men, women and ghosts(男人、女人和鬼魂)-第26节
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what folks thought o' me Better'n I do； I dessay； But mebbe now you'll see
I couldn't do nothin' diff'rent。 But I stuck it out； I warn't goin' to be
downed By no loose hand； no matter how it come ther But that ain't the
worst； Mis' Priest； Not by a long ways。 Two year ago； Mr。 Densmore made
me an offer for Cherry's Orchard。 Well； I'd got used to th' thought o' bein'
sort o' blighted； An' I warn't scared no more。 Lived down my fear； I guess。
I'd kinder got used to th' thought o' that awful night； And I didn't mope
much about it。 Only I never went out o' doors by moonlight； That stuck。
Well； when Mr。 Densmore's offer come； I started thinkin' 'bout the place
An' all the things that had gone on ther。 Thinks I； I guess I'll go and see
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where I put the hand。 I was foolhardy with the long time that had gone by。
I know'd the place real well； Fer I'd put it right in between two o' the apple
roots。 I don't know what possessed me； Mis' Priest； But I kinder wanted to
know That the hand had been flesh and bone； anyway。 It had sorter
bothered me； thinkin' I might ha' imagined it。 I took a mornin' when the
sun was real pleasant and warm； I guessed I wouldn't jump for a few old
bones。 But I did jump； somethin' wicked。 Ther warn't no bones！ Ther
warn't nothin'！ Not ev'n the gold ring I'd minded bein' on the little finger。 I
don't know ef ther ever was anythin'。 I've worried myself sick over it。 I
be'n diggin' and diggin' day in and day out Till Clarence ketched me at it。
Oh； I know'd real well what you all thought； An' I ain't sayin' you're not
right； But I ain't goin' to end in no county 'sylum If I c'n help it。 The
shiv'rin' fits come on me sudden like。 I know 'em； don't you trouble。 I've
fretted considerable about the 'sylum； I guess I be'n frettin' all the time I
ain't be'n diggin'。 But anyhow I can't dig to Chicago； can I？ Thank you；
Mis' Priest； I'm better now。 I only dropped in in passin'。 I'll jest be
steppin' along down to French's。 No； I won't be seein' nobody in the
mornin'； It's a pretty early start。 Don't you stand ther； Mis' Priest； The
wind'll blow yer lamp out； An' I c'n see easy； I got aholt o' the gate now。 I
ain't a mite tired； thank you。 Good…night。
The Grocery
〃Hullo； Alice！〃 〃Hullo； Leon！〃 〃Say； Alice； gi' me a couple O' them
two for five cigars； Will yer？〃 〃Where's your nickel？〃 〃My！ Ain't you
close！ Can't trust a feller； can yer。〃 〃Trust you！ Why What you owe this
store Would set you up in business。 I can't think why Father 'lows it。〃 〃Yer
Father's a sight more neighbourly Than you be。 That's a fact。 Besides； he
knows I got a vote。〃 〃A vote！ Oh； yes； you got a vote！ A lot o' good the
Senate'll be to Father When all his bank account Has run away in credits。
There's your cigars； If you can relish smokin' With all you owe us
standin'。〃 〃I dunno as that makes 'em taste any diff'rent。 You ain't fair to
me； Alice； 'deed you ain't。 I work when anythin's doin'。 I'll get a
carpenterin' job next Summer sure。 Cleve was tellin' me to…day he'd take
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me on come Spring。〃 〃Come Spring； and this December！ I've no patience
with you； Leon； Shilly…shallyin' the way you do。 Here； lift over them
crates o' oranges I wanter fix 'em in the winder。〃 〃It riles yer； don't it； me
not havin' work。 You pepper up about it somethin' good。 You pick an' pick；
and that don't help a mite。 Say； Alice； do come in out o' that winder。 Th'
oranges c'n wait； An' I don't like talkin' to yer back。〃 〃Don't you！ Well；
you'd better make the best o' what you can git。 Maybe you won't have my
back to talk to soon。 They look good in pyramids with the 'lectric light on
'em； Don't they？ Now hand me them bananas An' I'll string 'em right
acrost。〃 〃What do yer mean 'Bout me not havin' you to talk to？ Are yer
