Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-12-02
By Conrad Bercouici

and tell her he was ready to go with her
wherever she wanted.
But she was less certain of herself the
following day. There he was in the fields,
cutting down cornstalks, bringing them
down in large braces. using a scythe as
II he were cutting grass. He was twenty
feet and then twenty-five feet ahead OF
the men working alongside him, setting
a terrific pace for all OF them.
Why didn't he Gomez While he was
working she ran to the mirror to examine
herself. Wasn't she as beautiful as she
had thought she was? Had she lost the
charm with which she had held the most
sought after n gifted men in Paris2
Looking at herself in doubt. she began
to discover imperfections in her face.
Was there another woman somewhere?
She had seen them all. big. rugged crea-
lures with clumsy bodies and brown eyes.
There was not ono who could compete
with her. No, there was no woman to
hold him. That cursed land, the farm
house, the oxen, they were her enemies.
She was competing with them. She hated
them.
He will come tonight after the work
Is finished. she told herself. He didn't
dare come the day before. He will come
! tonight, she repeated to herself. unable
to admit defeat.
But attire shutdown and later after dark
she heard his guitar playing and bursts
OF his unmusical but powerful voice as
he was singing together with the Others
sitting u the fire that had been lit
not far from the house. Why did he not
come?
She knew how much he was suffering.
He o not be able to resist. He had
to come. She was stronger han earth
and cattle and carved sticks and fire.
places.
n vrCy.1l 1890. H. 49, -
must come then. She would AXE him
with her to Paris. She would ask the
director OF the theater. an old friend of
hers, to have him fitted put by q tailor
he knew before she would show him to
her friends. Her prize. Her pride. The
envy OF everybody. She must succeed
1t was her man. There was no one like
him in all the world.
The third day passed, yet he did not
come. She consoled herself with the
thought that the longer he resisted the
greater the merit in vanquishing him
1t wa a battle with a worthy enemy and
she was certain to come out winner He
would come that evening. But he did no
come. Sh tossed sleeplessly in her bed
In the morning she came to q heroic
decision. 1t was her last day. She had
to leave that evening in order to be In
Paris the following day. She had told
him she was going to leave IN Thursday
She was going over to tell him good-by
He would succumb then. 1t was the only
thing to do. 1t was the only means tC
bring him to submission. He knew her
terms.
She dressed more carefully, more allur-
ingly than he had ever seen her dressed
She looked at herself in the mirror and
was satisfied she was irresistible.
In a few minute she was at the Cora
farm. 1t was early In the morning. They
were moving down another field Of hay
Gould / see Emanuel" she asked the
mother, who had come to meet her at the
door.
He Is there"
She pointed and at the same time
called to her son that Madame wanted
to see him.
He remained where he was, leaning
against his oxen, and waited for her to
come to him.
When she had come near enough she
did not know whether to begin to berate
him for his neglect or tell him abruptly
that she was going to leave.
There is much work now on the
farm" he said quietly.
And putting the stick he carried into
her hand, he told her:
This is a new pair OF oxen. drive
them on from behind. All other things