Part 80 (1/2)

”Could you drive for us, Captain?” Clara asked, handing him the reins to the little mule team before he could answer. With such a crowd there watching he couldn't muster a protest, and he drove the little wagon three miles west on the Platte to a place where there were a few small cottonwoods.

”It ain't as nice as our place on the Guadalupe, Gus, but it's the best we can do,” Clara said.

”Oh, your orchard, you mean,” Augustus said.

Clara looked puzzled for a moment-she had forgotten that that was what they called the picnic spot on the Guadalupe.

The day remained fair, and the picnic was a great success for everyone except Captain Call and July Johnson, both of whom felt awkward and merely waited for it to be over. The girls tried to get July to wade in the Platte, but he resisted solemnly. Newt waded, and then Lorena, rolling up her pants, and Lorena and Betsey walked far downstream, out of sight of the party. The baby dozed in the shade, while Clara and Augustus bantered. The sixteen-year gap in their communications proved no hindrance at all. Then Augustus rolled up his his pants and waded with the girls, while Clara and Lorena watched. All the food was consumed, Call drinking about half the b.u.t.termilk himself. He had always loved b.u.t.termilk and had not had any for a long time. pants and waded with the girls, while Clara and Lorena watched. All the food was consumed, Call drinking about half the b.u.t.termilk himself. He had always loved b.u.t.termilk and had not had any for a long time.

”You don't plan on returning to Arkansas, Mr. Johnson?” he asked.

”I don't know that I will,” July said. In fact, he had given no thought to his future at all.

Augustus ate most of the fried chicken and marveled at how comfortable Lorena seemed to be. She liked the girls, and seeing her with them reminded him that she was not much more than a girl herself, despite her experiences. He knew that she had been advanced too quickly into life, though perhaps not so far to yet enjoy a bit of girlhood.

When it came time to go back to the ranch he helped Lorie into the wagon with the girls, and he and Clara walked behind. Newt, who had enjoyed the picnic mightily, fell into conversation with Sally and rode beside the wagon. Lorena didn't seem concerned-she and Betsey had taken to one another at once, and were chatting happily.

”You should leave that girl here,” Clara said, startling Augustus. He had been thinking the same thing.

”I doubt she'd stay,” he said.

”If you stay out of it she might,” Clara said. ”I'll ask her. You have no business taking a girl like that into Montana. She might not survive.”

”In some ways she ain't so young,” he said.

”I like her,” Clara said, ignoring him. ”I expect you'll marry her and I'll have to watch you have five or six babies in your old age. I guess I'd be annoyed, but I could live with it. Don't take her up to Montana. She'll either die or get killed, or else she'll age before her time, like I have.”

”I can't tell that you've aged much,” Augustus said.

”You've just been around me one day,” Clara said. ”There's certain things I can still do and certain things I'm finished with.”

”What things are you finished with?” he asked.

”You'd find out if you stayed around me much,” Clara said.

”I notice you've taken a fancy to young Mr. Johnson,” Augustus said. ”I expect if I did stay around he'd beat me out.”

”He's nearly as dull as Woodrow Call, but he's nicer,” Clara said. ”He'll do what he's told, mostly, and I've come to appreciate that quality in a man. I could never count on you to do what you're told.”

”So do you aim to marry him?”

”No, that's one of the things I'm through with,” Clara said. ”Of course I ain't quite-poor Bob ain't dead. But if he pa.s.ses away, I'm through with it.”

Clara smiled. Augustus chuckled. ”I hope you ain't contemplating an irregular situation,” he said.

Clara smiled. ”What's irregular about having a boarder?” she asked. ”Lots of widows take boarders. Anyway, he likes my girls better than he likes me. He might be ready to marry again by the time Sally's of age.”

At that moment Sally was chattering away to young Newt, who was getting his first taste of conversation with a sprightly young lady.

”Who's his mother?” Clara asked. She liked the boy's looks, and also his manners. ”I never knew Call was p.r.o.ne to ladies,” she added.

”Oh, Woodrow ain't,” Augustus said. ”He can barely stand to be within fifty yards of you.”

”I know that,” Clara said. ”He's been stiff all day because I won't bargain away my horses. My price is my price. But that boy's his, and don't you tell me he ain't. They walk alike, they stand alike, and they look alike.”

”I expect you're right,” Augustus said.

”Yes, I'm right,” Clara said. ”You ain't answered my question.”

”His mother was a woman named Maggie,” he said. ”She was a wh.o.r.e. She died when Newt was six.”

”I like that boy,” Clara said. ”I'd keep him him too, if I got the chance. He's about the age my Jimmy would be, if Jimmy had lived.” too, if I got the chance. He's about the age my Jimmy would be, if Jimmy had lived.”

”Newt's a fine boy,” Augustus said.

”It's a miracle, ain't it, when one grows up nice,” Clara said. ”He's got a quiet way, that boy. I like that. It's surprising to find gentle behavior when his father is Captain Call.”

”Oh, Newt don't know Call's his father,” Augustus said. ”I expect he's heard hints, but he don't know it.”

”And Call don't claim him, when anybody can see it?” Clara said, shocked. ”I never had much opinion of Call, and now I have less.”

”Call don't like to admit mistakes,” Augustus said. ”It's his way.”

”What mistake?” Clara said. ”I wouldn't call it a mistake if I raised a boy that nice. My Jimmy had wildness in him. I couldn't handle him, though he died when he was eight. I expect he'd have ended like Jake. Now where'd it come from? I ain't wild, and Bob ain't wild.”

”I don't know,” Augustus said.

”Well, I had two sweet ones, though,” Clara said. ”My last one, Johnny, was the sweetest. I ain't been the same since that child died. It's a wonder the girls aren't worse-behaved than they are. I don't consider that I've ever had the proper feeling for them. It went out of me that winter I lost Jeff and Johnny.”

They walked in silence for a while.

”Why don't you tell that boy who his pa is?” Clara said. ”I'd do it, if he was around here long. He should know who his pa is. He's got to wonder.”

”I always thought Call would work up to it, eventually,” Augustus said. ”I still think so.”

”I don't,” Clara said.

A big gray wolf loped up out of the riverbed, looked at them for a moment, and loped on.

Ahead, the baby was fretting, and the girls and Lorena were trying to shush it.

When they got back to the ranch, Call gave in and told Clara he'd pay her price for the horses. He didn't like it, but he couldn't stay around there forever, and her horses were in far better condition than the nags he had looked at in Ogallala.

”Fine, go help him, boys,” Clara said. Cholo and July went off to help. Newt was helping the girls carry the remains of the picnic in.

He was sorry they were leaving. Sally had been telling him all she planned to do when she grew up. She was going East to school and then planned to play the piano professionally, she said. That seemed unusual to Newt. The only musician he knew was Lippy, and he couldn't imagine Sally doing what Lippy did. But he enjoyed listening to her talk about her future life.