part 1-第33部分

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Axel　would　make　you　a　little　house。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　her　can　live　in　the　barn；　her　can；〃　Thor　drawled



indifferently。







　　　　　Thea　laughed　and　squeezed　his　hand。　　She　always　liked



his　sturdy　matter…of…factness。　　Boys　ought　to　be　like　that；



she　thought。







　　　　　When　they　reached　the　depot；　Mr。　Kronborg　paced　the



platform　somewhat　ceremoniously　with　his　daughter。　　Any



member　of　his　flock　would　have　gathered　that　he　was　giv…



ing　her　good　counsel　about　meeting　the　temptations　of　the



world。　　He　did；　indeed；　begin　to　admonish　her　not　to　forget



that　talents　come　from　our　Heavenly　Father　and　are　to　be



used　for　his　glory；　but　he　cut　his　remarks　short　and　looked



at　his　watch。　　He　believed　that　Thea　was　a　religious　girl；



but　when　she　looked　at　him　with　that　intent；　that　pas…



sionately　inquiring　gaze　which　used　to　move　even　Wunsch；



Mr。　Kronborg　suddenly　felt　his　eloquence　fail。　　Thea　was



like　her　mother；　he　reflected；　you　couldn't　put　much



sentiment　across　with　her。　　As　a　usual　thing；　he　liked　girls



to　be　a　little　more　responsive。　　He　liked　them　to　blush　at



his　compliments；　as　Mrs。　Kronborg　candidly　said；　〃Father



could　be　very　soft　with　the　girls。〃　　But　this　morning　he　was



thinking　that　hard…headedness　was　a　reassuring　quality　in



a　daughter　who　was　going　to　Chicago　alone。







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　believed　that　big　cities　were　places　where



people　went　to　lose　their　identity　and　to　be　wicked。　　He



himself；　when　he　was　a　student　at　the　Seminaryhe



coughed　and　opened　his　watch　again。　　He　knew；　of　course；



that　a　great　deal　of　business　went　on　in　Chicago；　that　there



was　an　active　Board　of　Trade；　and　that　hogs　and　cattle



were　slaughtered　there。　　But　when；　as　a　young　man；　he　had



stopped　over　in　Chicago；　he　had　not　interested　himself　in



the　commercial　activities　of　the　city。　　He　remembered　it　as















a　place　full　of　cheap　shows　and　dance　halls　and　boys　from



the　country　who　were　behaving　disgustingly。







　　　　　Dr。　Archie　drove　up　to　the　station　about　ten　minutes



before　the　train　was　due。　　His　man　tied　the　ponies　and　stood



holding　the　doctor's　alligator…skin　bagvery　elegant；



Thea　thought　it。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　did　not　burden　the　doctor



with　warnings　and　cautions。　　She　said　again　that　she　hoped



he　could　get　Thea　a　comfortable　place　to　stay；　where　they



had　good　beds；　and　she　hoped　the　landlady　would　be　a



woman　who'd　had　children　of　her　own。　　〃I　don't　go　much



on　old　maids　looking　after　girls；〃　she　remarked　as　she　took



a　pin　out　of　her　own　hat　and　thrust　it　into　Thea's　blue



turban。　　〃You'll　be　sure　to　lose　your　hatpins　on　the　train；



Thea。　　It's　better　to　have　an　extra　one　in　case。〃　　She　tucked



in　a　little　curl　that　had　escaped　from　Thea's　careful　twist。



〃Don't　forget　to　brush　your　dress　often；　and　pin　it　up　to



the　curtains　of　your　berth　to…night；　so　it　won't　wrinkle。



If　you　get　it　wet；　have　a　tailor　press　it　before　it　draws。〃







　　　　　She　turned　Thea　about　by　the　shoulders　and　looked　her



over　a　last　time。　　Yes；　she　looked　very　well。　　She　wasn't



pretty；　exactly；her　face　was　too　broad　and　her　nose　was



too　big。　　But　she　had　that　lovely　skin；　and　she　looked　fresh



and　sweet。　　She　had　always　been　a　sweet…smelling　child。



Her　mother　had　always　liked　to　kiss　her；　when　she　hap…



pened　to　think　of　it。







　　　　　The　train　whistled　in；　and　Mr。　Kronborg　carried　the



canvas　〃telescope〃　into　the　car。　　Thea　kissed　them　all



good…bye。　　Tillie　cried；　but　she　was　the　only　one　who　did。



They　all　shouted　things　up　at　the　closed　window　of　the　Pull…



man　car；　from　which　Thea　looked　down　at　them　as　from



a　frame；　her　face　glowing　with　excitement；　her　turban　a



little　tilted　in　spite　of　three　hatpins。　　She　had　already　taken



off　her　new　gloves　to　save　them。　　Mrs。　Kronborg　reflected



that　she　would　never　see　just　that　same　picture　again；



and　as　Thea's　car　slid　off　along　the　rails；　she　wiped　a



tear　from　her　eye。　　〃She　won't　come　back　a　little　girl；〃















Mrs。　Kronborg　said　to　her　husband　as　they　turned　to　go



home。　　〃Anyhow；　she's　been　a　sweet　one。〃







　　　　　While　the　Kronborg　family　were　trooping　slowly　home…



ward；　Thea　was　sitting　in　the　Pullman；　her　telescope　in　the



seat　beside　her；　her　handbag　tightly　gripped　in　her　fingers。



Dr。　Archie　had　gone　into　the　smoker。　　He　thought　she



might　be　a　little　tearful；　and　that　it　would　be　kinder　to



leave　her　alone　for　a　while。　　Her　eyes　did　fill　once；　when



she　saw　the　last　of　the　sand　hills　and　realized　that　she　was



going　to　leave　them　behind　for　a　long　while。　　They　always



made　her　think　of　Ray；　too。　　She　had　had　such　good　times



with　him　out　there。







　　　　　But；　of　course；　it　was　herself　and　her　own　adventure　that



mattered　to　her。　　If　youth　did　not　matter　so　much　to　itself；



it　would　never　have　the　heart　to　go　on。　　Thea　was　sur…



prised　that　she　did　not　feel　a　deeper　sense　of　loss　at　leaving



her　old　life　behind　her。　　It　seemed；　on　the　contrary；　as　she



looked　out　at　the　yellow　desert　speeding　by；　that　she　had



left　very　little。　　Everything　that　was　essential　seemed　to　be



right　there　in　the　car　with　her。　　She　lacked　nothing。　　She



even　felt　more　compact　and　confident　than　usual。　　She



was　all　there；　and　something　else　was　there；　too；in



her　heart；　was　it；　or　under　her　cheek？　　Anyhow；　it　was



about　her　somewhere；　that　warm　sureness；　that　sturdy



little　companion　with　whom　she　shared　a　secret。







　　　　　When　Dr。　Archie　came　in　from　the　smoker；　she　was　sit…



ting　still；　looking　intently　out　of　the　window　and　smiling；



her　lips　a　little　parted；　her　hair　in　a　blaze　of　sunshine。　　The



doctor　thought　she　was　the　prettiest　thing　he　had　ever



seen；　and　very　funny；　with　her　telescope　and　big　handbag。



She　made　him　feel　jolly；　and　a　little　mournful；　too。　　He



knew　that　the　splendid　things　of　life　are　few；　after　all；　and



so　very　easy　to　miss。







End　of　Part　I