part 1-第12部分

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tains。　　She　told　herself　she　would　never；　never　forget　it。



The　spirit　of　human　courage　seemed　to　live　up　there　with



the　eagles。　　For　long　after；　when　she　was　moved　by　a



Fourth…of…July　oration；　or　a　band；　or　a　circus　parade；　she



was　apt　to　remember　that　windy　ridge。







　　　　　To…day　she　went　to　sleep　while　she　was　thinking　about



it。　　When　Ray　wakened　her；　the　horses　were　hitched　to　the



wagon　and　Gunner　and　Axel　were　begging　for　a　place　on



the　front　seat。　　The　air　had　cooled；　the　sun　was　setting；　and



the　desert　was　on　fire。　　Thea　contentedly　took　the　back　seat



with　Mrs。　Tellamantez。　　As　they　drove　homeward　the　stars



began　to　come　out；　pale　yellow　in　a　yellow　sky；　and　Ray



and　Johnny　began　to　sing　one　of　those　railroad　ditties　that



are　usually　born　on　the　Southern　Pacific　and　run　the　length



of　the　Santa　Fe　and　the　〃Q〃　system　before　they　die　to　give



place　to　a　new　one。　　This　was　a　song　about　a　Greaser　dance；



the　refrain　being　something　like　this：











　　　　　〃Pedro；　Pedro；　swing　high；　swing　low；







　　　　　And　it's　allamand　left　again；







　　　　　For　there's　boys　that's　bold　and　there's　some　that's　cold；







　　　　　But　the　gold　boys　come　from　Spain；







　　　　　Oh；　the　gold　boys　come　from　Spain！〃







































　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII











　　　　　Winter　was　long　in　coming　that　year。　　Throughout



October　the　days　were　bathed　in　sunlight　and　the



air　was　clear　as　crystal。　　The　town　kept　its　cheerful　sum…



mer　aspect；　the　desert　glistened　with　light；　the　sand　hills



every　day　went　through　magical　changes　of　color。　　The



scarlet　sage　bloomed　late　in　the　front　yards；　the　cottonwood



leaves　were　bright　gold　long　before　they　fell；　and　it　was　not



until　November　that　the　green　on　the　tamarisks　began　to



cloud　and　fade。　　There　was　a　flurry　of　snow　about　Thanks…



giving；　and　then　December　came　on　warm　and　clear。







　　　　　Thea　had　three　music　pupils　now；　little　girls　whose



mothers　declared　that　Professor　Wunsch　was　〃much　too



severe。〃　　They　took　their　lessons　on　Saturday；　and　this；　of



course；　cut　down　her　time　for　play。　　She　did　not　really　mind



this　because　she　was　allowed　to　use　the　moneyher　pupils



paid　her　twenty…five　cents　a　lessonto　fit　up　a　little　room



for　herself　upstairs　in　the　half…story。　　It　was　the　end　room



of　the　wing；　and　was　not　plastered；　but　was　snugly　lined



with　soft　pine。　　The　ceiling　was　so　low　that　a　grown　person



could　reach　it　with　the　palm　of　the　hand；　and　it　sloped　down



on　either　side。　　There　was　only　one　window；　but　it　was　a



double　one　and　went　to　the　floor。　　In　October；　while　the



days　were　still　warm；　Thea　and　Tillie　papered　the　room；



walls　and　ceiling　in　the　same　paper；　small　red　and　brown



roses　on　a　yellowish　ground。　　Thea　bought　a　brown　cotton



carpet；　and　her　big　brother；　Gus；　put　it　down　for　her　one



Sunday。　　She　made　white　cheesecloth　curtains　and　hung



them　on　a　tape。　　Her　mother　gave　her　an　old　walnut　dresser



with　a　broken　mirror；　and　she　had　her　own　dumpy　walnut



single　bed；　and　a　blue　washbowl　and　pitcher　which　she　had



drawn　at　a　church　fair　lottery。　　At　the　head　of　her　bed　she















had　a　tall　round　wooden　hat…crate；　from　the　clothing　store。



This；　standing　on　end　and　draped　with　cretonne；　made　a



fairly　steady　table　for　her　lantern。　　She　was　not　allowed　to



take　a　lamp　upstairs；　so　Ray　Kennedy　gave　her　a　railroad



lantern　by　which　she　could　read　at　night。







　　　　　In　winter　this　loft　room　of　Thea's　was　bitterly　cold；　but



against　her　mother's　adviceand　Tillie'sshe　always



left　her　window　open　a　little　way。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　declared



