part 1-第30部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





her　low　window　and　lie　awake　for　a　long　while；　vibrating



with　excitement；　as　a　machine　vibrates　from　speed。　　Life



rushed　in　upon　her　through　that　windowor　so　it　seemed。



In　reality；　of　course；　life　rushes　from　within；　not　from　with…



out。　　There　is　no　work　of　art　so　big　or　so　beautiful　that　it　was



not　once　all　contained　in　some　youthful　body；　like　this　one



which　lay　on　the　floor　in　the　moonlight；　pulsing　with　ardor



and　anticipation。　　It　was　on　such　nights　that　Thea　Kronborg



learned　the　thing　that　old　Dumas　meant　when　he　told　the



Romanticists　that　to　make　a　drama　he　needed　but　one



passion　and　four　walls。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIX











　　　　　It　is　well　for　its　peace　of　mind　that　the　traveling　public



takes　railroads　so　much　for　granted。　　The　only　men　who



are　incurably　nervous　about　railway　travel　are　the　railroad



operatives。　　A　railroad　man　never　forgets　that　the　next　run



may　be　his　turn。







　　　　　On　a　single…track　road；　like　that　upon　which　Ray　Ken…



nedy　worked；　the　freight　trains　make　their　way　as　best　they



can　between　passenger　trains。　　Even　when　there　is　such　a



thing　as　a　freight　time…schedule；　it　is　merely　a　form。　　Along



the　one　track　dozens　of　fast　and　slow　trains　dash　in　both



directions；　kept　from　collision　only　by　the　brains　in　the



dispatcher's　office。　　If　one　passenger　train　is　late；　the　whole



schedule　must　be　revised　in　an　instant；　the　trains　following



must　be　warned；　and　those　moving　toward　the　belated　train



must　be　assigned　new　meeting…places。







　　　　　Between　the　shifts　and　modifications　of　the　passenger



schedule；　the　freight　trains　play　a　game　of　their　own。　　They



have　no　right　to　the　track　at　any　given　time；　but　are　sup…



posed　to　be　on　it　when　it　is　free；　and　to　make　the　best　time



they　can　between　passenger　trains。　　A　freight　train；　on　a



single…track　road；　gets　anywhere　at　all　only　by　stealing



bases。







　　　　　Ray　Kennedy　had　stuck　to　the　freight　service；　although



he　had　had　opportunities　to　go　into　the　passenger　service



at　higher　pay。　　He　always　regarded　railroading　as　a　tempo…



rary　makeshift；　until　he　〃got　into　something；〃　and　he　dis…



liked　the　passenger　service。　　No　brass　buttons　for　him；　he



said；　too　much　like　a　livery。　　While　he　was　railroading　he



would　wear　a　jumper；　thank　you！







　　　　　The　wreck　that　〃caught〃　Ray　was　a　very　commonplace



one；　nothing　thrilling　about　it；　and　it　got　only　six　lines　in















the　Denver　papers。　　It　happened　about　daybreak　one



morning；　only　thirty…two　miles　from　home。







　　　　　At　four　o'clock　in　the　morning　Ray's　train　had　stopped



to　take　water　at　Saxony；　having　just　rounded　the　long



curve　which　lies　south　of　that　station。　　It　was　Joe　Giddy's



business　to　walk　back　along　the　curve　about　three　hundred



yards　and　put　out　torpedoes　to　warn　any　train　which　might



be　coming　up　from　behinda　freight　crew　is　not　notified



of　trains　following；　and　the　brakeman　is　supposed　to　protect



his　train。　　Ray　was　so　fussy　about　the　punctilious　observ…



ance　of　orders　that　almost　any　brakeman　would　take　a



chance　once　in　a　while；　from　natural　perversity。







　　　　　When　the　train　stopped　for　water　that　morning；　Ray



was　at　the　desk　in　his　caboose；　making　out　his　report。



Giddy　took　his　torpedoes；　swung　off　the　rear　platform；　and



glanced　back　at　the　curve。　　He　decided　that　he　would　not



go　back　to　flag　this　time。　　If　anything　was　coming　up　be…



hind；　he　could　hear　it　in　plenty　of　time。　　So　he　ran　forward



to　look　after　a　hot　journal　that　had　been　bothering　him。



In　a　general　way；　Giddy's　reasoning　was　sound。　　If　a　freight



train；　or　even　a　passenger　train；　had　been　coming　up　behind



them；　he　could　have　heard　it　in　time。　　But　as　it　happened；　a



light　engine；　which　made　no　noise　at　all；　was　coming；



ordered　out　to　help　with　the　freight　that　was　piling　up　at



the　other　end　of　the　division。　　This　engine　got　no　warning；



came　round　the　curve；　struck　the　caboose；　went　straight



through　it；　and　crashed　into　the　heavy　lumber　car　ahead。











　　　　　The　Kronborgs　were　just　sitting　down　to　breakfast；　when



the　night　telegraph　operator　dashed　into　the　yard　at　a　run



and　hammered　on　the　front　door。　　Gunner　answered　the



knock；　and　the　telegraph　operator　told　him　he　wanted　to



see　his　father　a　minute；　quick。　　Mr。　Kronborg　appeared　at



the　door；　napkin　in　hand。　　The　operator　was　pale　and



panting。







　　　　　〃Fourteen　was　wrecked　down　at　Saxony　this　morning；〃















he　shouted；　〃and　Kennedy's　all　broke　up。　　We're　sending



an　engine　down　with　the　doctor；　and　the　operator　at　Saxony



says　Kennedy　wants　you　to　come　along　with　us　and　bring



your　girl。〃　　He　stopped　for　breath。







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　took　off　his　glasses　and　began　rubbing



