winesburg,ohio-第23部分

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The　distracted　man　trembled　from　head　to　foot；　partly　from　cold；　partly　from　the　struggle　in　which　he　was　engaged。　　Hours　passed　and　a　fever　assailed　his　body。　　His　throat　began　to　hurt　and　his　teeth　chattered。　　His　feet　on　the　study　floor　felt　like　two　cakes　of　ice。　　Still　he　would　not　give　up。　　〃I　will　see　this　woman　and　will　think　the　thoughts　I　have　never　dared　to　think；〃　he　told　himself；　gripping　the　edge　of　the　desk　and　waiting。

Curtis　Hartman　came　near　dying　from　the　effects　of　that　night　of　waiting　in　the　church；　and　also　he　found　in　the　thing　that　happened　what　he　took　to　be　the　way　of　life　for　him。　　On　other　evenings　when　he　had　waited　he　had　not　been　able　to　see；　through　the　little　hole　in　the　glass；　any　part　of　the　school　teacher's　room　except　that　occupied　by　her　bed。　　In　the　darkness　he　had　waited　until　the　woman　sud…　denly　appeared　sitting　in　the　bed　in　her　white　night…　robe。　　When　the　light　was　turned　up　she　propped　herself　up　among　the'　pillows　and　read　a　book。　Sometimes　she　smoked　one　of　the　cigarettes。　　Only　her　bare　shoulders　and　throat　were　visible。

On　the　January　night；　after　he　had　come　near　dying　with　cold　and　after　his　mind　had　two　or　three　times　actually　slipped　away　into　an　odd　land　of　fan…　tasy　so　that　he　had　by　an　exercise　of　will　power　to　force　himself　back　into　consciousness；　Kate　Swift　appeared。　　In　the　room　next　door　a　lamp　was　lighted　and　the　waiting　man　stared　into　an　empty　bed。　　Then　upon　the　bed　before　his　eyes　a　naked　woman　threw　herself。　　Lying　face　downward　she　wept　and　beat　with　her　fists　upon　the　pillow。　　With　a　final　outburst　of　weeping　she　half　arose；　and　in　the　presence　of　the　man　who　had　waited　to　look　and　not　to　think　thoughts　the　woman　of　sin　began　to　pray。　　In　the　lamplight　her　figure；　slim　and　strong；　looked　like　the　figure　of　the　boy　in　the　presence　of　the　Christ　on　the　leaded　window。

Curtis　Hartman　never　remembered　how　he　got　out　of　the　church。　　With　a　cry　he　arose；　dragging　the　heavy　desk　along　the　floor。　　The　Bible　fell；　making　a　great　clatter　in　the　silence。　　When　the　light　in　the　house　next　door　went　out　he　stumbled　down　the　stairway　and　into　the　street。　　Along　the　street　he　went　and　ran　in　at　the　door　of　the　Winesburg　Eagle。　To　George　Willard；　who　was　tramping　up　and　down　in　the　office　undergoing　a　struggle　of　his　own；　he　began　to　talk　half　incoherently。　　〃The　ways　of　God　are　beyond　human　understanding；〃　he　cried；　run…　ning　in　quickly　and　closing　the　door。　　He　began　to　advance　upon　the　young　man；　his　eyes　glowing　and　his　voice　ringing　with　fervor。　　〃I　have　found　the　light；〃　he　cried。　　〃After　ten　years　in　this　town；　God　has　manifested　himself　to　me　in　the　body　of　a　woman。〃　His　voice　dropped　and　he　began　to　whis…　per。　　〃I　did　not　understand；〃　he　said。　　〃What　I　took　to　be　a　trial　of　my　soul　was　only　a　preparation　for　a　new　and　more　beautiful　fervor　of　the　spirit。　　God　has　appeared　to　me　in　the　person　of　Kate　Swift；　the　school　teacher；　kneeling　naked　on　a　bed。　　Do　you　know　Kate　Swift？　Although　she　may　not　be　aware　of　it；　she　is　an　instrument　of　God；　bearing　the　mes…　sage　of　truth。〃

Reverend　Curtis　Hartman　turned　and　ran　out　of　the　office。　　At　the　door　he　stopped；　and　after　looking　up　and　down　the　deserted　street；　turned　again　to　George　Willard。　　〃I　am　delivered。　　Have　no　fear。〃　He　held　up　a　bleeding　fist　for　the　young　man　to　see。　　〃I　smashed　the　glass　of　the　window；〃　he　cried。　　〃Now　it　will　have　to　be　wholly　replaced。　　The　strength　of　God　was　in　me　and　I　broke　it　with　my　fist。〃




