the village watch-tower- 第9部分

But　land！　he　didn't　see　nothin'。　He　'd　walk　right　up

the　lions　'n'　tigers　in　the　menagerie　as　if　they　was　cats

'n'　chickens；　an'　all　the　time　the　clown　was　singin'

he　looked　like　a　dumb　animile　that　's　hed　a　bullet　put　in　him。

There　was　lots　o'　side　shows；　mermaids　'n'　six…legged　calves　'n'

spotted　girls；　'n'　one　thing　'n'　'nother；　an'　there　was　one　o'

them　whirligig　machines　with　a　mess　o'　rocking'…hosses　goin'

round　'n'　round；　'n'　an　organ　in　the　middle　playin'　like　sixty。

I　wish　we　'd　'a'　kept　clear　o'　the　thing；　but　as　bad　luck　would

hev　it；　we　stopped　to　look；　an'　there　on　top　o'　two　high…steppin'

white　wooden　hosses；　set　Mis'　Fiddy　an'　that　dod…gasted

light…complected　baker…man！　If　ever　she　was　suited　to　a　dot；

it　was　jest　then　'n'　there。　　She　could　'a'　gone　prancin'

round　that　there　ring　forever　'n'　forever；　with　the　whoopin'

'n'　hollerin'　'n'　whizzin'　'n'　whirlin'　soundin'　in　her　ears；

'n'　the　music　playin'　like　mad；　'n'　she　with　nothin'

to　do　but　stick　on　'n'　let　some　feller　foot　the　bills。

Somebody　must　'a'　ben　thinkin'　o'　Fiddy　Maddox　when　the　invented

them　whirl…a…go…rounds。　She　was　laughin'　'n'　carryin'

on　like　the　old　Scratch；　her　apple…blossom　hat　dome　off；

'n'　the　baker…man　put　it　on；　'n'　took　consid'able　time　over　it；

'n'　pulled　her　ear　'n'　pinched　her　cheek　when　he　got　through；

an'　that　was　jest　the　blamed　minute　we　ketched　sight　of　'em。

I　pulled　Dixie　off；　but　I　was　too　late。　　He　give　a　groan　I　shall

remember　to　my　dyin'　day；　'n'　then　he　plunged　out　o'　the　crowd

'n'　through　the　gate　like　a　streak　o'　lightnin'。　We　follered；

but　land！　we　couldn't　find　him；　an'　true　as　I　set　here；

I　never　expected　to　see　him　alive　agin。　　But　I　did；

I　forgot　all　about　one　thing；　you　see；　'n'　that　was　the　baby。

If　it　wa'n't　no　attraction　to　its　mother；　I　guess　he　cal'lated

it　needed　a　father　all　the　more。　　Anyhow；　he　turned　up

in　the　field　yesterday　mornin'；　ready　for　work；　but　lookin'

as　if　he　'd　hed　his　heart　cut　out　'n'　a　piece　o'　lead　put

in　the　place　of　it。〃



〃I　don't　seem　as　if　she　'd　'a'　ben　brazen　enough　to　come　back

so　near　him；〃　said　Steve。



〃Wall；　I　don't　s'pose　she　hed　any　idea　o'　Dixie's　bein'

at　a　circus　over　Wareham　jest　then；　an'　ten　to　one　she

didn't　care　if　the　whole　town　seen　her。　　She　wanted

to　get　rid　of　him；　'n'　she　didn't　mind　how　she　did　it。

Dixie　ain't　one　of　the　shootin'　kinds；　an'　anyhow；　Fiddy　Maddox

wa'n't　one　to　look　ahead；　whatever　she　wanted　to　do；

that　she　done；　from　the　time　she　was　knee　high　to　a　grasshopper。

I've　seen　her　set　down　by　a　peck　basket　of　apples；　'n'　take

a　couple　o'　bites　out　o'　one；　'n'　then　heave　it　fur　's　she

could　heave　it　'n'　start　in　on　another；　'n'　then　another；

'n'　't　wa'n't　a　good　apple　year；　neither。　　She'd　everlastin'ly

spile　'bout　a　dozen　of　'em　'n'　smaller　'bout　two　mouthfuls。

Doxy　Morton；　now；　would　eat　an　apple　clean　down　to　the　core；

'n'　then　count　the　seeds　'n'　put　'em　on　the　window…sill　to　dry；

'n'　get　up　'n'　put　the　core　in　the　stove；　'n'　wipe　her　hands

on　the　roller　towel；　'n'　take　up　her　sewin'　agin；　'n'　if　you

've　got　to　be　cuttin'　'nitials　in　tree　bark　an'　writin'

of　'em　in　the　grass　with　a　stick　like　you　've　ben　doin'

for　the　last　half…hour；　you　're　blamed　lucky　to　be　doin'