them　with　his　napkin。







　　　　　〃BringI　don't　understand；〃　he　muttered。　　〃How　did



this　happen？〃







　　　　　〃No　time　for　that；　sir。　　Getting　the　engine　out　now。



Your　girl；　Thea。　　You'll　surely　do　that　for　the　poor　chap。



Everybody　knows　he　thinks　the　world　of　her。〃　　Seeing　that



Mr。　Kronborg　showed　no　indication　of　having　made　up　his



mind；　the　operator　turned　to　Gunner。　　〃Call　your　sister；



kid。　　I'm　going　to　ask　the　girl　herself；〃　he　blurted　out。







　　　　　〃Yes；　yes；　certainly。　　Daughter；〃　Mr。　Kronborg　called。



He　had　somewhat　recovered　himself　and　reached　to　the



hall　hatrack　for　his　hat。







　　　　　Just　as　Thea　came　out　on　the　front　porch；　before　the



operator　had　had　time　to　explain　to　her；　Dr。　Archie's　ponies



came　up　to　the　gate　at　a　brisk　trot。　　Archie　jumped　out



the　moment　his　driver　stopped　the　team　and　came　up　to



the　bewildered　girl　without　so　much　as　saying　good…morn…



ing　to　any　one。　　He　took　her　hand　with　the　sympathetic；



reassuring　graveness　which　had　helped　her　at　more　than



one　hard　time　in　her　life。　　〃Get　your　hat；　my　girl。　　Ken…



nedy's　hurt　down　the　road；　and　he　wants　you　to　run　down



with　me。　　They'll　have　a　car　for　us。　　Get　into　my　buggy；



Mr。　Kronborg。　　I'll　drive　you　down；　and　Larry　can　come



for　the　team。〃







　　　　　The　driver　jumped　out　of　the　buggy　and　Mr。　Kronborg



and　the　doctor　got　in。　　Thea；　still　bewildered；　sat　on　her　fa…



ther's　knee。　　Dr。　Archie　gave　his　ponies　a　smart　cut　with　the



whip。







　　　　　When　they　reached　the　depot；　the　engine；　with　one　car



attached；　was　standing　on　the　main　track。　　The　engineer



had　got　his　steam　up；　and　was　leaning　out　of　the　cab　im…















patiently。　　In　a　moment　they　were　off。　　The　run　to　Saxony



took　forty　minutes。　　Thea　sat　still　in　her　seat　while　Dr。



Archie　and　her　father　talked　about　the　wreck。　　She　took



no　part　in　the　conversation　and　asked　no　questions；　but



occasionally　she　looked　at　Dr。　Archie　with　a　frightened；



inquiring　glance；　which　he　answered　by　an　encouraging



nod。　　Neither　he　nor　her　father　said　anything　about　how



badly　Ray　was　hurt。　　When　the　engine　stopped　near　Saxony；



the　main　track　was　already　cleared。　　As　they　got　out　of　the



car；　Dr。　Archie　pointed　to　a　pile　of　ties。







