part 1-第21部分

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　　　　　〃Mother；〃　said　Peter　Kronborg　to　his　wife　one　morn…



ing　about　two　weeks　after　Wunsch's　departure；



〃how　would　you　like　to　drive　out　to　Copper　Hole　with　me



to…day？〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　said　she　thought　she　would　enjoy　the



drive。　　She　put　on　her　gray　cashmere　dress　and　gold



watch　and　chain；　as　befitted　a　minister's　wife；　and　while



her　husband　was　dressing　she　packed　a　black　oilcloth



satchel　with　such　clothing　as　she　and　Thor　would　need



overnight。







　　　　　Copper　Hole　was　a　settlement　fifteen　miles　northwest　of



Moonstone　where　Mr。　Kronborg　preached　every　Friday



evening。　　There　was　a　big　spring　there　and　a　creek　and　a



few　irrigating　ditches。　　It　was　a　community　of　discour…



aged　agriculturists　who　had　disastrously　experimented



with　dry　farming。　　Mr。　Kronborg　always　drove　out　one



day　and　back　the　next；　spending　the　night　with　one　of



his　parishioners。　　Often；　when　the　weather　was　fine；　his



wife　accompanied　him。　　To…day　they　set　out　from　home



after　the　midday　meal；　leaving　Tillie　in　charge　of　the



house。　　Mrs。　Kronborg's　maternal　feeling　was　always　gar…



nered　up　in　the　baby；　whoever　the　baby　happened　to　be。



If　she　had　the　baby　with　her；　the　others　could　look　out　for



themselves。　　Thor；　of　course；　was　not；　accurately　speaking；



a　baby　any　longer。　　In　the　matter　of　nourishment　he　was



quite　independent　of　his　mother；　though　this　independence



had　not　been　won　without　a　struggle。　　Thor　was　conserva…



tive　in　all　things；　and　the　whole　family　had　anguished　with



him　when　he　was　being　weaned。　　Being　the　youngest；　he



was　still　the　baby　for　Mrs。　Kronborg；　though　he　was　nearly



four　years　old　and　sat　up　boldly　on　her　lap　this　afternoon；















holding　on　to　the　ends　of　the　lines　and　shouting　〃‘mup；



'mup；　horsey。〃　　His　father　watched　him　affectionately　and



hummed　hymn　tunes　in　the　jovial　way　that　was　sometimes



such　a　trial　to　Thea。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　enjoying　the　sunshine　and　the　bril…



liant　sky　and　all　the　faintly　marked　features　of　the　dazzling；



monotonous　landscape。　　She　had　a　rather　unusual　capacity



for　getting　the　flavor　of　places　and　of　people。　　Although



she　was　so　enmeshed　in　family　cares　most　of　the　time；　she



could　emerge　serene　when　she　was　away　from　them。　　For



a　mother　of　seven；　she　had　a　singularly　unprejudiced



point　of　view。　　She　was；　moreover；　a　fatalist；　and　as　she



did　not　attempt　to　direct　things　beyond　her　control；　she



found　a　good　deal　of　time　to　enjoy　the　ways　of　man　and



nature。







　　　　　When　they　were　well　upon　their　road；　out　where　the　first



lean　pasture　lands　began　and　the　sand　grass　made　a　faint



showing　between　the　sagebushes；　Mr。　Kronborg　dropped



his　tune　and　turned　to　his　wife。　　〃Mother；　I've　been　think…



ing　about　something。〃







　　　　　〃I　guessed　you　had。　　What　is　it？〃　　She　shifted　Thor　to



her　left　knee；　where　he　would　be　more　out　of　the　way。







　　　　　〃Well；　it's　about　Thea。　　Mr。　Follansbee　came　to　my



study　at　the　church　the　other　day　and　said　they　would　like



to　have　their　two　girls　take　lessons　of　Thea。　　Then　I　sounded



Miss　Meyers〃　（Miss　Meyers　was　the　organist　in　Mr。



Kronborg's　church）　〃and　she　said　there　was　a　good　deal　of



talk　about　whether　Thea　wouldn't　take　over　Wunsch's



pupils。　　She　said　if　Thea　stopped　school　she　wouldn't



wonder　if　she　could　get　pretty　much　all　Wunsch's　class。



People　think　Thea　knows　about　all　Wunsch　could　teach。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　looked　thoughtful。　　〃Do　you　think　we



