part 1-第22部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！





you　all　over　again。　　Now；　I　have　no　favorites；　they　all　have



their　good　points。　　But　you；〃　with　a　twinkle；　〃always　did



go　in　for　brains。〃







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　chuckled　as　she　wiped　the　cracker　crumbs



from　Thor's　chin　and　fists。　　〃Well；　you're　mighty　conceited；



Peter！　　But　I　don't　know　as　I　ever　regretted　it。　　I　prefer



having　a　family　of　my　own　to　fussing　with　other　folks'



children；　that's　the　truth。〃







　　　　　Before　the　Kronborgs　reached　Copper　Hole；　Thea's　des…



tiny　was　pretty　well　mapped　out　for　her。　　Mr。　Kronborg















was　always　delighted　to　have　an　excuse　for　enlarging　the



house。







　　　　　Mrs。　Kronborg　was　quite　right　in　her　conjecture　that



there　would　be　unfriendly　comment　in　Moonstone　when



Thea　raised　her　prices　for　music…lessons。　　People　said　she



was　getting　too　conceited　for　anything。　　Mrs。　Livery　John…



son　put　on　a　new　bonnet　and　paid　up　all　her　back　calls　to



have　the　pleasure　of　announcing　in　each　parlor　she　entered



that　her　daughters；　at　least；　would　〃never　pay　professional



prices　to　Thea　Kronborg。〃







　　　　　Thea　raised　no　objection　to　quitting　school。　　She　was



now　in　the　〃high　room；〃　as　it　was　called；　in　next　to　the



highest　class；　and　was　studying　geometry　and　beginning



Caesar。　　She　no　longer　recited　her　lessons　to　the　teacher　she



liked；　but　to　the　Principal；　a　man　who　belonged；　like　Mrs。



Livery　Johnson；　to　the　camp　of　Thea's　natural　enemies。



He　taught　school　because　he　was　too　lazy　to　work　among



grown…up　people；　and　he　made　an　easy　job　of　it。　　He　got



out　of　real　work　by　inventing　useless　activities　for　his



pupils；　such　as　the　〃tree…diagramming　system。〃　　Thea　had



spent　hours　making　trees　out　of　〃Thanatopsis；〃　Hamlet's



soliloquy；　Cato　on　〃Immortality。〃　　She　agonized　under



this　waste　of　time；　and　was　only　too　glad　to　accept　her



father's　offer　of　liberty。







　　　　　So　Thea　left　school　the　first　of　November。　　By　the



first　of　January　she　had　eight　one…hour　pupils　and　ten



half…hour　pupils；　and　there　would　be　more　in　the　sum…



mer。　　She　spent　her　earnings　generously。　　She　bought　a



new　Brussels　carpet　for　the　parlor；　and　a　rifle　for　Gunner



and　Axel；　and　an　imitation　tiger…skin　coat　and　cap　for



Thor。　　She　enjoyed　being　able　to　add　to　the　family　posses…



sions；　and　thought　Thor　looked　quite　as　handsome　in　his



spots　as　the　rich　children　she　had　seen　in　Denver。　　Thor



was　most　complacent　in　his　conspicuous　apparel。　　He　could



walk　anywhere　by　this　timethough　he　always　preferred



to　sit；　or　to　be　pulled　in　his　cart。　　He　was　a　blissfully　lazy















child；　and　had　a　number　of　long；　dull　plays；　such　as　mak…



ing　nests　for　his　china　duck　and　waiting　for　her　to　lay



him　an　egg。　　Thea　thought　him　very　intelligent；　and　she



was　proud　that　he　was　so　big　and　burly。　　She　found　him



restful；　loved　to　hear　him　call　her　〃sitter；〃　and　really　liked



his　companionship；　especially　when　she　was　tired。　　On　Sat…



urday；　for　instance；　when　she　taught　from　nine　in　the