　　　　　〃Thea；　you'd　better　sit　down　here　and　watch　the　wreck



crew　while　your　father　and　I　go　up　and　look　Kennedy　over。



I'll　come　back　for　you　when　I　get　him　fixed　up。〃







　　　　　The　two　men　went　off　up　the　sand　gulch；　and　Thea　sat



down　and　looked　at　the　pile　of　splintered　wood　and　twisted



iron　that　had　lately　been　Ray's　caboose。　　She　was　fright…



ened　and　absent…minded。　　She　felt　that　she　ought　to　be



thinking　about　Ray；　but　her　mind　kept　racing　off　to　all　sorts



of　trivial　and　irrelevant　things。　　She　wondered　whether



Grace　Johnson　would　be　furious　when　she　came　to　take　her



music　lesson　and　found　nobody　there　to　give　it　to　her；



whether　she　had　forgotten　to　close　the　piano　last　night　and



whether　Thor　would　get　into　the　new　room　and　mess　the



keys　all　up　with　his　sticky　fingers；　whether　Tillie　would　go



upstairs　and　make　her　bed　for　her。　　Her　mind　worked　fast；



but　she　could　fix　it　upon　nothing。　　The　grasshoppers；　the



lizards；　distracted　her　attention　and　seemed　more　real　to



her　than　poor　Ray。







　　　　　On　their　way　to　the　sand　bank　where　Ray　had　been　car…



ried；　Dr。　Archie　and　Mr。　Kronborg　met　the　Saxony　doctor。



He　shook　hands　with　them。







　　　　　〃Nothing　you　can　do；　doctor。　　I　couldn't　count　the



fractures。　　His　back's　broken；　too。　　He　wouldn't　be　alive



now　if　he　weren't　so　confoundedly　strong；　poor　chap。　　No



use　bothering　him。　　I've　given　him　morphia；　one　and　a



half；　in　eighths。〃



















　　　　　Dr。　Archie　hurried　on。　　Ray　was　lying　on　a　flat　canvas



litter；　under　the　shelter　of　a　shelving　bank；　lightly　shaded



by　a　slender　cottonwood　tree。　　When　the　doctor　and　the



preacher　approached；　he　looked　at　them　intently。







　　　　　〃Didn't〃　he　closed　his　eyes　to　hide　his　bitter　disap…



pointment。







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　knew　what　was　the　matter。　　〃Thea's　back



there；　Ray。　　I'll　bring　her　as　soon　as　I've　had　a　look　at　you。〃







　　　　　Ray　looked　up。　　〃You　might　clean　me　up　a　trifle；　doc。



Won't　need　you　for　anything　else；　thank　you　all　the　same。〃







　　　　　However　little　there　was　left　of　him；　that　little　was　cer…



tainly　Ray　Kennedy。　　His　personality　was　as　positive　as



ever；　and　the　blood　and　dirt　on　his　face　seemed　merely



accidental；　to　have　nothing　to　do　with