part 1-第23部分

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church　people　ought　to　give　you　credit　for　that；　when　they



go　for　you。〃







　　　　　Thea　shook　her　head　and　spoke　in　a　tone　of　resignation。



〃They'll　always　go　for　me；　just　as　they　did　for　Wunsch。



It　wasn't　because　he　drank　they　went　for　him；　not　really。



It　was　something　else。〃







　　　　　〃You　want　to　salt　your　money　down；　Thee；　and　go　to



Chicago　and　take　some　lessons。　　Then　you　come　back；　and



wear　a　long　feather　and　high　heels　and　put　on　a　few　airs；



and　that'll　fix　'em。　　That's　what　they　like。〃







　　　　　〃I'll　never　have　money　enough　to　go　to　Chicago。　　Mother



meant　to　lend　me　some；　I　think；　but　now　they've　got　hard



times　back　in　Nebraska；　and　her　farm　don't　bring　her　in



anything。　　Takes　all　the　tenant　can　raise　to　pay　the　taxes。



Don't　let's　talk　about　that。　　You　promised　to　tell　me　about



the　play　you　went　to　see　in　Denver。〃







　　　　　Any　one　would　have　liked　to　hear　Ray's　simple　and　clear



account　of　the　performance　he　had　seen　at　the　Tabor　Grand



Opera　HouseMaggie　Mitchell　in　LITTLE　BAREFOOTand



any　one　would　have　liked　to　watch　his　kind　face。　　Ray



looked　his　best　out　of　doors；　when　his　thick　red　hands　were



covered　by　gloves；　and　the　dull　red　of　his　sunburned　face



somehow　seemed　right　in　the　light　and　wind。　　He　looked



better；　too；　with　his　hat　on；　his　hair　was　thin　and　dry；　with



no　particular　color　or　character；　〃regular　Willy…boy　hair；〃



as　he　himself　described　it。　　His　eyes　were　pale　beside　the



reddish　bronze　of　his　skin。　　They　had　the　faded　look　often



seen　in　the　eyes　of　men　who　have　lived　much　in　the　sun



and　wind　and　who　have　been　accustomed　to　train　their



vision　upon　distant　objects。







　　　　　Ray　realized　that　Thea's　life　was　dull　and　exacting；　and



that　she　missed　Wunsch。　　He　knew　she　worked　hard；　that



she　put　up　with　a　great　many　little　annoyances；　and　that



her　duties　as　a　teacher　separated　her　more　than　ever　from



the　boys　and　girls　of　her　own　age。　　He　did　everything　he



could　to　provide　recreation　for　her。　　He　brought　her　candy















and　magazines　and　pineapplesof　which　she　was　very　fond



from　Denver；　and　kept　his　eyes　and　ears　open　for　any…



thing　that　might　interest　her。　　He　was；　of　course；　living　for



Thea。　　He　had　thought　it　all　out　carefully　and　had　made



up　his　mind　just　when　he　would　speak　to　her。　　When　she



was　seventeen；　then　he　would　tell　her　his　plan　and　ask　her



to　marry　him。　　He　would　be　willing　to　wait　two；　or　even



three　years；　until　she　was　twenty；　if　she　thought　best。　　By



that　time　he　would　surely　have　got　in　on　something：　cop…



per；　oil；　gold；　silver；　sheep；something。







　　　　　Meanwhile；　it　was　pleasure　enough　to　feel　that　she　de…



pended　on　him　more　and　more；　that　she　leaned　upon　his



steady　kindness。　　He　never　broke　faith　with　himself　about



her；　he　never　hinted　to　her　of　his　hopes　for　the　future；



never　suggested　that　she　might　be　more　intimately　con…



fidential　with　him；　or　talked　to　her　of　the　thing　he　thought



about　so　constantly。　　He　had　the　chivalry　which　is　per…



haps　the　proudest　possession　of　his　race。　　He　had　never



embarrassed　her　by　so　much　as　a　glance。　　Sometimes；



when　they　drove　out　to　the　sand　hills；　he　let　his　left　arm



lie　along　the　back　of　the　buggy　seat；　but　it　never　came　any



nearer　to　Thea　than　that；　never　touched　her。　　He　often



turned　to　her　a　face　full　of　pride；　and　frank　admiration；



but　his　glance　was　never　so　intimate　or　so　penetrating



as　Dr。　Archie's。　　His　blue　eyes　were　clear　and　shallow；



friendly；　uninquiring。　　He　rested　Thea　because　he　was　so



different；　because；　though　he　often　told　her　interesting



things；　he　never　set　lively　fancies　going　in　her　head；　because



he　never　misunderstood　her；　and　because　he　never；　by　any



chance；　for　a　single　instant；　understood　her！　　Yes；　with



Ray　she　was　safe；　by　him　she　would　never　be　discovered！



































　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XVI











　　　　　The　pleasantest　experience　Thea　had　that　summer　was



a　trip　that　she　and　her　mother　made　to　Denver　in



Ray　Kennedy's　caboose。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　had　been　look…



ing　forward　to　this　excursion　for　a　long　while；　but　as　Ray



never　knew　at　what　hour　his　freight　would　leave　Moon…



stone；　it　was　difficult　to　arrange。　　The　call…boy　was　as　likely



to　summon　him　to　start　on　his　run　at　twelve　o'clock　mid…



night　as　at　twelve　o'clock　noon。　　The　first　week　in　June



started　out　with　all　the　scheduled　trains　running　on　time；



and　a　light　freight　business。　　Tuesday　evening　Ray；　after



consulting　with　the　dispatcher；　stopped　at　the　Kronborgs'