morning　until　five　in　the　afternoon；　she　liked　to　get　off　in　a



corner　with　Thor　after　supper；　away　from　all　the　bathing



and　dressing　and　joking　and　talking　that　went　on　in　the



house；　and　ask　him　about　his　duck；　or　hear　him　tell　one　of



his　rambling　stories。



























　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XV











　　　　　By　the　time　Thea's　fifteenth　birthday　came　round；　she



was　established　as　a　music　teacher　in　Moonstone。



The　new　room　had　been　added　to　the　house　early　in　the



spring；　and　Thea　had　been　giving　her　lessons　there　since



the　middle　of　May。　　She　liked　the　personal　independence



which　was　accorded　her　as　a　wage…earner。　　The　family　ques…



tioned　her　comings　and　goings　very　little。　　She　could　go



buggy…riding　with　Ray　Kennedy；　for　instance；　without　tak…



ing　Gunner　or　Axel。　　She　could　go　to　Spanish　Johnny's　and



sing　part　songs　with　the　Mexicans；　and　nobody　objected。







　　　　　Thea　was　still　under　the　first　excitement　of　teaching；　and



was　terribly　in　earnest　about　it。　　If　a　pupil　did　not　get　on



well；　she　fumed　and　fretted。　　She　counted　until　she　was



hoarse。　　She　listened　to　scales　in　her　sleep。　　Wunsch　had



taught　only　one　pupil　seriously；　but　Thea　taught　twenty。



The　duller　they　were；　the　more　furiously　she　poked　and



prodded　them。　　With　the　little　girls　she　was　nearly　always



patient；　but　with　pupils　older　than　herself；　she　sometimes



lost　her　temper。　　One　of　her　mistakes　was　to　let　herself　in



for　a　calling…down　from　Mrs。　Livery　Johnson。　　That　lady



appeared　at　the　Kronborgs'　one　morning　and　announced



that　she　would　allow　no　girl　to　stamp　her　foot　at　her　daugh…



ter　Grace。　　She　added　that　Thea's　bad　manners　with　the



older　girls　were　being　talked　about　all　over　town；　and　that



if　her　temper　did　not　speedily　improve　she　would　lose　all



her　advanced　pupils。　　Thea　was　frightened。　　She　felt　she



could　never　bear　the　disgrace；　if　such　a　thing　happened。



Besides；　what　would　her　father　say；　after　he　had　gone　to



the　expense　of　building　an　addition　to　the　house？　　Mrs。



Johnson　demanded　an　apology　to　Grace。　　Thea　said　she



was　willing　to　make　it。　　Mrs。　Johnson　said　that　hereafter；















since　she　had　taken　lessons　of　the　best　piano　teacher　in



Grinnell；　Iowa；　she　herself　would　decide　what　pieces



Grace　should　study。　　Thea　readily　consented　to　that；　and



Mrs。　Johnson　rustled　away　to　tell　a　neighbor　woman　that



Thea　Kronborg　could　be　meek　enough　when　you　went　at



her　right。







　　　　　Thea　was　telling　Ray　about　this　unpleasant　encounter　as



they　were　driving　out　to　the　sand　hills　the　next　Sunday。







　　　　　〃She　was　stuffing　you；　all　right；　Thee；〃　Ray　reassured



her。　　〃There's　no　general　dissatisfaction　among　your　schol…



ars。　　She　just　wanted　to　get　in　a　knock。　　I　talked　to　the



piano　tuner　the　last　time　he　was　here；　and　he　said　all　the



people　he　tuned　for　expressed　themselves　very　favorably



about　your　teaching。　　I　wish　you　didn't　take　so　much　pains



with　them；　myself。〃







　　　　　〃But　I　have　to；　Ray。　　They're　all　so　dumb。　　They've



got　no　ambition；〃　Thea　exclaimed　irritably。　　〃Jenny