_D_'s　not　_F_'s；　like　Dixie　there！〃



*　*　*





It　was　three　o'clock　in　the　afternoon。　　The　men　had　dropped　work

and　gone　to　the　circus。　　The　hay　was　pronounced　to　be　in　a　condition

where　it　could　be　left　without　much　danger；　but；　for　that　matter；

no　man　would　have　stayed　in　the　field　to　attend　to　another　man's　hay

when　there　was　a　circus　in　the　neighborhood。



Dixie　was　mowing　on　alone；　listening　as　in　a　dream　to　that　subtle

something　in　the　swish　of　the　scythe　that　makes　one　seek　to　know　the　song

it　is　singing　to　the　grasses。





〃Hush；　ah；　hush；　the　scythes　are　saying；

Hush；　and　heed　not；　and　fall　asleep；

Hush；　they　say　to　the　grasses　swaying；

Hush；　they　sing　to　the　clover　deep；

Hush；'t　is　the　lullaby　Time　is　singing；

Hush；　and　heed　not；　for　all　things　pass。

Hush；　ah；　hush！　and　the　scythes　are　swinging

Over　the　clover；　over　the　grass。〃





And　now；　spent　with　fatigue　and　watching　and　care　and　grief；

heart　sick；　mind　sick；　body　sick；　sick　with　past　suspense

and　present　certainty　and　future　dread；he　sat　under　the　cool

shade　of　the　nooning　tree；　and　buried　his　face　in　his　hands。

He　was　glad　to　be　left　alone　with　his　miseries；

glad　that　the　other　men；　friendly　as　he　felt　them　to　be；

had　gone　to　the　circus；　where　he　would　not　see　or　hear　them

for　hours　to　come。



How　clearly　he　could　conjure　up　the　scene

that　they　were　enjoying　with　such　keen　relish！

Only　two　days　before；　he　had　walked　among　the　same　tents；

staring　at　horses　and　gay　trappings　and　painted　Amazons

as　one　who　noted　nothing；　yet　the　agony　of　the　thing　he　now

saw　at　last　lit　up　all　the　rest　as　with　a　lightning　flash；

and　burned　the　scene　forever　on　his　brain　and　heart。

It　was　at　Wareham；　too；Wareham；　where　she　had　promised

to　be　his　wife；　where　she　had　married　him　only　a　year　before。

How　well　he　remembered　the　night！　　They　left　the　parsonage；

they　had　ten　miles　to　drive　in　the　moonlight　before　reaching

their　stopping…place；ten　miles　of　such　joy　as　only　a　man　could　know；

he　thought；　who　had　had　the　warm　fruit　of　life　hanging　within

full　vision；　but　just　out　of　reach；just　above　his　longing　lips；

and　then；　in　an　unlooked…for；　gracious　moment；　his！

He　could　swear　she　had　loved　him　that　night；　if　never　again。



But　this　picture　passed　away；　and　he　saw　that　maddening　circle

with　the　caracoling　steeds。　　He　head　the　discordant　music；　the　monotonous

creak　of　the　machinery；　the　strident　laughter　of　the　excited　riders。

As　first　the　thing　was　a　blur；　a　kaleidoscope　of　whirling　colors；

into　which　there　presently　crept　form　and　order。

。　。　。　A　boy　who　had　cried　to　get　on；　and　was　now　crying　to　get　off。

。　。　。　Old　Rube　Hobson　and　his　young　wife；　Rube　looking　white

and　scared；　partly　by　the　whizzing　motion；　and　partly　by　the

prospect　of　paying　out　ten　cents　for　the　doubtful　pleasure。

。　。　。　Pretty　Hetty　Dunnell　with　that　young　fellow　from　Portland；

she　too　timid　to　mount　one　of　the　mettle…some　chargers；　and　snuggling

close　to　him　in　one　of　the　circling　seats。　　The；　good　Got！

Dell！　sitting　on　a　prancing　white　horse；　with　the　man　he　knew；

the　man　he　feared；　riding　beside　her；　a　man　who　kept　holding　on　her

hat　with　fingers　that　trembled；the　very　hat　she　〃'peared　bride　in〃

a　man　who　brushed　a　grasshopper　from　her　shoulder　with　an　air

of　ownership；　and；　when　she　slapped　his　hand　coquettishly；

