part 1-第32部分

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ting　down。　　〃I　came　to　see　you　on　business。　　Poor　Kennedy



asked　me　to　look　after　his　affairs　for　him。　　Like　most　rail…



road　men　he　spent　his　wages；　except　for　a　few　invest…



ments　in　mines　which　don't　look　to　me　very　promising。



But　his　life　was　insured　for　six　hundred　dollars　in　Thea's



favor。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　wound　his　feet　about　the　standard　of　his



desk…chair。　　〃I　assure　you；　doctor；　this　is　a　complete　sur…



prise　to　me。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　it's　not　very　surprising　to　me；〃　Dr。　Archie　went



on。　　〃He　talked　to　me　about　it　the　day　he　was　hurt。　　He



said　he　wanted　the　money　to　be　used　in　a　particular　way；



and　in　no　other。〃　　Dr。　Archie　paused　meaningly。







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　fidgeted。　　〃I　am　sure　Thea　would　observe



his　wishes　in　every　respect。〃



















　　　　　〃No　doubt；　but　he　wanted　me　to　see　that　you　agreed　to



his　plan。　　It　seems　that　for　some　time　Thea　has　wanted　to



go　away　to　study　music。　　It　was　Kennedy's　wish　that　she



should　take　this　money　and　go　to　Chicago　this　winter。　　He



felt　that　it　would　be　an　advantage　to　her　in　a　business　way：



that　even　if　she　came　back　here　to　teach；　it　would　give　her



more　authority　and　make　her　position　here　more　com…



fortable。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　looked　a　little　startled。　　〃She　is　very



young；〃　he　hesitated；　〃she　is　barely　seventeen。　　Chicago



is　a　long　way　from　home。　　We　would　have　to　consider。　　I



think；　Dr。　Archie；　we　had　better　consult　Mrs。　Kronborg。〃







　　　　　〃I　think　I　can　bring　Mrs。　Kronborg　around；　if　I　have



your　consent。　　I've　always　found　her　pretty　level…headed。



I　have　several　old　classmates　practicing　in　Chicago。　　One



is　a　throat　specialist。　　He　has　a　good　deal　to　do　with　singers。



He　probably　knows　the　best　piano　teachers　and　could　re…



commend　a　boarding…house　where　music　students　stay。　　I



think　Thea　needs　to　get　among　a　lot　of　young　people　who



are　clever　like　herself。　　Here　she　has　no　companions　but　old



fellows　like　me。　　It's　not　a　natural　life　for　a　young　girl。



She'll　either　get　warped；　or　wither　up　before　her　time。　　If　it



will　make　you　and　Mrs。　Kronborg　feel　any　easier；　I'll　be



glad　to　take　Thea　to　Chicago　and　see　that　she　gets　started



right。　　This　throat　man　I　speak　of　is　a　big　fellow　in　his　line；



and　if　I　can　get　him　interested；　he　may　be　able　to　put　her



in　the　way　of　a　good　many　things。　　At　any　rate；　he'll　know



the　right　teachers。　　Of　course；　six　hundred　dollars　won't



take　her　very　far；　but　even　half　the　winter　there　would　be



a　great　advantage。　　I　think　Kennedy　sized　the　situation



up　exactly。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps；　I　don't　doubt　it。　　You　are　very　kind；　Dr。



Archie。〃　　Mr。　Kronborg　was　ornamenting　his　desk…blotter



with　hieroglyphics。　　〃I　should　think　Denver　might　be



better。　　There　we　could　watch　over　her。　　She　is　very　young。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　rose。　　〃Kennedy　didn't　mention　Denver。