front　gate　to　tell　Mrs。　Kronborgwho　was　helping　Tillie



water　the　flowersthat　if　she　and　Thea　could　be　at　the



depot　at　eight　o'clock　the　next　morning；　he　thought　he



could　promise　them　a　pleasant　ride　and　get　them　into



Denver　before　nine　o'clock　in　the　evening。　　Mrs。　Kronborg



told　him　cheerfully；　across　the　fence；　that　she　would　〃take



him　up　on　it；〃　and　Ray　hurried　back　to　the　yards　to　scrub



out　his　car。







　　　　　The　one　complaint　Ray's　brakemen　had　to　make　of　him



was　that　he　was　too　fussy　about　his　caboose。　　His　former



brakeman　had　asked　to　be　transferred　because；　he　said；



〃Kennedy　was　as　fussy　about　his　car　as　an　old　maid　about



her　bird…cage。〃　　Joe　Giddy；　who　was　braking　with　Ray



now；　called　him　〃the　bride；〃　because　he　kept　the　caboose



and　bunks　so　clean。







　　　　　It　was　properly　the　brakeman's　business　to　keep　the　car



clean；　but　when　Ray　got　back　to　the　depot；　Giddy　was



nowhere　to　be　found。　　Muttering　that　all　his　brakemen



seemed　to　consider　him　〃easy；〃　Ray　went　down　to　his　car



alone。　　He　built　a　fire　in　the　stove　and　put　water　on　to　heat















while　he　got　into　his　overalls　and　jumper。　　Then　he　set　to



work　with　a　scrubbing…brush　and　plenty　of　soap　and



〃cleaner。〃　　He　scrubbed　the　floor　and　seats；　blacked　the



stove；　put　clean　sheets　on　the　bunks；　and　then　began　to



demolish　Giddy's　picture　gallery。　　Ray　found　that　his



brakemen　were　likely　to　have　what　he　termed　〃a　taste　for



the　nude　in　art；〃　and　Giddy　was　no　exception。　　Ray　took



down　half　a　dozen　girls　in　tights　and　ballet　skirts；pre…



miums　for　cigarette　coupons；and　some　racy　calendars



advertising　saloons　and　sporting　clubs；　which　had　cost



Giddy　both　time　and　trouble；　he　even　removed　Giddy's



particular　pet；　a　naked　girl　lying　on　a　couch　with　her　knee



carelessly　poised　in　the　air。　　Underneath　the　picture　was



printed　the　title；　〃The　Odalisque。〃　　Giddy　was　under　the



happy　delusion　that　this　title　meant　something　wicked；



there　was　a　wicked　look　about　the　consonants；but　Ray；



of　course；　had　looked　it　up；　and　Giddy　was　indebted　to　the



dictionary　for　the　privilege　of　keeping　his　lady。　　If　〃oda…



lisque〃　had　been　what　Ray　called　an　objectionable　word；



he　would　have　thrown　the　picture　out　in　the　first　place。



Ray　even　took　down　a　picture　of　Mrs。　Langtry　in　evening



dress；　because　it　was　entitled　the　〃Jersey　Lily；〃　and　be…



