part 1-第26部分

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clear　away　the　lunch。　　He　was　thinking　that　Mrs。　Kron…



borg　had　in　her　face　the　same　serious　look　that　Thea　had；



only　hers　was　calm　and　satisfied；　and　Thea's　was　intense



and　questioning。　　But　in　both　it　was　a　large　kind　of　look；



that　was　not　all　the　time　being　broken　up　and　convulsed



by　trivial　things。　　They　both　carried　their　heads　like　Indian



women；　with　a　kind　of　noble　unconsciousness。　　He　got　so



tired　of　women　who　were　always　nodding　and　jerking；















apologizing；　deprecating；　coaxing；　insinuating　with　their



heads。







　　　　　When　Ray's　party　set　off　again　that　afternoon　the　sun



beat　fiercely　into　the　cupola；　and　Thea　curled　up　in　one　of



the　seats　at　the　back　of　the　car　and　had　a　nap。







　　　　　As　the　short　twilight　came　on；　Giddy　took　a　turn　in　the



cupola；　and　Ray　came　down　and　sat　with　Thea　on　the　rear



platform　of　the　caboose　and　watched　the　darkness　come



in　soft　waves　over　the　plain。　　They　were　now　about　thirty



miles　from　Denver；　and　the　mountains　looked　very　near。



The　great　toothed　wall　behind　which　the　sun　had　gone



down　now　separated　into　four　distinct　ranges；　one　behind



the　other。　　They　were　a　very　pale　blue；　a　color　scarcely



stronger　than　wood　smoke；　and　the　sunset　had　left　bright



streaks　in　the　snow…filled　gorges。　　In　the　clear；　yellow…



streaked　sky　the　stars　were　coming　out；　flickering　like



newly　lighted　lamps；　growing　steadier　and　more　golden　as



the　sky　darkened　and　the　land　beneath　them　fell　into　com…



plete　shadow。　　It　was　a　cool；　restful　darkness　that　was



not　black　or　forbidding；　but　somehow　open　and　free；　the



night　of　high　plains　where　there　is　no　moistness　or　misti…



ness　in　the　atmosphere。







　　　　　Ray　lit　his　pipe。　　〃I　never　get　tired　of　them　old　stars；



Thee。　　I　miss　'em　up　in　Washington　and　Oregon　where　it's



misty。　　Like　'em　best　down　in　Mother　Mexico；　where　they



have　everything　their　own　way。　　I'm　not　for　any　country



where　the　stars　are　dim。〃　　Ray　paused　and　drew　on　his



pipe。　　〃I　don't　know　as　I　ever　really　noticed　'em　much　till



that　first　year　I　herded　sheep　up　in　Wyoming。　　That　was



the　year　the　blizzard　caught　me。〃







　　　　　〃And　you　lost　all　your　sheep；　didn't　you；　Ray？〃　　Thea



spoke　sympathetically。　　〃Was　the　man　who　owned　them



nice　about　it？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　he　was　a　good　loser。　　But　I　didn't　get　over　it　for



