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of icing。
From Chuck； between mouthfuls： 〃I guess you don't know how good
this tastes。 Camp grub's all right； but after you've had a few months of it
you get so you don't believe there IS such a thing as real fried chicken and
homemade chocolate cake。〃
〃I'm glad you like it； Chuck。 Here； take this drumstick。 You ain't
eating a thing！〃 His fourth piece of chicken。
Down the river as far as the danger line just above the dam； with
Tessie pretending fear just for the joy of having Chuck reassure her。
Then back again in the dusk； Chuck bending to the task now against the
current。 And so up the hill； homeward bound。 They walked very
slowly； Chuck's hand on her arm。 They were dumb with the tragic；
eloquent dumbness of their kind。 If she could have spoken the words that
were churning in her mind； they would have been something like this：
〃Oh； Chuck； I wish I was married to you。 I wouldn't care if only I
had you。 I wouldn't mind babies or anything。 I'd be glad。 I want our
house； with a dining…room set； and a mahogany bed； and one of those
overstuffed sets in the living room； and all the housework to do。 I'm
scared。 I'm scared I won't get it。
What'll I do if I don't？〃
And he； wordlessly： 〃Will you wait for me； Tessie； and keep on
thinking about me？ And will you keep yourself like you are so that if I
come back〃
Aloud； she said： 〃I guess you'll get stuck on one of those French girls。
I should worry！ They say wages at the watch factory are going to be
raised； workers are so scarce。 I'll probably be as rich as Angie Hatton
time you get back。〃
And he； miserably： 〃Little old Chippewa girls are good enough for
Chuck。 I ain't counting on taking up with those Frenchies。 I don't like
their jabber； from what I know of it。 I saw some pictures of 'em； last
week； a fellow in camp had who'd been over there。 Their hair is all
funny； and fixed up with combs and stuff； and they look real dark like
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foreigners。〃
It had been reassuring enough at the time。 But that was six months
ago。 And now here was the Tessie who sat on the back porch； evenings；
surveying the sunset。 A listless； lackadaisical； brooding Tessie。 Little
point to going downtown Saturday nights now。 There was no familiar；
beloved figure to follow you swiftly as you turned off Elm Street；
homeward bound。 If she went downtown now； she saw only those
Saturday…night family groups which are familiar to every small town。
The husband； very damp as to hair and clean as to shirt； guarding the
gocart outside while the woman accomplished her Saturday…night trading
at Ding's or Halpin's。 Sometimes there were as many as half a dozen
gocarts outside Halpin's； each containing a sleeping burden； relaxed；
chubby； fat…cheeked。 The waiting men smoked their pipes and conversed
largely。 〃Hello； Ed。 The woman's inside； buyin' the store out； I guess。〃
〃That so？ Mine； to。 Well； how's everything？〃
Tessie knew that presently the woman would come out； bundle laden；
and that she would stow these lesser bundles in every corner left available
by the more important sleeping bundletwo yards of oilcloth； a spool of
100； white； a banana for the baby； a new stewpan at the five…and…ten。
There had been a time when Tessie； if she thought of these women at
all； felt sorry for themworn； drab； lacking in style and figure。 Now she
envied them。
There were weeks upon weeks when no letter came from Chuck。 In
his last letter there had been some talk of his being sent to Russia。
Tessie's eyes； large enough now in her thin face； distended with a great
fear。 Russia！ His letter spoke； too； of French villages and chateaux。
He and a bunch of fellows had been introduced to a princess or a countess
or somethingit was all one to Tessieand what do you think？ She had
kissed them all on both cheeks！ Seems that's the way they did in France。
The morning after the receipt of this letter the girls at the watch factory
might have remarked her pallor had they not been so occupied with a new
and more absorbing topic。
〃Tess； did you hear about Angie Hatton？〃
〃What about her？〃
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〃She's going to France。 It's in the Milwaukee paper； all about her
being Chippewa's fairest daughter； and a picture of the house； and her
being the belle of the Fox River Valley； and she's giving up her palatial
home and all to go to work in a canteen for her country and bleeding
France。〃
〃Ya…as she is！〃 sneered Tessie； and a dull red flush； so deep as to be
painful； swept over her face from throat to brow。 〃Ya…as she is； the doll…
faced simp！ Why； say； she never wiped up a floor in her life； or baked a
cake； or stood on them feet of hers。 She couldn't cut up a loaf of bread
decent。 Bleeding France！ Ha！ That's rich； that is。〃 She thrust her chin
out brutally； and her eyes narrowed to slits。 〃She's going over there after
that fella of hers。 She's chasing him。 It's now or never； and she knows
it and she's scared； same's the rest of us。 On'y we got to set home and
make the best of it。 Or take what's left。〃 She turned her head slowly to
where Nap Ballou stood over a table at the far end of the room。 She
laughed a grim； un… lovely little laugh。 〃I guess when you can't go after
what you want； like Angie； why you gotta take second choice。〃
All that day； at the bench； she was the reckless； insolent； audacious
Tessie of six months ago。 Nap Ballou was always standing over her；
pretending to inspect some bit of work or other； his shoulder brushing hers。
She laughed up at him so that her face was not more than two inches from
his。 He flushed； but she did not。 She laughed a reckless little laugh。
〃Thanks for helping teach me my trade； Mr。 Ballou。 'Course I only
been at it over three years now； so I ain't got the hang of it yet。〃
He straightened up slowly； and as he did so he rested a hand on her
shoulder for a brief moment。 She did not shrug it off。
That night； after supper； Tessie put on her hat and strolled down to
Park Avenue。 It wasn't for the walk。 Tessie had never been told to
exercise systematically for her body's good； or her mind's。 She went in a
spirit of unwholesome brooding curiosity and a bitter resentment。 Going
to France； was she？ Lots of good she'd do there。 Better stay home and…
…and what？ Tessie cast about in her mind for a fitting job for Angie。
Guess she might's well go； after all。 Nobody'd miss her； unless it was her
father； and he didn't see her but about a third of the time。 But in Tessie's
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heart was a great envy of this girl who could bridge the hideous waste of
ocean that separated her from her man。 Bleeding France。 Yeh！ Joke！
The Hatton place； built and landscaped twenty years before； occupied
a square block in solitary grandeur； the show place of Chippewa。 In
architectural style it was an impartial mixture of Norman castle； French
chateau； and Rhenish schloss； with a dash of Coney Island about its facade。
It represented Old Man Hatton's realized dream of landed magnificence。
Tessie； walking slowly past it； and peering through the high iron fence；
could not help noting an air of unwonted excitement about the plac