He　said　Chicago；　repeatedly。　　Under　the　circumstances；　it



seems　to　me　we　ought　to　try　to　carry　out　his　wishes　ex…



actly；　if　Thea　is　willing。〃







　　　　　〃Certainly；　certainly。　　Thea　is　conscientious。　　She　would



not　waste　her　opportunities。〃　　Mr。　Kronborg　paused。　　〃If



Thea　were　your　own　daughter；　doctor；　would　you　consent



to　such　a　plan；　at　her　present　age？〃







　　　　　〃I　most　certainly　should。　　In　fact；　if　she　were　my



daughter；　I'd　have　sent　her　away　before　this。　　She's　a



most　unusual　child；　and　she's　only　wasting　herself　here。



At　her　age　she　ought　to　be　learning；　not　teaching。　　She'll



never　learn　so　quickly　and　easily　as　she　will　right　now。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　doctor；　you　had　better　talk　it　over　with　Mrs。



Kronborg。　　I　make　it　a　point　to　defer　to　her　wishes　in　such



matters。　　She　understands　all　her　children　perfectly。　　I



may　say　that　she　has　all　a　mother's　insight；　and　more。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　smiled。　　〃Yes；　and　then　some。　　I　feel　quite



confident　about　Mrs。　Kronborg。　　We　usually　agree。　　Good…



morning。〃







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　stepped　out　into　the　hot　sunshine　and　walked