cause　there　was　a　small　head　of　Edward　VII；　then　Prince



of　Wales；　in　one　corner。　　Albert　Edward's　conduct　was　a



popular　subject　of　discussion　among　railroad　men　in　those



days；　and　as　Ray　pulled　the　tacks　out　of　this　lithograph　he



felt　more　indignant　with　the　English　than　ever。　　He　de…



posited　all　these　pictures　under　the　mattress　of　Giddy's



bunk；　and　stood　admiring　his　clean　car　in　the　lamplight；



the　walls　now　exhibited　only　a　wheatfield；　advertising　agri…



cultural　implements；　a　map　of　Colorado；　and　some　pictures



of　race…horses　and　hunting…dogs。　　At　this　moment　Giddy；



freshly　shaved　and　shampooed；　his　shirt　shining　with　the



highest　polish　known　to　Chinese　laundrymen；　his　straw



hat　tipped　over　his　right　eye；　thrust　his　head　in　at　the　door。







　　　　　〃What　in　hell〃　he　brought　out　furiously。　　His　good…















humored；　sunburned　face　seemed　fairly　to　swell　with



amazement　and　anger。







　　　　　〃That's　all　right；　Giddy；〃　Ray　called　in　a　conciliatory



tone。　　〃Nothing　injured。　　I'll　put　'em　all　up　again　as　I



found　'em。　　Going　to　take　some　ladies　down　in　the　car



to…morrow。〃







　　　　　Giddy　scowled。　　He　did　not　dispute　the　propriety　of　Ray's



measures；　if　there　were　to　be　ladies　on　board；　but　he　felt



injured。　　〃I　suppose　you'll　expect　me　to　behave　like　a



Y。M。C。A。　secretary；〃　he　growled。　　〃I　can't　do　my　work



and　serve　tea　at　the　same　time。〃







　　　　　〃No　need　to　have　a　tea…party；〃　said　Ray　with　deter…



mined　cheerfulness。　　〃Mrs。　Kronborg　will　bring　the　lunch；



and　it　will　be　a　darned　good　one。〃







　　　　　Giddy　lounged　against　the　car；　holding　his　cigar　between



two　thick　fingers。　　〃Then　I　guess　she'll　get　it；〃　he　observed



knowingly。　　〃I　don't　think　your　musical　friend　is　much　on



the　grub…box。　　Has　to　keep　her　hands　white　to　tickle　the



ivories。〃　　Giddy　had　nothing　against　Thea；　but　he　felt



cantankerous　and　wanted　to　get　a　rise　out　of　Kennedy。







　　　　　〃Every　man　to　his　own　job；〃　Ray　replied　agreeably；



pulling　his　white　shirt　on　over　his　head。







　　　　　Giddy　emitted　smoke　disdainfully。　　〃I　suppose　so。　　The



man　that　gets　her　will　have　to　wear　an　apron　and　bake　the



pancakes。　　Well；　some　men　like　to　mess　about　the　kitchen。〃



He　paused；　but　Ray　was　intent　on　getting　into　his　clothes



as　quickly　as　possible。　　Giddy　thought　he　could　go　a　little



further。　　〃Of　course；　I　don't　dispute　yo