The man nodded, and his dark face grew graver.
“This is our home, isn’t it?” the girl continued, after a pause. “Just look round. There’s the new barn. I remember when you and Pa built it. I used to hold the wood while you sawed, and made you angry because I always tried to make you cut it crooked—and never succeeded. I was very small then. There’s the old barn. We use it for cows now. And do you remember when you pulled down the old granary, and built the new one in the shape of an elevator? And do you remember, Ma wouldn’t speak to us for a whole day because we pulled the old hen-roost to pieces and established the hogs there? She said it was flying in the face of Providence having the smelly old things so near the house. And now we’re going to leave it all. We’re farmers, aren’t we, Seth? But Pa is going in for cattle.” 367
“Cattle?” exclaimed Seth.
“Yes. But I’d rather that than another grain farm after this one. I don’t think I could ever like another grain farm so well as this.”
Rosebud had seated herself at Seth’s feet, with her back to him so that he could not see her face. She was dressed in a simple dark gown that made her look very frail. Her golden hair was arranged in a great loose knot at the nape of her neck from which several unruly strands had escaped. Seth noted these things even though his eyes wandered from point to point as she indicated the various objects to which she was drawing his attention.
“Yes, it is home, sure, Rosie,” he said at last, as she waited for his answer. “Yes, it’s home, sure. Yours an’ mine.”
There was a long pause. Rosebud leant against Seth’s knees; and presently she raised one arm till her elbow rested upon them. Then she supported her head upon her hand.
“But I think it’s right to go; Ma and Rube are getting old. They want rest. Rube’s got a goodish bit of capital, too,” she went on, with an almost childish assumption of business knowledge. “And so have you. Now how much will buy a nice ranch?”
The girl had faced round and was gazing up into Seth’s face with all the bland innocence of childhood in her wide open eyes. The gravity she beheld there was profound. 368
“Wal, I’d say around twenty thousand dollars. Y’ see, stockin’ it’s heavy. But Rube wouldn’t think o’ that much. Mebbe he’d buy a goodish place an’ raise the stock himself. I ’lows it’s a money-makin’ game—is stock. It’s a good business.”