ought　to　take　her　out　of　school　so　young？〃







　　　　　〃She　is　young；　but　next　year　would　be　her　last　year　any…



way。　　She's　far　along　for　her　age。　　And　she　can't　learn　much



under　the　principal　we've　got　now；　can　she？〃



















　　　　　〃No；　I'm　afraid　she　can't；〃　his　wife　admitted。　　〃She



frets　a　good　deal　and　says　that　man　always　has　to　look　in



the　back　of　the　book　for　the　answers。　　She　hates　all　that



diagramming　they　have　to　do；　and　I　think　myself　it's　a



waste　of　time。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　settled　himself　back　into　the　seat　and



slowed　the　mare　to　a　walk。　　〃You　see；　it　occurs　to　me　that



we　might　raise　Thea's　prices；　so　it　would　be　worth　her



while。　　Seventy…five　cents　for　hour　lessons；　fifty　cents　for



half…hour　lessons。　　If　she　got；　say　two　thirds　of　Wunsch's



class；　that　would　bring　her　in　upwards　of　ten　dollars　a



week。　　Better　pay　than　teaching　a　country　school；　and



there　would　be　more　work　in　vacation　than　in　winter。



Steady　work　twelve　months　in　the　year；　that's　an　advan…



tage。　　And　she'd　be　living　at　home；　with　no　expenses。〃







　　　　　〃There'd　be　talk　if　you　raised　her　prices；〃　said　Mrs。



Kronborg　dubiously。







　　　　　〃At　first　there　would。　　But　Thea　is　so　much　the　best



musician　in　town　that　they'd　all　come　into　line　after　a



while。　　A　good　many　people　in　Moonstone　have　been



making　money　lately；　and　have　bought　new　pianos。　　There



were　ten　new　pianos　shipped　in　here　from　Denver　in　the



last　year。　　People　ain't　going　to　let　them　stand　idle；　too



much　money　invested。　　I　believe　Thea　can　have　as　many



scholars　as　she　can　handle；　if　we　set　her　up　a　little。〃







　　　　　〃How　set　her　up；　do　you　mean？〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　felt　a



certain　reluctance　about　accepting　this　plan；　though　she



had　not　yet　had　time　to　think　out　her　reasons。







　　　　　〃Well；　I've　been　thinking　for　some　time　we　could　make



good　use　of　another　room。　　We　couldn't　give　up　the　parlor



to　her　all　the　time。　　If　we　built　another　room　on　the　ell　and



put　the　piano　in　there；　she　could　give　lessons　all　day　long



and　it　wouldn't　bother　us。　　We　could　build　a　clothes…press



in　it；　and　put　in　a　bed…lounge　and　a　dresser　and　let　Anna



have　it　for　her　sleeping…room。　　She　needs　a　place　of　her



own；　now　that　she's　beginning　to　be　dressy。〃



















　　　　　〃Seems　like　Thea　ought　to　have　the　choice　of　the　room；



herself；〃　said　Mrs。　Kronborg。







　　　　　〃But；　my　dear；　she　don't　want　it。　　Won't　have　it。　　I



sounded　her　coming　home　from　church　on　Sunday；　asked



her　if　she　would　like　to　sleep　in　a　new　room；　if　we　built　on。



She　fired　up　like　a　little　wild…cat　and　said　she'd　made　her



own　room　all　herself；　and　she　didn't　think　anybody　ought



to　take　it　away　from　her。〃







　　　　　〃She　don't　mean　to　be　impertinent；　father。　　She's　made



decided　that　way；　like　my　father。〃　　Mrs。　Kronborg　spoke



warmly。　　〃I　never　have　any　trouble　with　the　child。　　I



remember　my　father's　ways　and　go　at　her　carefully。　　Thea's



all　right。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　laughed　indulgently　and　pinched　Thor's



