part 1-第8部分

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about　not　trampling　the　vines；　don't　you？〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Archie　went　back　into　the　house　and　Thea　leaned



over　in　the　sand　and　picked　a　few　strawberries。　　As　soon　as



she　was　sure　that　she　was　not　going　to　cry；　she　tossed　the



little　basket　into　the　big　one　and　ran　Thor's　buggy　along



the　gravel　walk　and　out　of　the　gate　as　fast　as　she　could　push



it。　　She　was　angry；　and　she　was　ashamed　for　Dr。　Archie。　　She



could　not　help　thinking　how　uncomfortable　he　would　be　if



he　ever　found　out　about　it。　　Little　things　like　that　were　the



ones　that　cut　him　most。　　She　slunk　home　by　the　back　way；



and　again　almost　cried　when　she　told　her　mother　about　it。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　frying　doughnuts　for　her　husband's



supper。　　She　laughed　as　she　dropped　a　new　lot　into　the　hot



grease。　　〃It's　wonderful；　the　way　some　people　are　made；〃



she　declared。　　〃But　I　wouldn't　let　that　upset　me　if　I　was



you。　　Think　what　it　would　be　to　live　with　it　all　the　time。



You　look　in　the　black　pocketbook　inside　my　handbag　and



take　a　dime　and　go　downtown　and　get　an　ice…cream　soda。



That'll　make　you　feel　better。　　Thor　can　have　a　little　of　the



ice…cream　if　you　feed　it　to　him　with　a　spoon。　　He　likes　it；



don't　you；　son？〃　　She　stooped　to　wipe　his　chin。　　Thor　was



only　six　months　old　and　inarticulate；　but　it　was　quite　true



that　he　liked　ice…cream。























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI











　　　　　Seen　from　a　balloon；　Moonstone　would　have　looked



like　a　Noah's　ark　town　set　out　in　the　sand　and　lightly



shaded　by　gray…green　tamarisks　and　cottonwoods。　　A　few



people　were　trying　to　make　soft　maples　grow　in　their



turfed　lawns；　but　the　fashion　of　planting　incongruous



trees　from　the　North　Atlantic　States　had　not　become　gen…



eral　then；　and　the　frail；　brightly　painted　desert　town　was



shaded　by　the　light…reflecting；　wind…loving　trees　of　the



desert；　whose　roots　are　always　seeking　water　and　whose



leaves　are　always　talking　about　it；　making　the　sound　of



rain。　　The　long　porous　roots　of　the　cottonwood　are　irre…



pressible。　　They　break　into　the　wells　as　rats　do　into　grana…



ries；　and　thieve　the　water。







　　　　　The　long　street　which　connected　Moonstone　with　the



depot　settlement　traversed　in　its　course　a　considerable



stretch　of　rough　open　country；　staked　out　in　lots　but　not



built　up　at　all；　a　weedy　hiatus　between　the　town　and　the



railroad。　　When　you　set　out　along　this　street　to　go　to　the



station；　you　noticed　that　the　houses　became　smaller　and



farther　apart；　until　they　ceased　altogether；　and　the　board



sidewalk　continued　its　uneven　course　through　sunflower



patches；　until　you　reached　the　solitary；　new　brick　Catholic



Church。　　The　church　stood　there　because　the　land　was



given　to　the　parish　by　the　man　who　owned　the　adjoining



