27 
This woman Ola was tender and a good nurse. She had 
been meant by nature to be a mother, her body had a nesting 
expression. She had taught in a country school, supporting 
her mother for many years. When she was forty-two her 
mother had been paralyzed. Ola gave up her school and moved 
to the city where she could get plain sewing to do at home. 
Very soon she met a man at church: a tall blonde wheat-grower 
from Minnesota. A man of her own age, but so full of strength 
and colour that he looked no more than thirty. He fell in love 
with Ola the first time he saw her and she quietly knew that 
he was for her. He asked her to marry him, pled with her to 
bring her mother and come with him, but she was afraid that 
with this burden his love might change. She asked him to 
wait. She had his unquestioning unchanging love for eight 
years....on the day of her mother’s funeral he had died of 
pneumonia. She took care of Karen as she had taken care of 
her mother, in some way it made it seem as if he were still 
waiting. 
Karen had not been in bed long when Andrea’s younger 
daughter came to the farm. She looked at Ola through nar 
rowed eyes, she did not speak, but went in to Karen and sat 
beside the bed. She was very angry. The farm was now hers, 
she had bought the sister’s share. She wanted possession. 
Karen had cut down some trees to keep warm in the winter. 
That was not in her tenure. The tenure would be broken. She 
% 
must leave. Karen lay with her face to the wall and said 
nothing. The other woman taunted her about her illness, asked 
her why she didn’t die. When she saw that Karen wouldn’t 
talk she sat silent looking at the bed with narrow eyes 
presently in a voice smothered with hate she said, “If you don’t 
go I’ll have you dragged out of here. I will go to the church 
and tell them why you were never my father’s wife. They will 
come and drive you out of the country for mother’s sake. You 
can think it over.” She went away. 
When Ola, frightened, crept into the room she heard Karen 
sobbing. She went to her and put her hand on her shoulder. 
“Karen, Karen don’t cry, the pastor won’t let them. I will tell 
him, your body is as white and round as a girl’s. You put