a　long　while。　　Sheep　are　so　damned　resigned。　　Sometimes；



to　this　day；　when　I'm　dog…tired；　I　try　to　save　them　sheep















all　night　long。　　It　comes　kind　of　hard　on　a　boy　when　he　first



finds　out　how　little　he　is；　and　how　big　everything　else　is。〃







　　　　　Thea　moved　restlessly　toward　him　and　dropped　her　chin



on　her　hand；　looking　at　a　low　star　that　seemed　to　rest　just



on　the　rim　of　the　earth。　　〃I　don't　see　how　you　stood　it。　　I



don't　believe　I　could。　　I　don't　see　how　people　can　stand　it



to　get　knocked　out；　anyhow！〃　　She　spoke　with　such　fierce…



ness　that　Ray　glanced　at　her　in　surprise。　　She　was　sitting



on　the　floor　of　the　car；　crouching　like　a　little　animal　about



to　spring。







　　　　　〃No　occasion　for　you　to　see；〃　he　said　warmly。　　〃There'll



always　be　plenty　of　other　people　to　take　the　knocks　for



you。〃







　　　　　〃That's　nonsense；　Ray。〃　　Thea　spoke　impatiently　and



leaned　lower　still；　frowning　at　the　red　star。　　〃Everybody's



up　against　it　for　himself；　succeeds　or　failshimself。〃







　　　　　〃In　one　way；　yes；〃　Ray　admitted；　knocking　the　sparks



from　his　pipe　out　into　the　soft　darkness　that　seemed　to



flow　like　a　river　beside　the　car。　　〃But　when　you　look　at



it　another　way；　there　are　a　lot　of　halfway　people　in　this



world　who　help　the　winners　win；　and　the　failers　fail。　　If　a



man　stumbles；　there's　plenty　of　people　to　push　him　down。



But　if　he's　like　‘the　youth　who　bore；'　those　same　people



are　foreordained　to　help　him　along。　　They　may　hate　to；



worse　than　blazes；　and　they　may　do　a　lot　of　cussin'　about



it；　but　they　have　to　help　the　winners　and　they　can't　dodge



it。　　It's　a　natural　law；　like　what　keeps　the　big　clock　up



there　going；　little　wheels　and　big；　and　no　mix…up。〃　　Ray's



hand　and　his　pipe　were　suddenly　outlined　against　the　sky。



〃Ever　occur　to　you；　Thee；　that　they　have　to　be　on　time



close　enough　to　MAKE　TIME？　　The　Dispatcher　up　there　must



have　a　long　head。〃　　Pleased　with　his　similitude；　Ray　went



back　to　the　lookout。　　Going　into　Denver；　he　had　to　keep　a



sharp　watch。







　　　　　Giddy　came　down；　cheerful　at　the　prospect　of　getting



into　port；　and　singing　a　new　topical　ditty　that　had　come　up















from　the　Santa　Fe　by　way　of　La　Junta。　　Nobody　knows



who　makes　these　songs；　they　seem　to　follow　events　auto…



matically。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　made　Giddy　sing　the　whole



twelve　verses　of　this　one；　and　laughed　until　she　wiped　her



eyes。　　The　story　was　that　of　Katie　Casey；　head　dining…



room　girl　at　Winslow；　Arizona；　who　was　unjustly　dis…



charged　by　the　Harvey　House　manager。　　Her　suitor；　the



yardmaster；　took　the　switchmen　out　on　a　strike　until　she



was　reinstated。　　Freight　trains　from　the　east　and　the　west



piled　up　at　Winslow　until　the　yards　looked　like　a　log…jam。



The　division　superintendent；　who　was　in　California；　had　to



wire　instructions　for　Katie　Casey's　restoration　before　he



could　get　his　trains　running。　　Giddy's　song　told　all　this　with



much　detail；　both　tender　and　technical；　and　after　each　of



the　dozen　verses　came　the　refrain：











　　　　　　　　　　〃Oh；　who　would　think　that　Katie　Casey　owned　the　Santa　Fe？







　　　　　　　　　　But　it　really　looks　that　way；







　　　　　　　　　　The　dispatcher's　turnin'　gray；







　　　　　　　　　　All　the　crews　is　off　their　pay；







　　　　　　　　　　She　can　hold　the　freight　from　Albuquerq'　to　Needles　any



day；







　　　　　　　　　　The　division　superintendent；　he　come　home　from　Monterey；







　　　　　　　　　　Just　to　see　if　things　was　pleasin'　Katie　Caaasey。〃











　　　　　Thea　laughed　with　her　mother　and　applauded　Giddy。



Everything　was　so　kindly　and　comfortable；　Giddy　and



Ray；　and　their　hospitable　little　house；　and　the　easy…going



country；　and　the　stars。　　She　curled　up　on　the　seat　again



with　that　warm；　sleepy　feeling　of　the　friendliness　of　the



worldwhich　nobody　keeps　very　long；　and　which　she



was　to　lose　early　and　irrevocably。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XVII