that　she　〃had　no　patience　with　American　physiology；〃



though　the　lessons　about　the　injurious　effects　of　alcohol



and　tobacco　were　well　enough　for　the　boys。　　Thea　asked



Dr。　Archie　about　the　window；　and　he　told　her　that　a　girl



who　sang　must　always　have　plenty　of　fresh　air；　or　her　voice



would　get　husky；　and　that　the　cold　would　harden　her



throat。　　The　important　thing；　he　said；　was　to　keep　your



feet　warm。　　On　very　cold　nights　Thea　always　put　a　brick



in　the　oven　after　supper；　and　when　she　went　upstairs　she



wrapped　it　in　an　old　flannel　petticoat　and　put　it　in　her



bed。　　The　boys；　who　would　never　heat　bricks　for　them…



selves；　sometimes　carried　off　Thea's；　and　thought　it　a　good



joke　to　get　ahead　of　her。







　　　　　When　Thea　first　plunged　in　between　her　red　blankets；



the　cold　sometimes　kept　her　awake　for　a　good　while；　and



she　comforted　herself　by　remembering　all　she　could　of



〃Polar　Explorations；〃　a　fat；　calf…bound　volume　her　father



had　bought　from　a　book…agent；　and　by　thinking　about　the



members　of　Greely's　party：　how　they　lay　in　their　frozen



sleeping…bags；　each　man　hoarding　the　warmth　of　his　own



body　and　trying　to　make　it　last　as　long　as　possible　against



the　on…coming　cold　that　would　be　everlasting。　　After　half



an　hour　or　so；　a　warm　wave　crept　over　her　body　and　round；



sturdy　legs；　she　glowed　like　a　little　stove　with　the　warmth



of　her　own　blood；　and　the　heavy　quilts　and　red　blankets



grew　warm　wherever　they　touched　her；　though　her　breath



sometimes　froze　on　the　coverlid。　　Before　daylight；　her　inter…



nal　fires　went　down　a　little；　and　she　often　wakened　to　find















herself　drawn　up　into　a　tight　ball；　somewhat　stiff　in　the　legs。



But　that　made　it　all　the　easier　to　get　up。







　　　　　The　acquisition　of　this　room　was　the　beginning　of　a　new



era　in　Thea's　life。　　It　was　one　of　the　most　important　things



that　ever　happened　to　her。　　Hitherto；　except　in　summer；



when　she　could　be　out　of　doors；　she　had　lived　in　constant



turmoil；　the　family；　the　day　school；　the　Sunday…School。



The　clamor　about　her　drowned　the　voice　within　herself。　　In



the　end　of　the　wing；　separated　from　the　other　upstairs



sleeping…rooms　by　a　long；　cold；　unfinished　lumber　room；



her　mind　worked　better。　　She　thought　things　out　more



clearly。　　Pleasant　plans　and　ideas　occurred　to　her　which　had



never　come　before。　　She　had　certain　thoughts　which　were



like　companions；　ideas　which　were　like　older　and　wiser



friends。　　She　left　them　there　in　the　morning；　when　she　fin…



ished　dressing　in　the　cold；　and　at　night；　when　she　came　up



with　her　lantern　and　shut　the　door　after　a　busy　day；　she



found　them　awaiting　her。　　There　was　no　possible　way　of



heating　the　room；　but　that　was　fortunate；　for　otherwise　it



would　have　been　occupied　by　one　of　her　older　brothers。







　　　　　From　the　time　when　she　moved　up　into　the　wing；　Thea



