned to seedingtheir crops. Work was plentiful everywhere, and to secure men tocomplete gathering his crop of corn, Baptiste had the greatestdifficulty. Stewarts had failed to secure any land at all--either of thefour in the drawing, and, being unable to purchase relinquishments oneven one quarter at the large sum demanded therefor, had gone toward thewestern part of the state and taken free homesteads. As for Agnes, shehad apparently passed out of his life.

  He labored so hard in the cold, wet muddy fields in trying to get hiscorn out that he was taken ill, and was not able to work at all fordays, and while so, he wrote his fiancee his troubles; and that since hewas so indisposed, with a world of work and expense upon him she woulddo him a great favor if she would consent to come to him and be married.

  Now the McCarthys had given Ethel a big wedding although her husbandreceived only thirteen dollars a week for his work. Two hundred dollars,so it was reported, had been expended on the occasion. Such display didnot appeal to the practical mind of Jean. He had lived his life tooclosely in accomplishing his purpose to become at this late day a victimof such simple vanity; the ultra simple vanity of aping the rich. Uponthis point his mind was duly set. The McCarthys had started to buy ahome the summer before which was quite expensive, and had entered intothe contract with a payment of three hundred dollars. The Reverend hadborrowed a hundred dollars on his life insurance and paid this in, whileGlavis had paid another. Ethel had used what money she had savedteaching, to expend in the big wedding, so Orlean had paid the otherhundred out of the money she had saved teaching school.

  Now, if there was any big wedding for Orlean, then he, Jean Baptiste,knew that he would be expected to stand the expense. Therefore, Baptistetried to make plain to Orlean in his letters the gravity of hisposition. She would be compelled to establish residence on her homesteadearly in May, and this was April, or forfeit her right and sacrifice allhe had put into it.

  But Orlean became unreasonable--Jean Baptiste reasoned. She set forththat she did not think it right for her to go away out there and marryhim; that he should come to her. She seemed to have lost sense of all hehad written her, regarding the crops, responsibilities, and otherconsiderations. He wrote her to place it up to her mother and father,which she did, to reply in the same tenor. They had not agreed to it,either. He replied then heatedly, and hinted that her father was not abusiness man else he would have realized his circumstances, and, as manto man, appreciated the same.

  The next letter he received had enclosed the receipt for the firstpayment of the purchase price of six dollars an acre, a charge thegovernment had made on the land, amounting to some $210, in the firstpayment. She released him from his promise--but kept the ring.

  "Now, don't that beat the devil!" he exclaimed angrily, when he read theletter. "As though this receipt is worth anything to me; or that itwould suffice to get back the $2,000 I paid the man for therelinquishment. The only thing that will suffice is, for her to go onthe land, so I guess I'll have to settle this nuisance at once by goingto Chicago and marrying her."

  So he started for the Windy City.

  At Omaha he sent a telegram to her to the effect that he was on the way,and would arrive in the city on the m
orrow.

  He arrived. He called her up from the Northwestern station, and shecalled back that it was settled; she had given him her word. Theengagement was off.

  "Oh, foolish," he called jovially.... "It isn't," she called backangrily.... "Well," said he, "I'll call and see you...." "No need," shesaid.... "But you'll see me," he called.... "Yes, I'll see you. I'll doyou that honor...."

  Now when Jean Baptiste had called over the 'phone, Glavis had answeredthe call, and thereupon had started an argument that Orlean hadconcluded by taking the receiver from his hand. Of course she had jiltedJean Baptiste and had sent back the papers; moreover, she had declaredshe would not marry him--_under any circumstances_. But she wouldattend to that herself and did not need the assistance of herbrother-in-law....

  Glavis was quite officious that morning--acting under his wife's orders.When the bell rang, although he should have been at his work an hourbefore he opened the door. Baptiste was there and Glavis started to saysomething he felt his wife would be pleased to know he said. But, beingaffected with a slight impediment of speech, his tongue became twistedand when he could straighten it out, Baptiste had passed him and was onhis way to the rear of the house where Orlean stood pouting. Ethel stoodnear with her lips protruding, and Mrs. McCarthy, whom he had termed,"Little Mother Mary," stood nearby at a loss as to what to say.

  "Indeed, but it looks more like you were waiting for a funeral than forme," as he burst in upon them. Pausing briefly, he observed the one whohad declared everything against him, turned her face away and refused togreet him.

  "What's the matter, hon'," he said gaily and laughed, at the same timegathering her into his arms.

  "Will you look at that!" exclaimed Ethel, ready to start something. ButGlavis, countered twice the morning so soon, concluded at last that itwas his time to keep his place. So deciding, he cut his eyes towardEthel, and said: "Now, Ethel, this is no affair of yours," and cautionedher still more with his eyes.

  "No, Ethel," commanded Orlean, "This is _my_ affair. I--" she did notfinish, because at that moment Jean Baptiste had kissed her.

  "It beats anything I ever witnessed," cried Ethel, almost bursting toget started.

  "Then don't witness it," said Glavis, whereupon he caught her about thewaist and urged her up the stairs and locked her in their room.

