The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1935-08-29
There's ALWAYS
Another Year
By MARTHA OSTENSO

| All in all, conditions certainly war
ranted change of procedure on the
part of those two old cronies, Shad
Finney and Nils Ulevik. They stamp
ed heartily enough upon the advent
of "Hail, Hail." but after that they
glanced at their watches. And imme-
diately those others who possessed
watches drew them out from snug
pockets, looked at them, gave a
| thoughtful wind to the stems and re-
placed them.
There was general movement
toward the depot, a block away across
from the lumber yard. Eighteen or
twenty grown persons and scatter
ing of children.
"D'you s'pose Phronie'll be here? ?
Shad whispered to Nils. "Taint like
ly she'll send Jason to meet her. The
looks O him's enough to scare the old
Nick hisself"
Nils shrugged" She could do worse"
he remarked. "Yase yust so good so
his brudder Roderick."
Shad spied Duke Melbank standing
amid four or five men on the depot
platform. Duke, whose real name was
Earl-was bareheaded as usual, and
his flaming red hair, shaven close
about the ears and neck, could have
been seen quarter mile away.
Duke was tall, uarrow-shoulded,
tubular. His body suggested a length
of sponge. His hands, even in sum-
mer, were always pale, were clammy
to the touch. He had a loud, almost
incessant laugh which was peculiarly
devoid of mirth and meaning. He was
an only son, and lived with his moth
er on a shambles Of farm fringing
Heron River. Since farming had be-
come improbable, Jess Melbank and
her son supplied homebrew to the
neighborhood and to the campers on
the lakes to the north at twenty-five
cents quart. Jess, in coloring, ap-
peared to have been the inspiration of
Duke. She was as broad, however, as
she was long, and no one had ever
seen her in anything but black sate-
en- wrapper held together by mans
leather belt witha huge silver buckle
in front.
Soon after Shad Finney and Nils
Ulevik had gained the steps of the
platform, Jess Melbank could be seen
waddling forward from the Swallowed
extreme end of it. The evening being
oppressive, Jess carried a huge palm
fan, which she waved dexteroHsly
across the vast and flabby expanse of
her. She sank with audible relief down
upon bench against the depot wall,
still some distance from the group of
idlers who surrounded her son Duke.
Shad and Nils with a certain feeling
of distaSte, it must be admitted
edged nearer the group.
The two old men may not have been
listening to the utterances Of Duke
Melbank-those utterance so punctu-
ated by his own smokers and outlaws
that it took an alert ear to gather
their meaning. They may not have
been listening, exactly-because they
We're nice old men, not given to d
busy interest in scandal. But they
could, nevertheless not help overhear-
ing.
Some weeks ago, Duke Melbank, on
his thirty-fourth birthday, had discov-
cred Chicago. And Chicago, Ned Bur-
CESS, editor of the Heron River Sem
tinel, had estimated, would never be
the same again. Duke had read the
news item at first with slightly sour
look, because Ned considered himself
above everybody in the county except
the Wizards. But whatever Ned's in
tent had been, it was something to
have your name in the paper, and at
langth the clipping nestled in Dukes
vest pocket along with certain photo
graphs he had got from travelling
man who had been in France.
Everybody in Heron River knew by
now, what had happened on Dukes
visit to Chicago, but tonight was an
occasion which called for the retelling
of the event.