part 2-第13部分

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would　like　to　be。　　The　flower　put　her　in　an　absolutely　regal



mood。　　She　had　a　whole　pot　of　coffee；　and　scrambled　eggs















with　chopped　ham；　utterly　disregarding　the　astonishing



price　they　cost。　　She　had　faith　enough　in　what　she　could



do；　she　told　herself；　to　have　eggs　if　she　wanted　them。　　At



the　table　opposite　her　sat　a　man　and　his　wife　and　little　boy



Thea　classified　them　as　being　〃from　the　East。〃　　They



spoke　in　that　quick；　sure　staccato；　which　Thea；　like　Ray



Kennedy；　pretended　to　scorn　and　secretly　admired。　　Peo…



ple　who　could　use　words　in　that　confident　way；　and　who



spoke　them　elegantly；　had　a　great　advantage　in　life；　she



reflected。　　There　were　so　many　words　which　she　could　not



pronounce　in　speech　as　she　had　to　do　in　singing。　　Lan…



guage　was　like　clothes；　it　could　be　a　help　to　one；　or　it



could　give　one　away。　　But　the　most　important　thing　was



that　one　should　not　pretend　to　be　what　one　was　not。







　　　　　When　she　paid　her　check　she　consulted　the　waiter。



〃Waiter；　do　you　suppose　I　could　buy　one　of　those　roses？



I'm　out　of　the　day…coach；　and　there　is　a　sick　girl　in　there。



I'd　like　to　take　her　a　cup　of　coffee　and　one　of　those　flowers。〃







　　　　　The　waiter　liked　nothing　better　than　advising　travelers



less　sophisticated　than　himself。　　He　told　Thea　there　were



a　few　roses　left　in　the　icebox　and　he　would　get　one。　　He



took　the　flower　and　the　coffee　into　the　day…coach。　　Thea



pointed　out　the　girl；　but　she　did　not　accompany　him。　　She



hated　thanks　and　never　received　them　gracefully。　　She



stood　outside　on　the　platform　to　get　some　fresh　air　into



her　lungs。　　The　train　was　crossing　the　Platte　River　now；



and　the　sunlight　was　so　intense　that　it　seemed　to　quiver



in　little　flames　on　the　glittering　sandbars；　the　scrub　wil…



lows；　and　the　curling；　fretted　shallows。







　　　　　Thea　felt　that　she　was　coming　back　to　her　own　land。



She　had　often　heard　Mrs。　Kronborg　say　that　she　〃believed



in　immigration；〃　and　so　did　Thea　believe　in　it。　　This　earth



seemed　to　her　young　and　fresh　and　kindly；　a　place　where



refugees　from　old；　sad　countries　were　given　another　chance。



The　mere　absence　of　rocks　gave　the　soil　a　kind　of　amia…



bility　and　generosity；　and　the　absence　of　natural　bound…















aries　gave　the　spirit　a　wider　range。　　Wire　fences　might　mark



the　end　of　a　man's　pasture；　but　they　could　not　shut　in　his



thoughts　as　mountains　and　forests　can。　　It　was　over　flat



lands　like　this；　stretching　out　to　drink　the　sun；　that　the



larks　sangand　one's　heart　sang　there；　too。　　Thea　was



glad　that　this　was　her　country；　even　if　one　did　not　learn　to



speak　elegantly　there。　　It　was；　somehow；　an　honest　coun…



try；　and　there　was　a　new　song　in　that　blue　air　which　had



never　been　sung　in　the　world　before。　　It　was　hard　to　tell



about　it；　for　it　had　nothing　to　do　with　words；　it　was　like



the　light　of　the　desert　at　noon；　or　the　smell　of　the　sagebrush



after　rain；　intangible　but　powerful。　　She　had　the　sense　of



going　back　to　a　friendly　soil；　whose　friendship　was　some…



how　going　to　strengthen　her；　a　naive；　generous　country



that　gave　one　its　joyous　force；　its　large…hearted；　childlike



power　to　love；　just　as　it　gave　one　its　coarse；　brilliant



flowers。







　　　　　As　she　drew　in　that　glorious　air　Thea's　mind　went　back



to　Ray　Kennedy。　　He；　too；　had　that　feeling　of　empire；　as



if　all　the　Southwest　really　belonged　to　him　because　he　had



knocked　about　over　it　so　much；　and　knew　it；　as　he　said；



〃like　the　blisters　on　his　own　hands。〃　　That　feeling；　she



reflected；　was　the　real　element　of　companionship　between



her　and　Ray。　　Now　that　she　was　going　back　to　Colorado；



she　realized　this　as　she　had　not　done　before。























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX







　　　　　THEA　reached　Moonstone　in　the　late　afternoon；　and　all



the　Kronborgs　were　there　to　meet　her　except　her　two



older　brothers。　　Gus　and　Charley　were　young　men　now；



and　they　had　declared　at　noon　that　it　would　〃look　silly　if



the　whole　bunch　went　down　to　the　train。〃　　〃There's　no　use



making　a　fuss　over　Thea　just　because　she's　been　to　Chi…



cago；〃　Charley　warned　his　mother。　　〃She's　inclined　to



think　pretty　well　of　herself；　anyhow；　and　if　you　go　treating



her　like　company；　there'll　be　no　living　in　the　house　with



her。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　simply　leveled　her　eyes　at　Charley；