  "You've been acting something awful like," chided Baptiste, with Orleanstill in his arms. She did not answer just then. She could not. Shedecided at that moment, however, to take him into the parlor, and theretell him all she said she would. Yes, she would do that at once. Sodeciding, she caught him firmly by the arm, and commanded:

  "Come, and I will get you told!"

  He followed meekly. When they reached the parlor she was confronted withanother proposition. Where would they sit? She glanced from the chairsto the davenport; but he settled it forthwith by settling upon thedavenport. She hesitated, but before she had reached a decision, shefound herself pulled down by his side--and dreadfully close. Well, shedecided then, that this was better, after all, because, if she was closeto him he could hear her better. She would not have to talk so loud. Shedid not like loud talking. It was too "niggerish," and she did not likethat. But behold! He, as soon as she was seated, encircled her waistwith his arm. Dreadful! Then, before she could tell him what she hadmade up all the night before to say to him, she felt his lips uponhers--and, my! they were so warm, and tender and soft. She was confused.Ethel and her father had said that the country where Jean lived waswild; that all the people in it were hard and coarse and rough--butJean's kisses were warm, and soft and tender. She almost forgot what shehad intended telling him. And just then he caught her to him, and thatfelt so--well, she did not know--could not say how it felt; but she wasforgetting all she had planned to tell him. She heard his voicepresently, and for a moment she caught sight of his eyes. They were realclose to hers, and, oh, such eyes! She had not known he possessed suchstriking ones. How they moved her! She was as if hypnotized, she couldnot seem to break the spell, and in the meantime she was forgetting moreof what she had made up her mind to say. He spoke then, and such awonderful voice he seemed to have! How musical, how soft, howtender--but withal, how strong, how firm, how resolute and determined itwas. She was held in a thraldom of strange delight.

  "What has been the matter with my little girl?" And thereupon, as ifthey were not close enough, he gathered her into his arms. Oh, what athrill it gave her! She had forgotten now, all she had had in mind tosay and it would take an hour or so, perhaps a day, to think andremember it all over again.... "Hasn't she wanted to see me? Suchbeautiful days are these! Lovely, grand, glorious!" She looked outthrough the window. It _was_ a beautiful day, indeed! And she had notobserved it before.

  "And hear the birds singing in the trees," she heard. And thereupon shelistened a moment and heard the birds singing. She started. Now she hadfelt she was thoughtful. She really loved to listen to the twitter ofbirds--and it was springtime. It was life, and sunshine and happiness.She had not heard the birds before that morning, therefore it must havebeen because she had let anger rule instead of sunshine. And as if hehad read her thoughts, she heard his voice again:

  "And because you were angry--gave in to evil angriness and poutedinstead of being cheerful, happy and gay, you have failed to observe howbeautiful the sun shone, and that the birds were singing in the trees."

  She felt--was sensitive of a feeling of genuine guilt.

  "And away out west, where the sunshine kisses the earth, and the wheat,the corn, the flax, and the oats grow green in great fields, everybodythere is about his duty; for, when the winter has been long, cold anddreary, the settlers must stay indoors lest they freeze. So with suchdays as these after the long, cold and dreary winters, everybody must beup and doing. For if the crops are to mature in the autumn time, theymust be placed in the earth through seed in the springtime. But thereis, unfortunately, one settler, called St. Jean Baptiste, by those whoknow him out there, who is not in his fields; his crops are not beingsown; his fields--wide, wide fields, which represent many thousands ofdollars, and long years of hard, hard work, are lying idle, growing towild weeds!"

  "But, Jean," she cried of a sudden. "It is not so?"

  "Unfortunately it is so, my love!"

  "Then--Jean--you must go--hurry, and sow your crops, also!" she echoed.

  "For years and years has Jean Baptiste labored to get his fields as theyare. For, in the beginning, they were wild, raw and unproductive,whereupon naught but coyotes, prairie dogs and wild Indians lived; whereonly a wild grass grew weakly and sickly from the surface and yieldedonly a prairie fire that in the autumn time burned all in its path; aland wherein no civilized one had resided since the beginning of time."

  "Oh, Jean!"

  "And he has longed for woman's love. For, according to the laws of theChrist, man should take unto himself a wife, else the world and all itspeople, its activity, its future will stop forthwith!"

  "You are so wonderful!"

  "Not wonderful, am I," quoth Baptiste. "Just a mite practical."

  "But it is wonderful anyhow, all you say!"

  "And yet my Orlean does not love me yet!"

  "I didn't say that," she argued, thinking of what she had written him.

  "Since therefore she has not said it, then methinks that she does not."

  "I--I--oh, you--are awful!"

  "And she will not go to live alone with me and share my life--and mylove!"

  "I--oh, I didn't say I wouldn't do all that." She was done for then. Shehad shot her last defense.

  "Then you will?" he asked anxiously. "You will go back with me, and bemine, all mine and love me forever?"

  She sought his lips and kissed him then, and he arose and caught herclose to him and kissed her again and looked into her eyes, and she wasthen all his own.