part 1-第20部分
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〃The poor soul； he will meet his death！〃 Mrs。 Kohler
wailed。 She ran back to her feather bed and hid her face
in the pillow。
Fritz kept watch at the window。 〃No； no； Paulina；〃 he
called presently； 〃I see lanterns coming。 Johnny must
have gone for somebody。 Yes； four lanterns； coming along
the gulch。 They stop； they must have seen him already。
Now they are under the hill and I cannot see them； but I
think they have him。 They will bring him back。 I must
dress and go down。〃 He caught his trousers and began
pulling them on by the window。 〃Yes； here they come；
half a dozen men。 And they have tied him with a rope；
Paulina！〃
〃ACH； the poor man！ To be led like a cow；〃 groaned
Mrs。 Kohler。 〃Oh； it is good that he has no wife！〃 She
was reproaching herself for nagging Fritz when he drank
himself into foolish pleasantry or mild sulks； and felt that
she had never before appreciated her blessings。
Wunsch was in bed for ten days； during which time he
was gossiped about and even preached about in Moonstone。
The Baptist preacher took a shot at the fallen man from
his pulpit； Mrs。 Livery Johnson nodding approvingly
from her pew。 The mothers of Wunsch's pupils sent him
notes informing him that their daughters would discontinue
their music…lessons。 The old maid who had rented him her
piano sent the town dray for her contaminated instrument；
and ever afterward declared that Wunsch had ruined its
tone and scarred its glossy finish。 The Kohlers were unre…
mitting in their kindness to their friend。 Mrs。 Kohler made
him soups and broths without stint； and Fritz repaired the
dove…house and mounted it on a new post； lest it might be
a sad reminder。
As soon as Wunsch was strong enough to sit about in his
slippers and wadded jacket； he told Fritz to bring him
some stout thread from the shop。 When Fritz asked what
he was going to sew； he produced the tattered score
of 〃Orpheus〃 and said he would like to fix it up for a little
present。 Fritz carried it over to the shop and stitched it
into pasteboards； covered with dark suiting…cloth。 Over
the stitches he glued a strip of thin red leather which he got
from his friend； the harness…maker。 After Paulina had
cleaned the pages with fresh bread； Wunsch was amazed to
see what a fine book he had。 It opened stiffly； but that was
no matter。
Sitting in the arbor one morning； under the ripe grapes
and the brown； curling leaves； with a pen and ink on the
bench beside him and the Gluck score on his knee； Wunsch
pondered for a long while。 Several times he dipped the pen
in the ink； and then put it back again in the cigar box in
which Mrs。 Kohler kept her writing utensils。 His thoughts
wandered over a wide territory； over many countries and
many years。 There was no order or logical sequence in his
ideas。 Pictures came and went without reason。 Faces；
mountains； rivers； autumn days in other vineyards far
away。 He thought of a FUSZREISE he had made through the
Hartz Mountains in his student days； of the innkeeper's
pretty daughter who had lighted his pipe for him in the
garden one summer evening； of the woods above Wiesba…
den； haymakers on an island in the river。 The round…
house whistle woke him from his reveries。 Ah； yes； he was
in Moonstone； Colorado。 He frowned for a moment and
looked at the book on his knee。 He had thought of a great
many appropriate things to write in it； but suddenly he
rejected all of them； opened the book； and at the top of
the much…engraved title…page he wrote rapidly in purple
ink：
EINST； O WUNDER！
A。 WUNSCH。
MOONSTONE； COLO。
SEPTEMBER 30； 18
Nobody in Moonstone ever found what Wunsch's first
name was。 That 〃A〃 may have stood for Adam； or August；
or even Amadeus； he got very angry if any one asked him。
He remained A。 Wunsch to the end of his chapter there。
When he presented this score to Thea； he told her that in
ten years she would either know what the inscription
meant； or she would not have the least idea； in which case
it would not matter。
When Wunsch began to pack his trunk； both the Kohlers
were very unhappy。 He said he was coming back some
day； but that for the present； since he had lost all his
pupils； it would be better for him to try some 〃new town。〃
Mrs。 Kohler darned and mended all his clothes； and gave
him two new shirts she had made for Fritz。 Fritz made
