Chapter
11

Two days later, they woke to the song of spring, icicles dripping from the roof. Signe lay in bed for a few extra breaths just to listen. “You hear that?” she asked Rune.

“Ja, perhaps it will stay this time.” He threw back the covers and dressed, still buttoning his shirt as he disappeared down the stairs to start the fire.

By the time Signe was dressed, Kirstin gurgled at her. Scooping her up, she called to the boys as she went downstairs. April already, and even though dawn came earlier, they still woke when dawn was only a trace on the horizon. At least the boys could get to the barn without stumbling in the darkness.

Rune nodded to Signe as she laid the baby down to change her. He settled the stove lids back in place and adjusted the damper. “Do you need anything from the well house?”

“Ja, that last slab of bacon and the jug of buttermilk. We have enough eggs for bacon, eggs, and pancakes, for a change.”

The boys, their eyes still heavy with sleep, slouched out the door, headed for the barn. Einar strode out the door with nary a word, in spite of her “good morning.”

Signe refused to let the way he acted bother her anymore, so she greeted him anyway. Someday he would have to give in. “Kill them with kindness” had been one of her mor’s favorite sayings.

By the time the men and boys trooped back inside, a stack of pancakes waited in the oven, and the bacon took up the warming oven. Signe cracked eggs in the frying pan. “Only two eggs each this morning so everyone gets some,” she announced as the guys took their chairs.

Gerd, pouring the coffee, nudged Einar’s shoulder, earning a glare for her efforts. She glared right back and filled Rune’s cup.

“Tante Gerd, I can drink my coffee black now,” Knute told her.

“The cream is in the pitcher,” she said after filling his cup the usual halfway.

Leif grinned at her and held out his cup, which was already half full of cream and a hefty teaspoon of sugar. “Takk.”

“You are welcome,” Gerd said in English.

Signe had not been practicing her English enough.

She slid the eggs onto a plate and passed it around the table. When it came to Einar, he hesitated, took only two, and passed it on to Rune. He ate without a word. Signe loaded more pancakes on a platter, and for a change he did not put half the platter on his plate. Tante Gerd, you are one wise woman. Maybe he can be taught after all.

As always, Einar finished wolfing down his breakfast and poked Bjorn as he stood up. “You’re done. Go to work.”

Bjorn looked sadly at his plate, only half emptied.

“Finish your breakfast,” Rune said quietly.

With gusto, Bjorn shoveled in the eggs and bacon, then hurried out the door with his pancakes in his hand.

Signe wagged her head and refilled Rune’s cup. “How is the arrangement going?”

“All right. Yesterday I sent Bjorn back to help Einar while Oskar and I loaded logs. Bjorn says Einar was grumpy but did not abuse him. I warned Bjorn never to say, ‘But Mr. Kielund does whatever-it-is.’ They got two loads to the railhead—that’s six logs.”

“Do you know how many loads he took on the day you and Bjorn were not there?”

Rune smiled. “Bjorn keeps count. Only one.”

Gerd plunked the big dinner basket down beside him. “I put extra snacks in for Mr. Kielund. He seems to like to eat.”

“He loves to eat homecooking, especially your cooking, both of you. He lives alone and doesn’t like to cook.”

“So he’s not married.” Gerd sat down with a cup of coffee.

“His wife died in November. Pneumonia. Two children.”

Signe’s heart lurched. “Oh, I so wish we could invite him to dinner. But that would never work.”

Gerd nodded sadly. “I agree. Einar is still too angry. Not that he would ever invite someone to dinner under any circumstance. Rune, how many logs do you have to move yet?”

“Only four. He will be done today.”

Signe smiled. “Hiring Mr. Kielund, then, was a godsend.”

“It was. And I think he will be a good friend.” Rune picked up the basket and left.

Signe untied Kirstin from her seat in the rocker and put the baby on her lap. Kirstin waved her feet and fists, grinning from ear to ear when she saw Gerd.

“She is becoming quite a talker,” Gerd said after taking the baby and conversing with her.

“Ja, that she is. I don’t remember the boys being so lively. She notices everything.” Signe finished two sandwiches for Bjorn and poured the warmed coffee into a jar for him. At the jingle of the harness, she threw her shawl around her shoulders and headed outside to hand the sack up to him. “Here’s your dinner, in case you get stuck in long lines. Thanks to Gerd.”

“Takk. Good thing the lines at the yard aren’t always so long now.” He secured his sack and flapped the lines to signal the team forward.

Signe waved and, tucking her arms around her waist, watched him head down the lane. Lord God, please keep him safe.

The snow level dropped every day.

With Rune and Bjorn both working with Einar, they were able to take three loads a day. But Bjorn announced at supper one evening, “I don’t think we can do any more loads. I almost didn’t make it there today. The main road is near to bare, and it gets soft wherever the sun hits it.”

Einar grimaced. “Woulda had more logs out if I’d had the help I needed.”

And we would not have had nearly enough to pay for our house. Once in a while, Signe knew, Rune regretted crossing Einar and hiring Oskar. Neither of them liked friction. But now she was very glad he had. “Is this typical for Minnesota?”

“Ja, some years. Some we’ve had snow in June. But once the frost starts to leave the ground, the roads become impassable in places. Sometimes weeks before wagons can be used again.” He pushed back from the table. “We’ll start blasting stumps soon as we can dig down to plant the dynamite.”

“Shame we can’t blast a hole for the cellar,” Rune thought aloud.

Einar snorted and headed out the door.

The nights still froze, but the days grew warm. Two days later, it rained.

“It is Sunday today.” Signe sighed as she watched the rain drip off the eaves. “How I wish we could go to church.”

Rune shrugged and finished his pancakes. “Roads just aren’t passable for either sledge or wheels. It’s a muddy mess out there.”

“I know. So what are you going to do?”

“Take out a couple more trees so we can build our house where we really wanted to, a bit beyond where it was already cleared.”

“Are you leaving any trees for shade?”

He blinked at her. “I guess I could.”

“I know which one,” Bjorn said. “I’ll mark it. Deciduous trees will work better for shade.” He looked at Signe with a smile. “We can find some birch saplings, too, and maybe a maple. Plant them anywhere you want.”

Gerd looked hopeful. “I would like a shade tree here by this house too.”

Bjorn nodded. “We can do that.”

“A cottonwood grows the fastest.” Rune pushed back his chair. “Soon as the ground thaws, we will do that.”

Gerd nodded to the boys. “I will even bake you cookies in exchange.”

“Today?” Leif grinned at her.

“There’s no trees yet.”

“Payment in advance?”

Gerd shook her head, but surely that was a twinkle in her eye. “We shall see.”

“I’m sorry to say this, but that stack of wood on the porch is nearly gone.” Signe hated to have to ask.

“We will do that today too,” Rune assured her.

“Takk.” She knew Rune would prefer working in the shop, but all the other work had to come first. “Leif, how about bringing up a basket of shavings? They make the house smell good, besides being a great fire starter.”

Gerd nodded. “When you get some cedar shavings, we can put them in bags in the trunks and cupboards. They keep moths away.”

“Far said we will have cedar shakes for the roof on the house. Me and Knute get to split them.” Leif slid his arms into his coat sleeves. “Oh, Mor? Mr. Jahnson wants to come out to visit you and Far. He said he visits all the families of his pupils.”

Signe gulped. Her gaze darted to Gerd. Would Einar try to drive him off too?