THE　TEACHER

SNOW　LAY　DEEP　in　the　streets　of　Winesburg。　　It　had　begun　to　snow　about　ten　o'clock　in　the　morning　and　a　wind　sprang　up　and　blew　the　snow　in　clouds　along　Main　Street。　　The　frozen　mud　roads　that　led　into　town　were　fairly　smooth　and　in　places　ice　cov…　ered　the　mud。　　〃There　will　be　good　sleighing；〃　said　Will　Henderson；　standing　by　the　bar　in　Ed　Griffith's　saloon。　　Out　of　the　saloon　he　went　and　met　Sylvester　West　the　druggist　stumbling　along　in　the　kind　of　heavy　overshoes　called　arctics。　　〃Snow　will　bring　the　people　into　town　on　Saturday；〃　said　the　druggist。　The　two　men　stopped　and　discussed　their　affairs。　Will　Henderson；　who　had　on　a　light　overcoat　and　no　overshoes；　kicked　the　heel　of　his　left　foot　with　the　toe　of　the　right。　　〃Snow　will　be　good　for　the　wheat；〃　observed　the　druggist　sagely。

Young　George　Willard；　who　had　nothing　to　do；　was　glad　because　he　did　not　feel　like　working　that　day。　　The　weekly　paper　had　been　printed　and　taken　to　the　post　office　Wednesday　evening　and　the　snow　began　to　fall　on　Thursday。　　At　eight　o'clock；　after　the　morning　train　had　passed；　he　put　a　pair　of　skates　in　his　pocket　and　went　up　to　Waterworks　Pond　but　did　not　go　skating。　　Past　the　pond　and　along　a　path　that　followed　Wine　Creek　he　went　until　he　came　to　a　grove　of　beech　trees。　　There　he　built　a　fire　against　the　side　of　a　log　and　sat　down　at　the　end　of　the　log　to　think。　　When　the　snow　began　to　fall　and　the　wind　to　blow　he　hurried　about　getting　fuel　for　the　fire。

The　young　reporter　was　thinking　of　Kate　Swift；　who　had　once　been　his　school　teacher。　　On　the　eve…　ning　before　he　had　gone　to　her　house　to　get　a　book　she　wanted　him　to　read　and　had　been　alone　with　her　for　an　hour。　　For　the　fourth　or　fifth　time　the　woman　had　talked　to　him　with　great　earnestness　and　he　could　not　make　out　what　she　meant　by　her　talk。　　He　began　to　believe　she　must　be　in　love　with　him　and　the　thought　was　both　pleasing　and　annoying。

Up　from　the　log　he　sprang　and　began　to　pile　sticks　on　the　fire。　　Looking　about　to　be　sure　he　was　alone　he　talked　aloud　pretending　he　was　in　the　presence　of　the　woman；　〃Oh；；　you're　just　letting　on；　you　know　you　are；〃　he　declared。　　〃I　am　going　to　find　out　about　you。　　You　wait　and　see。〃

The　young　man　got　up　and　went　back　along　the　path　toward　town　leaving　the　fire　blazing　in　the　wood。　　As　he　went　through　the　streets　the　skates　clanked　in　his　pocket。　　In　his　own　room　in　the　New　Willard　House　he　built　a　fire　in　the　stove　and　lay　down　on　top　of　the　bed。　　He　began　to　have　lustful　thoughts　and　pulling　down　the　shade　of　the　window　closed　his　eyes　and　turned　his　face　to　the　wall。　　He　took　a　pillow　into　his　arms　and　embraced　it　thinking　first　of　the　school　teacher；　who　by　her　words　had　stirred　something　within　him；　and　later　of　Helen　White；　the　slim　daughter　of　the　town　banker；　with　whom　he　had　been　for　a　long　time　half　in　love。

By　nine　o'clock　of　that　evening　snow　lay　deep　in　the　streets　and　the　weather　had　become　bitter　cold。　It　was　difficult　to　walk　about。　　The　stores　were　dark　and　the　people　had　crawled　away　to　their　houses。　The　evening　train　from　Cleveland　was　very　late　but　nobody　was　interested　in　its　arrival。　　By　ten　o'clock　all　but　four　of　the　eighteen　hundred　citizens　of　the　town　were　in　bed。