him a new pair of trousers and would have made him an
overcoat but for the fact that overcoats were so easy to
pawn。
Wunsch would not go across the ravine to the town until
he went to take the morning train for Denver。 He said that
after he got to Denver he would 〃look around。〃 He left
Moonstone one bright October morning； without telling
any one good…bye。 He bought his ticket and went directly
into the smoking…car。 When the train was beginning to
pull out； he heard his name called frantically； and looking
out of the window he saw Thea Kronborg standing on the
siding； bareheaded and panting。 Some boys had brought
word to school that they saw Wunsch's trunk going over
to the station； and Thea had run away from school。 She
was at the end of the station platform； her hair in two
braids； her blue gingham dress wet to the knees because she
had run across lots through the weeds。 It had rained dur…
ing the night； and the tall sunflowers behind her were fresh
and shining。
〃Good…bye； Herr Wunsch； good…bye！〃 she called waving
to him。
He thrust his head out at the car window and called
back； 〃LEBEN SIE WOHL； LEBEN SIE WOHL； MEIN KIND！〃 He
watched her until the train swept around the curve be…
yond the roundhouse； and then sank back into his seat；
muttering； 〃She had been running。 Ah； she will run a
long way； they cannot stop her！〃
What was it about the child that one believed in？ Was
it her dogged industry； so unusual in this free…and…easy
country？ Was it her imagination？ More likely it was be…
cause she had both imagination and a stubborn will； curi…
ously balancing and interpenetrating each other。 There
was something unconscious and unawakened about her；
that tempted curiosity。 She had a kind of seriousness
that he had not met with in a pupil before。 She hated
difficult things； and yet she could never pass one by。
They seemed to challenge her； she had no peace until she
mastered them。 She had the power to make a great effort；
to lift a weight heavier than herself。 Wunsch hoped he
would always remember her as she stood by the track；
looking up at him； her broad eager face； so fair in color；
with its high cheek…bones； yellow eyebrows and greenish…
hazel eyes。 It was a face full of light and energy； of the
unquestioning hopefulness of first youth。 Yes； she was
like a flower full of sun； but not the soft German flowers of
his childhood。 He had it now； the comparison he had ab…
sently reached for before： she was like the yellow prickly…
pear blossoms that open there in the desert； thornier and
sturdier than the maiden flowers he remembered； not so
sweet； but wonderful。
That night Mrs。 Kohler brushed away many a tear as
she got supper and set the table for two。 When they sat
down； Fritz was more silent than usual。 People who have
lived long together need a third at table： they know each
other's thoughts so well that they have nothing left to say。
Mrs。 Kohler stirred and stirred her coffee and clattered the
spoon； but she had no heart for her supper。 She felt； for
the first time in years； that she was tired of her own cook…
ing。 She looked across the glass lamp at her husband and
asked him if the butcher liked his new overcoat； and
whether he had got the shoulders right in a ready…made
suit he was patching over for Ray Kennedy。 After sup…
per Fritz offered to wipe the dishes for her； but she told
him to go about his business； and not to act as if she were
sick or getting helpless。
When her work in the kitchen was all done； she went out
to cover the oleanders against frost； and to take a last look
at her chickens。 As she came back from the hen…house she
stopped by one of the linden trees and stood resting her
hand on the trunk。 He would never come back； the poor
man； she knew that。 He would drift on from new town
to new town； from catastrophe to catastrophe。 He would
hardly find a good home for himself again。 He would die
at last in some rough place； and be buried in the desert or
on the wild prairie； far enough from any linden tree！
Fritz； smoking his pipe on the kitchen doorstep； watched
his Paulina and guessed her thoughts。 He； too； was sorry
to lose his friend。 But Fritz was getting old； he had lived a
long while and had learned to lose without struggle。
XIV
〃Mother；〃 said Peter Kronborg to his wife one morn…
ing about two weeks after