　　　　　The　summer　flew　by。　　Thea　was　glad　when　Ray



Kennedy　had　a　Sunday　in　town　and　could　take　her



driving。　　Out　among　the　sand　hills　she　could　forget　the



〃new　room〃　which　was　the　scene　of　wearing　and　fruitless



labor。　　Dr。　Archie　was　away　from　home　a　good　deal　that



year。　　He　had　put　all　his　money　into　mines　above　Colo…



rado　Springs；　and　he　hoped　for　great　returns　from　them。







　　　　　In　the　fall　of　that　year；　Mr。　Kronborg　decided　that　Thea



ought　to　show　more　interest　in　church　work。　　He　put　it　to



her　frankly；　one　night　at　supper；　before　the　whole　family。



〃How　can　I　insist　on　the　other　girls　in　the　congregation



being　active　in　the　work；　when　one　of　my　own　daughters



manifests　so　little　interest？〃







　　　　　〃But　I　sing　every　Sunday　morning；　and　I　have　to　give



up　one　night　a　week　to　choir　practice；〃　Thea　declared



rebelliously；　pushing　back　her　plate　with　an　angry　deter…



mination　to　eat　nothing　more。







　　　　　〃One　night　a　week　is　not　enough　for　the　pastor's　daugh…



ter；〃　her　father　replied。　　〃You　won't　do　anything　in　the



sewing　society；　and　you　won't　take　part　in　the　Christian



Endeavor　or　the　Band　of　Hope。　　Very　well；　you　must　make



it　up　in　other　ways。　　I　want　some　one　to　play　the　organ



and　lead　the　singing　at　prayer…meeting　this　winter。　　Deacon



Potter　told　me　some　time　ago　that　he　thought　there　would



be　more　interest　in　our　prayer…meetings　if　we　had　the　organ。



Miss　Meyers　don't　feel　that　she　can　play　on　Wednesday



nights。　　And　there　ought　to　be　somebody　to　start　the　hymns。



Mrs。　Potter　is　getting　old；　and　she　always　starts　them　too



high。　　It　won't　take　much　of　your　time；　and　it　will　keep



people　from　talking。〃







　　　　　This　argument　conquered　Thea；　though　she　left　the















table　sullenly。　　The　fear　of　the　tongue；　that　terror　of　little



towns；　is　usually　felt　more　keenly　by　the　minister's　family



than　by　other　households。　　Whenever　the　Kronborgs



wanted　to　do　anything；　even　to　buy　a　new　carpet；　they　had



to　take　counsel　together　as　to　whether　people　would　talk。



Mrs。　Kronborg　had　her　own　conviction　that　people　talked



when　they　felt　like　it；　and　said　what　they　chose；　no　matter



how　the　minister's　family　conducted　themselves。　　But　she



did　not　impart　these　dangerous　ideas　to　her　children。　　Thea



was　still　under　the　belief　that　public　opinion　could　be



placated；　that　if　you　clucked　often　enough；　the　hens　would



mistake　you　for　one　of　themselves。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　did　not　have　any　particular　zest　for



prayer…meetings；　and　she　stayed　at　home　whenever　she　had



a　valid　excuse。　　Thor　was　too　old　to　furnish　such　an　excuse



now；　so　every　Wednesday　night；　unless　one　of　the　children



was　sick；　she　trudged　off　with　Thea；　behind　Mr。　Kronborg。



At　first　Thea　was　terribly　bored。　　But　she　got　used　to　prayer…



meeting；　got　even　to　feel　a　mournful　interest　in　it。







　　　　　The　exercises　were　always　pretty　much　the　same。　　After



the　first　hymn　her　father　read　a　passage　from　the　Bible；