began　to　live　a　double　life。　　During　the　day；　when　the　hours



were　full　of　tasks；　she　was　one　of　the　Kronborg　children；　but



at　night　she　was　a　different　person。　　On　Friday　and　Satur…



day　nights　she　always　read　for　a　long　while　after　she　was　in



bed。　　She　had　no　clock；　and　there　was　no　one　to　nag　her。







　　　　　Ray　Kennedy；　on　his　way　from　the　depot　to　his　boarding…



house；　often　looked　up　and　saw　Thea's　light　burning　when



the　rest　of　the　house　was　dark；　and　felt　cheered　as　by　a



friendly　greeting。　　He　was　a　faithful　soul；　and　many　dis…



appointments　had　not　changed　his　nature。　　He　was　still；



at　heart；　the　same　boy　who；　when　he　was　sixteen；　had　set…



tled　down　to　freeze　with　his　sheep　in　a　Wyoming　blizzard；



and　had　been　rescued　only　to　play　the　losing　game　of　fidel…



ity　to　other　charges。







　　　　　Ray　had　no　very　clear　idea　of　what　might　be　going　on















in　Thea's　head；　but　he　knew　that　something　was。　　He　used



to　remark　to　Spanish　Johnny；　〃That　girl　is　developing



something　fine。〃　　Thea　was　patient　with　Ray；　even　in



regard　to　the　liberties　he　took　with　her　name。　　Outside　the



family；　every　one　in　Moonstone；　except　Wunsch　and　Dr。



Archie；　called　her　〃Thee…a；〃　but　this　seemed　cold　and　dis…



tant　to　Ray；　so　he　called　her　〃Thee。〃　　Once；　in　a　moment



of　exasperation；　Thea　asked　him　why　he　did　this；　and　he



explained　that　he　once　had　a　chum；　Theodore；　whose



name　was　always　abbreviated　thus；　and　that　since　he　was



killed　down　on　the　Santa　Fe；　it　seemed　natural　to　call



somebody　〃Thee。〃　　Thea　sighed　and　submitted。　　She　was



always　helpless　before　homely　sentiment　and　usually



changed　the　subject。







　　　　　It　was　the　custom　for　each　of　the　different　Sunday…



Schools　in　Moonstone　to　give　a　concert　on　Christmas　Eve。



But　this　year　all　the　churches　were　to　unite　and　give；　as



was　announced　from　the　pulpits；　〃a　semi…sacred　concert



of　picked　talent〃　at　the　opera　house。　　The　Moonstone



Orchestra；　under　the　direction　of　Professor　Wunsch；　was



to　play；　and　the　most　talented　members　of　each　Sunday…



School　were　to　take　part　in　the　programme。　　Thea　was　put



down　by　the　committee　〃for　instrumental。〃　　This　made



her　indignant；　for　the　vocal　numbers　were　always　more



popular。　　Thea　went　to　the　president　of　the　committee　and



demanded　hotly　if　her　rival；　Lily　Fisher；　were　going　to　sing。



The　president　was　a　big；　florid；　powdered　woman；　a　fierce



W。C。T。U。　worker；　one　of　Thea's　natural　enemies。　　Her



name　was　Johnson；　her　husband　kept　the　livery　stable；　and



she　was　called　Mrs。　Livery　Johnson；　to　distinguish　her



from　other　families　of　the　same　surname。　　Mrs。　Johnson



was　a　prominent　Baptist；　and　Lily　Fisher　was　the　Baptist



prodigy。　　There　was　a　not　very　Christian　rivalry　between



the　Baptist　Church　and　Mr。　Kronborg's　church。







　　　　　When　Th