Hop　Higgins；　the　night　watchman；　was　partially　awake。　　He　was　lame　and　carried　a　heavy　stick。　　On　dark　nights　he　carried　a　lantern。　　Between　nine　and　ten　o'clock　he　went　his　rounds。　　Up　and　down　Main　Street　he　stumbled　through　the　drifts　trying　the　doors　of　the　stores。　　Then　he　went　into　alleyways　and　tried　the　back　doors。　　Finding　all　tight　he　hurried　around　the　corner　to　the　New　Willard　House　and　beat　on　the　door。　　Through　the　rest　of　the　night　he　intended　to　stay　by　the　stove。　　〃You　go　to　bed。　　I'll　keep　the　stove　going；〃　he　said　to　the　boy　who　slept　on　a　cot　in　the　hotel　office。

Hop　Higgins　sat　down　by　the　stove　and　took　off　his　shoes。　　When　the　boy　had　gone　to　sleep　he　began　to　think　of　his　own　affairs。　　He　intended　to　paint　his　house　in　the　spring　and　sat　by　the　stove　calculating　the　cost　of　paint　and　labor。　　That　led　him　into　other　calculations。　　The　night　watchman　was　sixty　years　old　and　wanted　to　retire。　　He　had　been　a　soldier　in　the　Civil　War　and　drew　a　small　pension。　　He　hoped　to　find　some　new　method　of　making　a　living　and　aspired　to　become　a　professional　breeder　of　ferrets。　Already　he　had　four　of　the　strangely　shaped　savage　little　creatures；　that　are　used　by　sportsmen　in　the　pursuit　of　rabbits；　in　the　cellar　of　his　house。　　〃Now　I　have　one　male　and　three　females；〃　he　mused。　　〃If　I　am　lucky　by　spring　I　shall　have　twelve　or　fifteen。　In　another　year　I　shall　be　able　to　begin　advertising　ferrets　for　sale　in　the　sporting　papers。〃

The　nightwatchman　settled　into　his　chair　and　his　mind　became　a　blank。　　He　did　not　sleep。　　By　years　of　practice　he　had　trained　himself　to　sit　for　hours　through　the　long　nights　neither　asleep　nor　awake。　In　the　morning　he　was　almost　as　refreshed　as　though　he　had　slept。

With　Hop　Higgins　safely　stowed　away　in　the　chair　behind　the　stove　only　three　people　were　awake　in　Winesburg。　　George　Willard　was　in　the　office　of　the　Eagle　pretending　to　be　at　work　on　the　writing　of　a　story　but　in　reality　continuing　the　mood　of　the　morning　by　the　fire　in　the　wood。　　In　the　bell　tower　of　the　Presbyterian　Church　the　Reverend　Curtis　Hartman　was　sitting　in　the　darkness　preparing　him…　self　for　a　revelation　from　God；　and　Kate　Swift；　the　school　teacher；　was　leaving　her　house　for　a　walk　in　the　storm。

It　was　past　ten　o'clock　when　Kate　Swift　set　out　and　the　walk　was　unpremeditated。　　It　was　as　though　the　man　and　the　boy；　by　thinking　of　her；　had　driven　her　forth　into　the　wintry　streets。　　Aunt　Elizabeth　Swift　had　gone　to　the　county　seat　concerning　some　business　in　connection　with　mortgages　in　which　she　had　money　invested　and　would　not　be　back　until　the　next　day。　　By　a　huge　stove；　called　a　base　burner；　in　the　living　room　of　the　house　sat　the　daughter　reading　a　book。　　Suddenly　she　sprang　to　her　feet　and；　snatching　a　cloak　from　a　rack　by　the　front　door；　ran　out　of　the　house。

At　the　age　of　thirty　Kate　Swift　was　not　known　in　Winesburg　as　a　pretty　woman。　　Her　complexion　was　not　good　and　her　face　was　covered　with　blotches　that　indicated　ill　health。　　Alone　in　the　night　in　the　winter　streets　she　was　lovely。　　Her　back　was　straight；　her　shoulders　square；　and　her　features　were　as　the　features　of　a　tiny　goddess　on　a　pedestal　in　a　garden　in　the　dim　light　of　a　summer　evening。

During　the　afternoon　the　school　teacher　had　been　to　see　Doctor　Welling　concerning　her　health。　　The　doctor　had　scolded　her　and　had　declared　she　was　in　danger　of　losing　her　hearing。　　It　was　foolish　for　Kate　Swift　to　be　abroad　in　the　storm；　foolish　and　perhaps　dangerous。

The　woman　in　the　streets　did　not　remember　the　words　of　the　doctor