full　cheek。　　〃Oh；　I　didn't　mean　anything　against　your　girl；



mother！　　She's　all　right；　but　she's　a　little　wild…cat；　just　the



same。　　I　think　Ray　Kennedy's　planning　to　spoil　a　born　old



maid。〃







　　　　　〃Huh！　　She'll　get　something　a　good　sight　better　than



Ray　Kennedy；　you　see！　　Thea's　an　awful　smart　girl。　　I've



seen　a　good　many　girls　take　music　lessons　in　my　time；　but



I　ain't　seen　one　that　took　to　it　so。　　Wunsch　said　so；　too。



She's　got　the　making　of　something　in　her。〃







　　　　　〃I　don't　deny　that；　and　the　sooner　she　gets　at　it　in　a



businesslike　way；　the　better。　　She's　the　kind　that　takes



responsibility；　and　it'll　be　good　for　her。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　thoughtful。　　〃In　some　ways　it　will；



maybe。　　But　there's　a　good　deal　of　strain　about　teaching



youngsters；　and　she's　always　worked　so　hard　with　the



scholars　she　has。　　I've　often　listened　to　her　pounding　it



into　'em。　　I　don't　want　to　work　her　too　hard。　　She's　so



serious　that　she's　never　had　what　you　might　call　any　real



childhood。　　Seems　like　she　ought　to　have　the　next　few



years　sort　of　free　and　easy。　　She'll　be　tied　down　with　re…



sponsibilities　soon　enough。〃







　　　　　Mr。　Kronborg　patted　his　wife's　arm。　　〃Don't　you　believe















it；　mother。　　Thea　is　not　the　marrying　kind。　　I've　watched



'em。　　Anna　will　marry　before　long　and　make　a　good　wife；



but　I　don't　see　Thea　bringing　up　a　family。　　She's　got　a



good　deal　of　her　mother　in　her；　but　she　hasn't　got　all。　　She's



too　peppery　and　too　fond　of　having　her　own　way。　　Then



she's　always　got　to　be　ahead　in　everything。　　That　kind



make　good　church…workers　and　missionaries　and　school



teachers；　but　they　don't　make　good　wives。　　They　fret　all



their　energy　away；　like　colts；　and　get　cut　on　the　wire。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　laughed。　　〃Give　me　the　graham　crackers



I　put　in　your　pocket　for　Thor。　　He's　hungry。　　You're　a



funny　man；　Peter。　　A　body　wouldn't　think；　to　hear　you；



you　was　talking　about　your　own　daughters。　　I　guess　you　see



through　'em。　　Still；　even　if　Thea　ain't　apt　to　have　children



of　her　own；　I　don't　know　as　that's　a　good　reason　why　she



should　wear　herself　out　on　other　people's。〃







　　　　　〃That's　just　the　point；　mother。　　A　girl　with　all　that



energy　has　got　to　do　something；　same　as　a　boy；　to　keep　her



out　of　mischief。　　If　you　don't　want　her　to　marry　Ray；　let



her　do　something　to　make　herself　independent。〃







　　　　　〃Well；　I'm　not　against　it。　　It　might　be　the　best　thing　for



her。　　I　wish　I　felt　sure　she　wouldn't　worry。　　She　takes　things



hard。　　She　nearly　cried　herself　sick　about　Wunsch's　going



away。　　She's　the　smartest　child　of　'em　all；　Peter；　by　a　long



ways。〃







　　　　　Peter　Kronborg　smiled。　　〃There　you　go；　Anna。　　That's



you　all　over　again。　　Now；　I　have　no　fa