waste　lots；　in　the　hope　of　making　them　more　salable



〃Farrier's　Addition；〃　this　patch　of　prairie　was　called　in　the



clerk's　office。　　An　eighth　of　a　mile　beyond　the　church　was



a　washout；　a　deep　sand…gully；　where　the　board　sidewalk



became　a　bridge　for　perhaps　fifty　feet。　　Just　beyond　the



gully　was　old　Uncle　Billy　Beemer's　grove；twelve　town



lots　set　out　in　fine；　well…grown　cottonwood　trees；　delightful















to　look　upon；　or　to　listen　to；　as　they　swayed　and　rippled　in



the　wind。　　Uncle　Billy　had　been　one　of　the　most　worthless



old　drunkards　who　ever　sat　on　a　store　box　and　told　filthy



stories。　　One　night　he　played　hide…and…seek　with　a　switch



engine　and　got　his　sodden　brains　knocked　out。　　But　his



grove；　the　one　creditable　thing　he　had　ever　done　in　his　life；



rustled　on。　　Beyond　this　grove　the　houses　of　the　depot



settlement　began；　and　the　naked　board　walk；　that　had　run



in　out　of　the　sunflowers；　again　became　a　link　between



human　dwellings。







　　　　　One　afternoon；　late　in　the　summer；　Dr。　Howard　Archie



was　fighting　his　way　back　to　town　along　this　walk　through



a　blinding　sandstorm；　a　silk　handkerchief　tied　over　his



mouth。　　He　had　been　to　see　a　sick　woman　down　in　the　depot



settlement；　and　he　was　walking　because　his　ponies　had



been　out　for　a　hard　drive　that　morning。







　　　　　As　he　passed　the　Catholic　Church　he　came　upon　Thea



and　Thor。　　Thea　was　sitting　in　a　child's　express　wagon；　her



feet　out　behind；　kicking　the　wagon　along　and　steering　by



the　tongue。　　Thor　was　on　her　lap　and　she　held　him　with　one



arm。　　He　had　grown　to　be　a　big　cub　of　a　baby；　with　a　con…



stitutional　grievance；　and　he　had　to　be　continually　amused。



Thea　took　him　philosophically；　and　tugged　and　pulled



him　about；　getting　as　much　fun　as　she　could　under　her



encumbrance。　　Her　hair　was　blowing　about　her　face；　and



her　eyes　were　squinting　so　intently　at　the　uneven　board



sidewalk　in　front　of　her　that　she　did　not　see　the　doctor



until　he　spoke　to　her。







　　　　　〃Look　out；　Thea。　　You'll　steer　that　youngster　into　the



ditch。〃







　　　　　The　wagon　stopped。　　Thea　released　the　tongue；　wiped



her　hot；　sandy　face；　and　pushed　back　her　hair。　　〃Oh；　no；



I　won't！　　I　never　ran　off　but　once；　and　then　he　didn't　get



anything　but　a　bump。　　He　likes　this　better　than　a　baby…



buggy；　and　so　do　I。〃







　　　　　〃Are　you　going　to　kick　that　cart　all　the　way　home？〃



















　　　　　〃Of　course。　　We　take　long　trips；　wherever　there　is　a　side…



walk。　　It's　no　good　on　the　road。〃







　　　　　〃Looks　to　me　like　working　pretty　hard　for　your　fun。



Are　you　going　to　be　busy　to…night？　　Want　to　make　a　call



with　me？　　Spanish　Johnny's　come　home　again；　all　used　up。



His　wife　sent　me　word　this　morning；　and　I　said　I'd　go　over



to　see　him　to…night。　　He's　an　old　chum　of　yours；　isn't



he？〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　I'm　glad。　　She's　been　crying　her　eyes　out。　　When