and　he　faded　away；　muttering。　　She　had；　as　Mr。　Kronborg



always　said　with　an　inclination　of　his　head；　good　control



over　her　children。　　Anna；　too；　wished　to　absent　herself



from　the　party；　but　in　the　end　her　curiosity　got　the　better



of　her。　　So　when　Thea　stepped　down　from　the　porter's



stool；　a　very　creditable　Kronborg　representation　was



grouped　on　the　platform　to　greet　her。　　After　they　had　all



kissed　her　（Gunner　and　Axel　shyly）；　Mr。　Kronborg　hurried



his　flock　into　the　hotel　omnibus；　in　which　they　were　to　be



driven　ceremoniously　home；　with　the　neighbors　looking



out　of　their　windows　to　see　them　go　by。







　　　　　All　the　family　talked　to　her　at　once；　except　Thor；



impressive　in　new　trousers；　who　was　gravely　silent　and



who　refused　to　sit　on　Thea's　lap。　　One　of　the　first　things



Anna　told　her　was　that　Maggie　Evans；　the　girl　who　used　to



cough　in　prayer　meeting；　died　yesterday；　and　had　made



a　request　that　Thea　sing　at　her　funeral。







　　　　　Thea's　smile　froze。　　〃I'm　not　going　to　sing　at　all　this



summer；　except　my　exercises。　　Bowers　says　I　taxed　my



voice　last　winter；　singing　at　funerals　so　much。　　If　I　begin



the　first　day　after　I　get　home；　there'll　be　no　end　to　it。















You　can　tell　them　I　caught　cold　on　the　train；　or　some…



thing。〃







　　　　　Thea　saw　Anna　glance　at　their　mother。　　Thea　remem…



bered　having　seen　that　look　on　Anna's　face　often　before；



but　she　had　never　thought　anything　about　it　because　she



was　used　to　it。　　Now　she　realized　that　the　look　was　dis…



tinctly　spiteful；　even　vindictive。　　She　suddenly　realized



that　Anna　had　always　disliked　her。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　seemed　to　notice　nothing；　and　changed



the　trend　of　the　conversation；　telling　Thea　that　Dr。　Archie



and　Mr。　Upping；　the　jeweler；　were　both　coming　in　to　see



her　that　evening；　and　that　she　had　asked　Spanish　Johnny



to　come；　because　he　had　behaved　well　all　winter　and　ought



to　be　encouraged。







　　　　　The　next　morning　Thea　wakened　early　in　her　own　room



up　under　the　eaves　and　lay　watching　the　sunlight　shine



on　the　roses　of　her　wall…paper。　　She　wondered　whether　she



would　ever　like　a　plastered　room　as　well　as　this　one　lined



with　scantlings。　　It　was　snug　and　tight；　like　the　cabin　of　a



little　boat。　　Her　bed　faced　the　window　and　stood　against　the



wall；　under　the　slant　of　the　ceiling。　　When　she　went　away



she　could　just　touch　the　ceiling　with　the　tips　of　her　fingers；



now　she　could　touch　it　with　the　palm　of　her　hand。　　It　was



so　little　that　it　was　like　a　sunny　cave；　with　roses　running



all　over　the　roof。　　Through　the　low　window；　as　she　lay



there；　she　could　watch　people　going　by　on　the　farther　side



of　the　street；　men；　going　downtown　to　open　their　stores。



Thor　was　over　there；　rattling　his　express　wagon　along



the　sidewalk。　　Tillie　had　put　a　bunch　of　French　pinks　in　a



tumbler　of　water　on　her　dresser；　and　they　gave　out　a　pleas…



ant　perfume。　　The　blue　jays　were　fighting　and　screeching



in　the　cottonwood　tree　outside　her　window；　as　they　always



did；　and　she　could　hear　the　old　Baptist　deacon　across



the　street　calling　his　chickens；　as　she　had　heard　him　do



every　summer　morning　since　she　could　remember。　　It　was



pleasant　to　waken　up　in　that　bed；　in　that　room；　and　to　feel

















the　brightness　of　the　morning；　while　light　quivered　about



the　low；　papered　ceiling　in　golden　spots；　refracted　by　the



broken　mirror　and　the　glass　of　water　that　held　the　pinks。



〃IM　LEUCHTENDEN　SOMMERMORGEN〃；　those　lines；　and　the　face



of　her　old　teacher；　came　back　to　Thea；　floated　to　her　out　of



sleep；　perhaps。　　She　had　been　dreaming　something　pleas…



ant；　but　she　could　not　remember　what。　　She　would　go　to



call　upon　Mrs。　Kohler　to…day；　and　see　the　pigeons　washing



their　pink　feet　in　the　drip　under　the　water　tank；　and　flying



about　their　house　that　was　sure　to　have　a　fresh　coat　of　white



paint　on　it　for　summer。　　On　the　way　home　she　would　stop



to　see　Mrs。　Tellamantez。　　On　Sunday　she　would　coax



Gunner　to　take　her　out　to　the　sand　hills。　　She　had　missed



them　in　Chicago；　had　been　homesick　for　their　brilliant



morning　gold　and　for　their　soft　colors　at　evening。　　The



Lake；　somehow；　had　never　taken　their　place。







　　　　　While　she　lay　planning；　relaxed　in　warm　drowsiness；　she



heard　a　knock　at　her　door。　　She　supposed　it　was　Tillie；　who



sometimes　fluttered　in　on　her　before　she　was　out　of　bed　to



offer　some　service　which　the　family　would　have　ridiculed。



But　instead；　Mrs。　Kronborg　herself　came　in；　carrying　a



tray　with　Thea's　breakfast　set　out　on　one　of　the　best　white



napkins。　　Thea　sat　up　with　some　embarrassment　and　pulled



her　nightgown　together　across　her　chest。　　Mrs。　Kronborg



was　always　busy　downstairs　in　the　morning；　and　Thea



could　not　remember　when　her　mother　had　come　to　her



room　before。







　　　　　〃I　thought　you'd　be　tired；　after　traveling；　and　might



like　to　take　it　easy　for　once。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　put　the　tray



on　the　edge　of　the　bed。　　〃I　took　some　thick　cream　for　you