springin' somethin' on me？〃 〃I don't know 'bout springin' When I'm tellin'
you right out。 I'm goin' away； that's all。〃 〃Where？ Why？ What yer mean …
… goin' away？〃 〃I've took a place Down to Boston； in a candy store For the
holidays。〃 〃Good Land； Alice； What in the Heavens fer！〃 〃To earn some
money； And to git away from here； I guess。〃 〃Ain't yer Father got enough？
Don't he give yer proper pocket…money？〃 〃He'd have a plenty； if you folks
paid him。〃 〃He's rich I tell yer。 I never figured he'd be close with you。〃
〃Oh； he ain't。 Not close。 That ain't why。 But I must git away from here。 I
must！ I must！〃 〃You got a lot o' reason in yer To…night。 How long d' you
cal'late You'll be gone？〃 〃Maybe for always。〃 〃What ails yer； Alice？
Talkin' wild like that。 Ain't you an' me goin' to be married Some day。〃
〃Some day！ Some day！ I guess the sun'll never rise on some day。〃 〃So
that's the trouble。 Same old story。 'Cause I ain't got the cash to settle right
now。 You know I love yer； An' I'll marry yer as soon As I c'n raise the
money。〃 〃You've said that any time these five year； But you don't do
nothin'。〃 〃Wot could I do？ Ther ain't no work here Winters。 Not fer a
carpenter； ther ain't。〃 〃I guess you warn't born a carpenter。 Ther's ice…
cuttin' a plenty。〃 〃I got a dret'ful tender throat； Dr。 Smiles he told me I
mustn't resk ice…cuttin'。〃 〃Why haven't you gone to Boston； And hunted up
a job？〃 〃Have yer forgot the time I went expressin' In the American office；
down ther？〃 〃And come back two weeks later！ No； I ain't。〃 〃You didn't
want I should git hurted； Did yer？ I'm a sight too light fer all that liftin'
work。 My back was commencin' to strain； as 'twas。 Ef I was like yer
brother now； I'd ha' be'n down to the city long ago。 But I'm too clumsy fer
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a dancer。 I ain't got Arthur's luck。〃 〃Do you call it luck to be a disgrace to
your folks； And git locked up in jail！〃 〃Oh； come now； Alice； ‘Disgrace' is
a mite strong。 Why； the jail was a joke。 Art's all right。〃 〃All right！ All right
to dance； and smirk； and lie For a livin'； And then in the end Lead a silly
girl to give you What warn't hers to give By pretendin' you'd marry her
And she a pupil。〃 〃He'd ha' married her right enough； Her folks was
millionaires。〃 〃Yes； he'd ha' married her！ Thank God； they saved her that。〃
〃Art's a fine feller。 I wish I had his luck。 Swellin' round in Hart； Schaffner
& Marx fancy suits； And eatin' in rest'rants。 But somebody's got to stick to
the old place； Else Foxfield'd have to shut up shop； Hey； Alice？〃 〃You
admire him！ You admire Arthur！ You'd be like him only you can't dance。
Oh； Shame！ Shame！ And I've been like that silly girl。 Fooled with your
promises； And I give you all I had。 I knew it； oh； I knew it； But I wanted to
git away 'fore I proved it。 You've shamed me through and through。 Why
couldn't you hold your tongue； And spared me seein' you As you really
are。〃 〃What the Devil's the row？ I only said Art was lucky。 What you
spitfirin' at me fer？ Ferget it； Alice。 We've had good times； ain't we？ I'll see
Cleve 'bout that job agin to…morrer； And we'll be married 'fore hayin'
time。〃 〃It's like you to remind me o' hayin' time。 I've good cause to love it；
ain't I？ Many's the night I've hid my face in the dark To shut out thinkin'！〃
〃Why； that ain't nothin'。 You ain't be'n half so kind to me As lots o' fellers'
girls。 Gi' me a kiss； Dear； And let's make up。〃 〃Make up！ You poor fool。
Do you suppose I care a ten cent piece For you now。 You've killed yourself
for me。 Done it out o' your own mouth。 You've took away my home； I hate
the sight o' the place。 You're all over it； Every stick an' stone means you；
An' I hate 'em all。〃 〃Alice； I say； Don't go on like that。 I can't marry yer
Boardin' in one room； But I'll see Cleve to…morrer； I'll make him 〃 〃Oh；
you fool！ You terrible fool！〃 〃Alice； don't go