did　he　come？〃







　　　　　〃Last　night；　on　Number　Six。　　Paid　his　fare；　they　tell　me。



Too　sick　to　beat　it。　　There'll　come　a　time　when　that　boy



won't　get　back；　I'm　afraid。　　Come　around　to　my　office　about



eight　o'clock；and　you　needn't　bring　that！〃







　　　　　Thor　seemed　to　understand　that　he　had　been　insulted；



for　he　scowled　and　began　to　kick　the　side　of　the　wagon；



shouting；　〃Go…go；　go…go！〃　　Thea　leaned　forward　and



grabbed　the　wagon　tongue。　　Dr。　Archie　stepped　in　front　of



her　and　blocked　the　way。　　〃Why　don't　you　make　him　wait？



What　do　you　let　him　boss　you　like　that　for？〃







　　　　　〃If　he　gets　mad　he　throws　himself；　and　then　I　can't　do



anything　with　him。　　When　he's　mad　he's　lots　stronger　than



me；　aren't　you；　Thor？〃　　Thea　spoke　with　pride；　and　the



idol　was　appeased。　　He　grunted　approvingly　as　his　sister



began　to　kick　rapidly　behind　her；　and　the　wagon　rattled　off



and　soon　disappeared　in　the　flying　currents　of　sand。







　　　　　That　evening　Dr。　Archie　was　seated　in　his　office；　his　desk



chair　tilted　back；　reading　by　the　light　of　a　hot　coal…oil　lamp。



All　the　windows　were　open；　but　the　night　was　breathless



after　the　sandstorm；　and　his　hair　was　moist　where　it　hung



over　his　forehead。　　He　was　deeply　engrossed　in　his　book



and　sometimes　smiled　thoughtfully　as　he　read。　　When



Thea　Kronborg　entered　quietly　and　slipped　into　a　seat；　he



nodded；　finished　his　paragraph；　inserted　a　bookmark；　and



rose　to　put　the　book　back　into　the　case。　　It　was　one　out　of



the　long　row　of　uniform　volumes　on　the　top　shelf。



















　　　　　〃Nearly　every　time　I　come　in；　when　you're　alone；　you're



reading　one　of　those　books；〃　Thea　remarked　thoughtfully。



〃They　must　be　very　nice。〃







　　　　　The　doctor　dropped　back　into　his　swivel　chair；　the　mot…



tled　volume　still　in　his　hand。　　〃They　aren't　exactly　books；



Thea；〃　he　said　seriously。　　〃They're　a　city。〃







　　　　　〃A　history；　you　mean？〃







　　　　　〃Yes；　and　no。　　They're　a　history　of　a　live　city；　not　a



dead　one。　　A　Frenchman　undertook　to　write　about　a　whole



cityful　of　people；　all　the　kinds　he　knew。　　And　he　got　them



nearly　all　in；　I　guess。　　Yes；　it's　very　interesting。　　You'll



like　to　read　it　some　day；　when　you're　grown　up。〃







　　　　　Thea　leaned　forward　and　made　out　the　title　on　the　back；



〃A　Distinguished　Provincial　in　Paris。〃







　　　　　〃It　doesn't　sound　very　interesting。〃







　　　　　〃Perhaps　not；　but　it　is。〃　　The　doctor　scrutinized　her



broad　face；　low　enough　to　be　in　the　direct　light　from　under



the　green　lamp　shade。　　〃Yes；〃　he　went　on　with　some　sat…



isfaction；　〃I　think　you'll　like　them　some　day。　　You're



always　curious　about　people；　and　I　expect　this　man　knew



more　about　people　than　anybody　that　ever　lived。〃







　　　　　〃City　people　or　country　people？〃







　　　　　〃Both。　　People　are　pretty　much　the　same　everywhere。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　no；　they're　not。　　The　people　who　go　through　in　the



dining…car　aren't　like　us。〃







　　　　　〃What　makes　you　think　they　aren't；　my　girl？　　Their



clothes？〃







　　　　　Thea　shook　her　head。　　〃No；　it's　something　else。　　I　don't



know。〃　　Her　eyes　shifted　under　the　doctor's　searching　gaze



and　she　glanced　up　at　the　row　of　books。　　〃How　soon　will



I　be　old　enough　to　read　them？〃







　　　　　〃Soon　enough；　soon　enough；　little　girl。〃　　The　doctor



patted　her　hand　and　looked　at　her　index　finger。　　〃The



nail's　coming　all　right；　isn't　it？　　But　I　think　that　man



makes　you　practice　too　much。　　You　have　it　on　your　mind



all　the　time。〃　　He　had　noticed　that　when　she　talked　to　him















she　was　always　opening　and　shutting　her　hands。　　〃It　makes



you　nervous。〃