The Homesteader: A Novel

by Oscar Micheaux

  CHAPTER III

  GLAVIS MAKES A PROMISE

  Glavis tried to appear very serious when Baptiste called at where heworked an hour later, but it was beyond him to be so. It was said thathe was in the habit of trying to appear like the Reverend, but since thepretended seriousness of that one had never affected Jean Baptiste,Glavis' affectation had still less effect.

  "Well, Glavis," he began pointedly. "I'm here as per your suggestion,and since it is quite plain what the matter is, we may as well comedirectly to the point."

  "Well, yes, Baptiste, I guess I may as well agree with you," repliedGlavis.

  "Then, to begin with. That remark you made over the 'phone regardingwhat I had said about you, let me say is a falsehood pure and simple.What I said or would say to your back I will say to your face."

  "Well, Baptiste," he replied quickly, and his expression confirmed thewords that followed, "I believe you."

  "I have no occasion to lie. It is very plain that our father-in-law andI are not in accord, and while it may be nothing to you perhaps, I donot hesitate to say that there is nothing wrong between Orlean andme--and never has been. It is all between her father and me, and he isusing her as the means."

  "Well, that is rather direct," suggested Glavis.

  "Evidently so; but it's the truth and you know it. It is simply a casewhich you are supposed not to see all sides of."

  "Now, Baptiste," defended Glavis, "I am no party to your wife's beinghere in Chicago."

  "And I agree with you," returned Baptiste. "It is not your nature tomake trouble between people, Glavis. I'll do you that honor. People areinclined to follow their natural bent, and yours, I repeat, is not tocause others misery. Therefore, you can rest assured that I do not meanto involve you in any of my troubles."

  "That is sure manly in you, Baptiste," Glavis said heartily.

  "But it is a fact, I venture, that you have been advised that I spokeill of you--at least, I spoke disparagingly of you while your folks werein the West. Am I speaking correctly?"

  "I'll have to admit that you are," and he scowled a little.

  "Do you believe these statements?"

  The other scowled again, but didn't have the courage to say that hedid--or, perhaps to lie. He knew why he had been told what he had. Tounite with the Reverend in his getting even with Baptiste, Glavis hadbeen told that Baptiste had "run him down."

  "Well, Glavis, the fact that my wife is at your home--under yourroof--I, her husband, am therefore placed at a disadvantage thereby. Youcannot help being indirectly implicated in whatever may happen."

  "Now, now, Baptiste," the other cried quickly. "I do not want to haveanything to do with you and Orlean's troubles. I--"

  "It is _not_ Orlean and my troubles, Glavis. It is her father's and mytroubles."

  Glavis shifted uncomfortably. Presently he said hesitatingly:

  "The old man just left town this morning. Wished you and he could havehad your outs together."

  "Yes, it is too bad we did not. As I see it, I have no business withhim. In him I am not interested, and never have been. Because I haveheld aloof from becoming so is the cause of the trouble. I was toldbefore I married Orlean, and by her herself, that I should praise herfather; that I should make him think that he was a king, if I would getalong with him. Indeed, I did not, I confess, at the time consider it tobe as grave as that, that I _had_ this to do in order to live withOrlean."

  It was positively uncomfortable to Glavis. He could find no words todisagree with the other because he knew that he spoke the truth. He knewthat he had catered to the Reverend's vanity to be allowed to pay courtto Ethel before he was married to her; he knew that he had done sosince; and he knew--and did not always like it--that he was still doingso, and boarding the Reverend's wife into the bargain, and Orlean nowwas added thereto. He did not relish the task. He earned only a smallsalary that was insufficient for his own and his wife's needs. Up to acertain point his wife defied her father; but since she was so like himin disposition, and had been instrumental in assisting to separateOrlean and her husband, she had not the courage to rebel and compel--atleast insist--that the Reverend take care of his wife and the daughterhe had parted from her husband.

  So it was all thrown onto Glavis. He made a few dollars extra each weekby various means, and this helped him a little. In truth, he wished thatOrlean was with her husband, and knowing very well that there was whereshe wanted to be, he was inclined for the moment to try to helpBaptiste. Besides, he rather admired the man. Few people could beoblivious to the personality of Baptiste and be honest with themselves.Even the Elder had always found it expedient to be disagreeable inorder to dispel the effect of his son-in-law's frank personality.

  "The way we are lined up, Glavis, you must appreciate that you cannotkeep out of it. You are aware that I have no wish to hang around yourabode; but I didn't come all the way from the West to fail to seeOrlean. You know full well that Ethel would never let her meet meelsewhere, that her father has left orders to that effect. Now, what amI to do? If I call, your wife will make it so disagreeable that nothingcan be accomplished."

  "Dammit!" exclaimed Glavis suddenly. "It _isn't_ all my fault or the oldman's or my wife's! It's Orlean's!"

  "Well," agreed Baptiste, thoughtfully, "on the whole, that is so."

  "Of course it is! If Orlean was a woman she would be right out therewith you now where she belongs!"

  "And I agree with you again, Glavis. But Orlean isn't a woman, and thatis what I have been trying to make her. She has never been awoman--wasn't reared so to be. By nature she is like her mother, and shehas grown up according to her training."

  "She cannot be two things at the same time," Glavis argued, "and that isa daughter to her father and a wife to you!"

  "No, that is where the difficulty lay," said Baptiste. "But her father'sinfluence over her is great, you will admit. She has been taught toagree with him, and that--I can never, nor will I try to do."

  "It certainly beats hell!"

  "It's the most awkward situation I have ever been placed in. But here'sthe idea: I took that girl for better or for worse. Now, what am I todo? Throw up my hands and quit, or try to see Orlean and get her aroundto reason? It isn't Orlean. It's her father. So I have concluded tomake some sort of a fight. Life and marriage are too serious just to letmatters go like this."

  "Yes, it is," agreed Glavis. "It certainly worries me. And it annoys mebecause it is so unnecessary." He was thoughtful and then suddenly hesaid:

  "I'm sorry you let the old man--er--ah--get you mixed up like this." Heappeared as if he wished to say more. To say that: "For when you let himget into it, the devil would be to pay! Keep him out of your affairs ifyou would live in peace."

  "Well," said Baptiste, rising, "your time here belongs to the companyyou are working for, and not to me or my troubles. So I'm going to'beat' it now out to Thirty-first Street."

  "Well," returned Glavis, "believe me, Baptiste, I'm sorry for you, andfor Orlean. It's rotten." It was remarkable how he saw what was causingit; but how he cleverly kept from directly accusing his father-in-law."And I'll meet you at Thirty-first Street after supper. At the Keystone,remember." With that he grasped the other's hand warmly, and as JeanBaptiste went down the stairway from where Glavis worked, he knew thathe had a friend who at least wanted to help right a most flagrant wrong.The only question was, would E.M. Glavis have the courage to go throughwith it?

  Well, Glavis might have the courage--_but Ethel was his wife. And JeanBaptiste realized that of all things in the world, a woman's influenceis the most subtle._