winesburg,ohio-第29章

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t　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　and　would　not　have　turned　back　had　she　remembered。　　She　was　very　cold　but　after　walking　for　five　minutes　no　longer　minded　the　cold。　First　she　went　to　the　end　of　her　own　street　and　then　across　a　pair　of　hay　scales　set　in　the　ground　before　a　feed　barn　and　into　Trunion　Pike。　　Along　Trunion　Pike　she　went　to　Ned　Winters'　barn　and　turning　east　followed　a　street　of　low　frame　houses　that　led　over　Gospel　Hill　and　into　Sucker　Road　that　ran　down　a　shallow　valley　past　Ike　Smead's　chicken　farm　to　Waterworks　Pond。　　As　she　went　along；　the　bold；　ex…　cited　mood　that　had　driven　her　out　of　doors　passed　and　then　returned　again。

There　was　something　biting　and　forbidding　in　the　character　of　Kate　Swift。　　Everyone　felt　it。　　In　the　schoolroom　she　was　silent；　cold；　and　stern；　and　yet　in　an　odd　way　very　close　to　her　pupils。　　Once　in　a　long　while　something　seemed　to　have　come　over　her　and　she　was　happy。　　All　of　the　children　in　the　schoolroom　felt　the　effect　of　her　happiness。　　For　a　time　they　did　not　work　but　sat　back　in　their　chairs　and　looked　at　her。

With　hands　clasped　behind　her　back　the　school　teacher　walked　up　and　down　in　the　schoolroom　and　talked　very　rapidly。　　It　did　not　seem　to　matter　what　subject　came　into　her　mind。　　Once　she　talked　to　the　children　of　Charles　Lamb　and　made　up　strange；　inti…　mate　little　stories　concerning　the　life　of　the　dead　writer。　　The　stories　were　told　with　the　air　of　one　who　had　lived　in　a　house　with　Charles　Lamb　and　knew　all　the　secrets　of　his　private　life。　　The　children　were　somewhat　confused；　thinking　Charles　Lamb　must　be　someone　who　had　once　lived　in　Winesburg。

On　another　occasion　the　teacher　talked　to　the　chil…　dren　of　Benvenuto　Cellini。　　That　time　they　laughed。　What　a　bragging；　blustering；　brave；　lovable　fellow　she　made　of　the　old　artist！　Concerning　him　also　she　invented　anecdotes。　　There　was　one　of　a　German　music　teacher　who　had　a　room　above　Cellini's　lodg…　ings　in　the　city　of　Milan　that　made　the　boys　guffaw。　Sugars　McNutts；　a　fat　boy　with　red　cheeks；　laughed　so　hard　that　he　became　dizzy　and　fell　off　his　seat　and　Kate　Swift　laughed　with　him。　　Then　suddenly　she　became　agai