Arrowsmith - Sinclair Lewis [52]
He hinted a desire to know whether Martin “drank,” how prosperous he was, and how he could possibly have come all this way from the urbanities of Winnemac. (The Tozers were born in Illinois, but they had been in Dakota since childhood, and they regarded Wisconsin as the farthest, most perilous rim of the Eastern horizon.) They were so blank, so creepily polite, that Martin was able to avoid such unpleasant subjects as being suspended. He dandled an impression that he was an earnest young medic who in no time at all would be making large and suitable sums of money for the support of their Leora, but as he was beginning to lean back in his chair he was betrayed by the appearance of Leora’s brother.
Bert Tozer, Albert R. Tozer, cashier and vice-president of the Wheatsylvania State Bank, auditor and vice-president of the Tozer Grain and Storage Company, treasurer and vice-president of the Star Creamery, was not in the least afflicted by the listening dubiousness of his parents. Bertie was a very articulate and modern man of affairs. He had buck teeth, and on his eye-glasses was a gold chain leading to a dainty hook behind his left ear. He believed in town-boosting, organized motor tours, Boy Scouts, baseball, and the hanging of I.W.W.‘s; and his most dolorous regret was that Wheatsylvania was too small — as yet — to have a Y.M.C.A. or a Commercial Club. Plunging in beside him was his fiancee, Miss Ada Quist, daughter of the feed and implement store. Her nose was sharp, but not so sharp as her voice or the suspiciousness with which she faced Martin.
“This Arrowswith?” demanded Bert. “Huh! Well, guess you’re glad to be out here in God’s country!”
“Yes, it’s fine —”
“Trouble with the Eastern states is, they haven’t got the git, or the room to grow. You ought to see a real Dakota harvest! Look here, how come you’re away from school this time of year?”
“Why —”
“I know all about school-terms. I went to business college in Grand Forks. How come you can get away now?”
“I took a little lay-off.”
“Leora says you and her are thinking of getting married.”
“We —”
“Got any cash outside your school-money?”
“I have not!”
“Thought so! How juh expect to support a wife?”
“I suppose I’ll be practicing medicine some day.”
“Some day! Then what’s the use of talking about being engaged till you can support a wife?”
“That,” interrupted Bert’s lady-love, Miss Ada Quist, “that’s just what I said, Ory!” She seemed to speak with her pointed nose as much as with her button of a mouth. “If Bert and I can wait, I guess other people can!”
Mrs. Tozer whimpered, “Don’t be too hard on Mr. Arrowsmith, Bertie. I’m sure he wants to do the right thing.”
“I’m not being hard on anybody! I’m being sensible. If Pa and you would tend to things instead of standing around fussing, I wouldn’t have to butt in. I don’t believe in interfering with anybody else’s doings, or anybody interfering with mine. Live and let live and mind your own business is my motto, and that’s what I said to Alec Ingleblad the other day when I was in there having a shave and he was trying to get funny about our holding so many mortgages, but I’ll be blamed if I’m going to allow a fellow that I don’t know anything about to come snooping around My Sister till I find out something about his prospects!”
Leora crooned, “Bertie, lamb, your tie is climbing your collar again.”
“Yes and YOU, Ory,” shrieked Bert, “if it wasn’t for me you’d have married Sam Petchek, two years ago!”
Bert further said, with instances and illustrations, that she was light-minded, and as for nursing — NURSING!
She said that Bert was what he was, and tried to explain to Martin the matter of Sam Petchek. (It has never yet been altogether explained.)
Ada Quist said that Leora did not care if she broke her dear parents’ hearts and ruined Bert’s career.
Martin