rapidly　toward　his　office；　with　a　determined　look　on　his　face。



He　found　his　waiting…room　full　of　patients；　and　it　was　one



o'clock　before　he　had　dismissed　the　last　one。　　Then　he　shut



his　door　and　took　a　drink　before　going　over　to　the　hotel　for



his　lunch。　　He　smiled　as　he　locked　his　cupboard。　　〃I　feel



almost　as　gay　as　if　I　were　going　to　get　away　for　a　winter



myself；〃　he　thought。











　　　　　Afterward　Thea　could　never　remember　much　about



that　summer；　or　how　she　lived　through　her　impatience。



She　was　to　set　off　with　Dr。　Archie　on　the　fifteenth　of　Octo…



ber；　and　she　gave　lessons　until　the　first　of　September。　　Then



she　began　to　get　her　clothes　ready；　and　spent　whole　after…



noons　in　the　village　dressmaker's　stuffy；　littered　little　sew…



ing…room。　　Thea　and　her　mother　made　a　trip　to　Denver　to



buy　the　materials　for　her　dresses。　　Ready…made　clothes　for















girls　were　not　to　be　had　in　those　days。　　Miss　Spencer；　the



dressmaker；　declared　that　she　could　do　handsomely　by　Thea



if　they　would　only　let　her　carry　out　her　own　ideas。　　But　Mrs。



Kronborg　and　Thea　felt　that　Miss　Spencer's　most　daring



productions　might　seem　out　of　place　in　Chicago；　so　they



restrained　her　with　a　firm　hand。　　Tillie；　who　always　helped



Mrs。　Kronborg　with　the　family　sewing；　was　for　letting



Miss　Spencer　challenge　Chicago　on　Thea's　person。　　Since



Ray　Kennedy's　death；　Thea　had　become　more　than　ever



one　of　Tillie's　heroines。　　Tillie　swore　each　of　her　friends　to



secrecy；　and；　coming　home　from　church　or　leaning　over　the



fence；　told　them　the　most　touching　stories　about　Ray's



devotion；　and　how　Thea　would　〃never　get　over　it。〃







　　　　　Tillie's　confidences　stimulated　the　general　discussion　of



Thea's　venture。　　This　discussion　went　on；　upon　front



porches　and　in　back　yards；　pretty　much　all　summer。　　Some



people　approved　of　Thea's　going　to　Chicago；　but　most　peo…



ple　did　not。　　There　were　others　who　changed　their　minds



about　it　every　day。







　　　　　Tillie　said　she　wanted　Thea　to　have　a　ball　dress　〃above



all　things。〃　　She　bought　a　fashion　book　especially　devoted



to　evening　clothes　and　looked　hungrily　over　the　colored



plates；　picking　out　costumes　that　would　be　becoming　to



〃a　blonde。〃　　She　wanted　Thea　to　have　all　the　gay　clothes



she　herself　had　always　longed　for；　clothes　she　often　told



herself　she　needed　〃to　recite　in。〃







　　　　　〃Tillie；〃　Thea　used　to　cry　impatiently；　〃can't　you　see



that　if　Miss　Spencer　tried　to　make　one　of　those　things；



she'd　make　me　look　like　a　circus　girl？　　Anyhow；　I　don't



know　anybody　in　Chicago。　　I　won't　be　going　to　parties。〃







　　　　　Tillie　always　replied　with　a　knowing　toss　of　her　head；



〃You　see！　　You'll　be　in　society　before　you　know　it。　　There



ain't　many　girls　as　accomplished　as　you。〃







　　　　　On　the　morning　of　the　fifteenth　of　October　the　Kronborg



family；　all　of　them　but　Gus；　who　couldn't　leave　the　store；



started　for　the　station　an　hour　before　train　time。　　Charley















had　taken　Thea's　trunk　and　telescope　to　the　depot　in　his



delivery　wagon　early　that　morning。　　Thea　wore　her　new



blue　serge　traveling…dress；　chosen　for　its　serviceable　quali…



ties。　　She　had　done　her　hair　up　carefully；　and　had　put　a



pale…blue　ribbon　around　her　throat；　under　a　little　lace　col…



lar　that　Mrs。　Kohler　had　crocheted　for　her。　　As　they　went



out　of　the　gate；　Mrs。　Kronborg　looked　her　over　thought…



fully。　　Yes；　that　blue　ribbon　went　very　well　with　the　dress；



and　with　Thea's　eyes。　　Thea　had　a　rather　unusual　touch



about　such　things；　she　reflected　comfortably。　　Tillie　al…



ways　said　that　Thea　was　〃so　indifferent　to　dress；〃　but　her



mother　noticed　that　she　usually　put　her　clothes　on　well。



She　felt　the　more　at　ease　about　letting　Thea　go　away　from



home；　because　she　had　good　sense　about　her　clothes　and



never　tried　to　dress　up　too　much。　　Her　coloring　was　so



individual；　she　was　so　unusually　fair；　that　in　the　wrong



clothes　she　might　easily　have　been　〃conspicuous。〃







　　　　　It　was　a　fine　morning；　and　the　family　set　out　from　the



house　in　good　spirits。　　Thea　was　quiet　and　calm。　　She　had



forgotten　nothing；　and　she　clung　tightly　to　her　handbag；



which　held　her　trunk…key　and　all　of　her　money　that　was



not　in　an　envelope　pinned　to　her　chemise。　　Thea　walked



behind　the　others；　holding　Thor　by　the　hand；　and　this　time



she　did　not　feel　that　the　procession　was　too　long。　　Thor



was　uncommunicative　that　morning；　and　would　only　talk



about　how　he　would　rather　get　a　sand　bur　in　his　toe　every



day　than　wear　shoes　and　stockings。　　As　they　passed　the



cottonwood　grove　where　Thea　often　used　to　bring　him　in



his　cart；　she　asked　him　who　would　take　him　for　nice　long



walks　after　sister　went　away。







　　　　　〃Oh；　I　can　walk　in　our　yard；〃　he　replied　unapprecia…



tively。　　〃I　guess　I　can　make　a　pond　for　my　duck。〃







　　　　　Thea　leaned　down　and　looked　into　his　face。　　〃But　you



won't　forget　about　sister；　will　you？〃　　Thor　shook　his　head。



〃And　won't　you　be　glad　when　sister　comes　back　and　can



take　you　over　to　Mrs。　Kohler's　to　see　the　pigeons？〃



















　　　　　〃Yes；　I'll　be　glad。　　But　I'm　going　to　have　a　pigeon　my



own　self。〃







　　　　　〃But　you　haven't　got　any　little　house　for　one。　　Maybe



Axel　would　make　you　a　little　house。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　her　can　live