Smiley　is　the　only　one　who　isn't　stupid。　　She　can　read



pretty　well；　and　she　has　such　good　hands。　　But　she　don't



care　a　rap　about　it。　　She　has　no　pride。〃







　　　　　Ray's　face　was　full　of　complacent　satisfaction　as　he



glanced　sidewise　at　Thea；　but　she　was　looking　off　intently



into　the　mirage；　at　one　of　those　mammoth　cattle　that　are



nearly　always　reflected　there。　　〃Do　you　find　it　easier　to



teach　in　your　new　room？〃　he　asked。







　　　　　〃Yes；　I'm　not　interrupted　so　much。　　Of　course；　if　I　ever



happen　to　want　to　practice　at　night；　that's　always　the



night　Anna　chooses　to　go　to　bed　early。〃







　　　　　〃It's　a　darned　shame；　Thee；　you　didn't　cop　that　room



for　yourself。　　I'm　sore　at　the　PADRE　about　that。　　He　ought



to　give　you　that　room。　　You　could　fix　it　up　so　pretty。〃







　　　　　〃I　didn't　want　it；　honest　I　didn't。　　Father　would　have



let　me　have　it。　　I　like　my　own　room　better。　　Somehow　I



can　think　better　in　a　little　room。　　Besides；　up　there　I　am



away　from　everybody；　and　I　can　read　as　late　as　I　please



and　nobody　nags　me。〃



















　　　　　〃A　growing　girl　needs　lots　of　sleep；〃　Ray　providently



remarked。







　　　　　Thea　moved　restlessly　on　the　buggy　cushions。　　〃They



need　other　things　more；〃　she　muttered。　　〃Oh；　I　forgot。



I　brought　something　to　show　you。　　Look　here；　it　came　on



my　birthday。　　Wasn't　it　nice　of　him　to　remember？〃　　She



took　from　her　pocket　a　postcard；　bent　in　the　middle　and



folded；　and　handed　it　to　Ray。　　On　it　was　a　white　dove；



perched　on　a　wreath　of　very　blue　forget…me…nots；　and



〃Birthday　Greetings〃　in　gold　letters。　　Under　this　was



written；　〃From　A。　Wunsch。〃







　　　　　Ray　turned　the　card　over；　examined　the　postmark；　and



then　began　to　laugh。







　　　　　〃Concord；　Kansas。　　He　has　my　sympathy！〃







　　　　　〃Why；　is　that　a　poor　town？〃







　　　　　〃It's　the　jumping…off　place；　no　town　at　all。　　Some　houses



dumped　down　in　the　middle　of　a　cornfield。　　You　get　lost　in



the　corn。　　Not　even　a　saloon　to　keep　things　going；　sell　whis…



key　without　a　license　at　the　butcher　shop；　beer　on　ice　with



the　liver　and　beefsteak。　　I　wouldn't　stay　there　over　Sunday



for　a　ten…dollar　bill。〃







　　　　　〃Oh；　dear！　　What　do　you　suppose　he's　doing　there？



Maybe　he　just　stopped　off　there　a　few　days　to　tune　pianos；〃



Thea　suggested　hopefully。







　　　　　Ray　gave　her　back　the　card。　　〃He's　headed　in　the　wrong



direction。　　What　does　he　want　to　get　back　into　a　grass



country　for？　　Now；　there　are　lots　of　good　live　towns　down



on　the　Santa　Fe；　and　everybody　down　there　is　musical。



He　could　always　get　a　job　playing　in　saloons　if　he　was　dead…



broke。　　I've　figured　out　that　I've　got　no　years　of　my　life　to



waste　in　a　Methodist　country　where　they　raise　pork。〃







　　　　　〃We　must　stop　on　our　way　back　and　show　this　card　to



Mrs。　Kohler。　　She　misses　him　so。〃







　　　　　〃By　the　way；　Thee；　I　hear　the　old　woman　goes　to　church



every　Sunday　to　hear　you　sing。　　Fritz　tells　me　he　has　to



wait　till　two　o'clock　for　his　Sunday　dinner　these　days。　　The















church　people　ought　to　give　you　credit　for　that；　when　they



go　for　you。〃







　　　　　Thea　shook　her　head　and　spoke　in　a　tone　of　resi