Free Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge

man. She rolled a cigarette, wishing he had not chosen so long a prayer.
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'In beauty it is finished,
In beauty it is finished.'
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    The confident, solemn voice ceased. He looked at Slim Girl. Now they were married 'in a beautiful way.' It might seem a little furtive, that ceremony without relatives, almost without guests, but now the gods had married them. Slim Girl was staring back at him with wide eyes.
    Yellow Singer's wife stretched bulkily. 'Now let us feast.'
    The old singer grinned. Slim Girl regarded them dreamily until her husband spoke to her,
    'The guests must feast.'
    She brought forth a banquet—canned tomatoes, pears, plums, beans, candies, pop, white bread. She heated the coffee, and set it out with plenty of sugar, and cups for all. On one side she put down a bottle of what looked like water.
    'It is a feast,' said Yellow Singer.
    They all started eating. The old man took some of the clear liquid, and passed it to his wife, who drank and offered it to Laughing Boy.
    'What is it?'
    'Whiskey,' Slim Girl spoke quickly; 'he does not know how to drink it.'
    'I should like to try it.'
    'It is good; you should take it, Grandfather. We all like it.' Yellow Singer chuckled.
    'I do not think he can stand it,' Slim Girl said thoughtfully.
    'Let me try it. It is right that I should find out about these things. Give me the bottle.'
    He saw that her eyes, watching him, were speculative, with something hidden in back of them. He thought she was measuring him.
    'Give it to me.'
    'Wait. You are not used to it; let me fix it for you. I can make it taste good.'
    She took out an orange and a lemon, that she had had hidden behind the water jar.
    'What are those?'
    'That is called "lanch." This yellow one is "lemon"; there is no word for it in Navajo. They are American fruits; they grow on trees, like peaches.'
    She made a stiffish drink in a tin cup, sweetened with a great deal of sugar.
    'You never did that for me,' Yellow Singer muttered to his wife.
    'I shall do it for you, that thing—when you are as young and handsome as he is.'
    They watched him with grinning interest while he tried the drink. Slim Girl was inattentive.
    'But this is good! This is better than that red boiling water, I think.' He nodded towards his bottle of pop. It began to glow in his stomach. 'What is it doing to me?'
    'It is beginning to do its good, little brother.' The medicine man pulled at the bottle in sympathy. 'By and by you will love it, that feeling.' His wife reached for her share.
    Slim Girl stood up. 'The sun is setting. If you take much more of that now, you will not find your way home. Here is a bottle for you to take with you.'
    Inside the house it was half dark, and the doorway framed the clay bluffs opposite, painted with sunset. She rearranged the blankets and sheepskins for reclining against the wall, and there relaxed, smoking a cigarette. He finished his drink, liking the flavoured sugar in the bottom of it.
    'Sit over here, and let us talk a little now.'
    He placed himself half-sitting, half-lying beside her.
    'That is queer, that drink. I feel queer here,' touching the hinge of his jaw, 'as if something were squeezing my teeth. But it is good; make me some more of it.'
    'Not right away.'
    'It would be good to sing, I think. Let us sing some very beautiful prayers together. Everything is good now.'
    'Let us just think for a little bit, now we are married.'
    'Now we are married. Why are you looking at me like that? I do not understand you all the time, what your face means.'
    'I like to look at you, Sings Before Spears.' Her hand fell into his, he felt her beside him. Something told him that that was only half an answer. He touched her face with his finger-tips. She was studying him intently.
    Then she kissed him. He did not understand it; her face suddenly near his, against his, distorted so close to his eyes, her eyes run together. He was held tightly, and something wet, at once hot and cool was against his mouth,