The Passionate Flight MARTHA “OSTENSO The Passionate Flight By Martha Ostenso Hodder and Stoughton Limitedl London, Man@ AMD mmorreD ir cURAT ARITA OY fnctina 22mm som, Uno, GUELBROND AWD ESHER The Passionate Flight © Chapter T Ir was not openly spuken of, but the family was waiting for Caleb Gare. Even'Lind Archer, the new school teacher, who had come late that afternoon all the way from Yellow Post with the Indian mail carrier and must, therefore, be hungry, was waiting. Amejia Gare, Caleb's wife, with all her cheerful bustling about the kitchen as if everything weren't quite ready, could not break the suspense. Judith and Charlie had milked several of the cows, and had come in and out of the house repeatedly ‘for no reason whatever. Martin, slow and clumsy of feeling as he was, had cleaned the entire stable so thoroughly that it looked unnatural. Ellen, Martin's twin, was playing the organ, but appeared to have forgotten even the more familiac parts of her repertoire, such as Red Wing and the less recent Ret Bolt. Eiten played, har- moniously enough, “‘ by ear.” The teacher sat quietly in the low red plush rocker, listening to the springs of it exclaim as she rocked to and fro. She reflected, with some misgivings, on the non-commitial opinions that had been expressed at Yel- low Post the day before in reply to her delicately asked questions about the Gares. She remembered also, with increasing discomfort, the short, scornful grunt of John Tobacco, the mail carrier, when she had sought from him what manner of being she might expect in Caleb Gare. Now, the squeaking roc kept her mind of her hunger. The rocker seemed to say, Caleb] Caleb! Caleb!” It amused the teacher, rather wanly, : 5 6 Tho Passionate Flight Presently the outer door swung open. Judith had come in again. Lind Archer saw her against the dim light of the lantern that hung by the kitchen door. She had a great, defiant body, her chest high and broad as a boy’s; her hair was wild-locked and black ‘and shone on. top ‘of her head with a bluish lustre; her eyes were in sullen repose now, long and narrow; her lips were thick and drooped at the corners. She wore overalls and a heavy sweater, and stood squarely on her feet, as if prepared to take or give a blow. Judith approached Lind with a heavy, swinginy stride. Lind thought she had never before seen sucl vigorous beauty. Ave you hungry?" the girl asked her abruptly. “ A little," Lind admitted, Ellen’s hands paused in mid-air over the organ keys. Her eyes held a reproich as she looked at Judith. But the younger girl, ignoring her sister, took a few long steps and disappeared into the pantry, She emerged with a plate on which were two slices of bread well-buttered, and a glass of milk. Ellen's reproach grew. She stood up before the organ. jude, you know father doesn't——"* ‘This won't spoil your supper any—if you're ever goin’ to get it," said Jude to the teacher, break in upon Elien’s speech. Lind took the proffered food, too embarrassed to refuse it. Ellen rose erectly and without a word walked into the kitchen, Lind felt that she was conferring in a whisper with her mother. The teacher nibbled un- comfortably at her bread and took a sip of the milk. Jude, who had been winding a bit of twine about a stick, threw herself on the floor at Lind’s feet. “You might as well know that he'll try to bully ou,” she said matter-of-factly, “He's starting by eping supper waiting. He always does the same The Passionate Flight 7 thing when a new teacher comes. He expects you to be aman. All the teachers have been men. He's in for a jolt. But you stick up for yourself, Miss Archer. Don’t you let him bully you."” Amelia spoke from the doorway. * Judith 1” “Never mind, Ma. [’m only teifin’ her the trath."” Ellen came back into the room and placed a pitcher of water heavily on the table, as if she had miscalcu- lated the distance between the table and her hand. A pucker of anxiety drew her brows together. Ellen wore silversimmed glasses that were not orginally prescribed for her. As a result the pupils of her eyes were always dilated and strained, the lids reddish and moist. She stood before the table for a moment and shot a bitter glance in the direction of Judith. Then she passed stiffly out of the room. Lind Archer finished her bread and butter in silence. There was a raw feeling in the air that no superficial remark couid dispel. Judith, apparently bent on tormenting her sister Ellen, whistled to her dog where he lay in the niche under the staircase. The dog looked up. “Caleb! she said sharply. The dog started, pricking up his ears. * Jude smiled maliciously toward Ellen, who moved about the kitchen as though she had not heard. “You see-—” said Judith, then began on another line. “(He loves to ride around in the cart to show the Icelanders how much spare time he has during the busy season, while the rest of us slave around in the muck alll day.” A feeling of apprehension was growing upon Lind. The high romance which had attended her setting’ out for this isolated wet in the north country was woetully deserting-her. She had never before looked upon the