The old farmer would stroke his whiskers and worry …
What does "worry" mean here? Does it simply mean worry beads?
The fuller text:
Friends from the country would send an invitation: Come see us! We
want to feed you. We have plenty of everything! The survivor would
arrive at the village, unable to believe his eyes. The farmhouse would
be twice its prewar size. A refrigerator would be standing in the
kitchen, a washing machine in the hall. There would be Oriental
carpets on the floor and original paintings on the walls. The sausage
would be served on silver platters and the beer in cut glass. The
old farmer would stroke his whiskers and worry, “No sense denying it
– we did very well during the war. People had to eat, you know, and
with a little thinking… But now things are different… Just as long
as the Communists don’t take over…”
Under a Cruel Star, A Life in Prague 1941-1968 by Heda Margolius Kovály
Translated by Helen Epstein.
Best Answer
I think you have misparsed this. It seems you treat "worry" as a noun and an object of stroke "to stroke his whiskers" and "to stroke his worry". That's not correct.
"Worry" is a verb, and so there is a list of two actions: "to stroke his whiskers" and "to worry". Worry is being used as a quotative verb like "say" or "ask". It introduces the direct speech. He says "No sense denying..." in a worried voice.
The old farmer is worrying about his new wealth and the possibility of losing it "if the communists take over". As he thinks he strokes his facial hair (a common mannerism)
"Worry beads", κομπολόι, are Greek and this is from "Under a Cruel Star: A life in Prague" in Czechoslovakia.