even　dared　to　pinch　her　pink　cheek；his　wife's　cheek；

before　that　crowd　of　on…lookers！　Merry…go…round；　indeed！

The　horrible　thing　was　well　named；　and　life　was　just　like　it；

a　whirl　of　happiness　and　misery；　in　which　the　music　cannot　play

loud　enough　to　drown　the　creak　of　the　machinery；　in　which　one

soul　cries　out　in　pain；　another　in　terror；　and　the　rest　laugh；

but　the　prancing　steeds　gallop　on；　gallop　on；　and　once　mounted；

there　is　no　getting　off；　unless　。　。　。



There　were　some　things　it　was　not　possible　for　a　mean　to　bear！

The　river！　　The　river！　　He　could　hear　it　rippling　over　the　sunny　sands；

swirling　among　the　logs；　dashing　and　roaring　under　the　bridge；

rushing　to　the　sea's　embrace。　　Could　it　tell　whither　it

was　hurrying？　　NO；　but　it　was　escaping　from　its　present　bonds；

it　would　never　have　to　pass　over　these　same　jagged　rocks　again。

〃On；　on　to　the　unknown！〃　called　the　river。　　〃I　come！　　I　come！〃

he　roused　himself　to　respond；　when　a　faint；　faint；　helpless　voice　broke

in　upon　the　mad　clatter　in　his　brain；　cleaving　his　torn　heart　in　twain；

not　a　real　voice；the　half…forgotten　memory　of　one；　a　tender　wail

that　had　added　fresh　misery　to　his　night's　vigil；the　baby！



But　the　feeble　pipe　was　borne　down　by　the　swirl　of　the　water

as　it　dashed　between　the　rocky　banks；　still　calling　to　him。

If　he　could　only　close　his　ears　to　it！　　But　it　still　called

called　stillthe　river！　　And　still　the　child's　voice

pierced　the　rush　of　sound　with　its　pitiful　flute　note；

until　the　two　resolved　themselves　into　contesting　strains；

answering　each　other　antiphonally。　　The　river　the　baby

the　riverthe　baby；　and　in　and　through；　and　betwixt　and　between；

there　spun　the　whirling　merry…go…round；　with　its　curveting

wooden　horses；　its　discordant　organ；　and　its　creaking　machinery。



But　gradually　the　child's　voice　gained　in　strength；

and　as　he　heard　it　more　plainly　the　other　sounds　grew　fainter；

till　at　last；　thank　God！　they　were　hushed。　　The　din；　the　whirlwind；

and　the　tempest　in　his　brain　were　lulled　into　silence；

as　under　a　〃Peace；　be　still！〃　and；　worn　out　with　the　contest；

the　man　from　Tennessee　fell　asleep　under　the　grateful　shade

of　the　nooning　tree。　　So　deep　was　the　slumber　that　settled　over

exhausted　body　and　troubled　spirit　that　the　gathering　clouds；

the　sudden　darkness；　the　distant　muttering　of　thunder；

the　frightened　twitter　of　the　birds；　passed　unnoticed。

A　heavy　drop　of　rain　pierced　the　thick　foliage　and　fell　on

his　face；　but　the　storm　within　had　been　too　fierce　for　him

to　heed　the　storm　without。　　He　slept　on。



*　*　*





Almost　every　man；　woman；　and　child　in　the　vicinity　of　Pleasant

River　was　on　the　way　to　the　circus；Boomer's　Grand　Six…in…One

Universal　Consolidated　Show；　Brilliant　Constellations　of　Fixed

Stars　shining　in　the　same　Vast　Firmament；　Glittering　Galaxies

of　World…Famous　Equestrian　Artists；　the　biggest　elephants；

the　funniest　clowns；　the　pluckiest　riders；　the　stubbornest　mules；

the　most　amazing　acrobats；　the　tallest　man　and　the　shortest　man；

the　thinnest　woman　and　the　thickest　woman；　on　the　habitable　globe；

and　no　connection　with　any　other　show　on　earth；　especially　Sypher's

Two…in…One　Show　now　devastating　the　same　State。



If　the　advertisements　setting　forth　these　attractions　were

couched　in　language　somewhat　rosier　than　the　facts　would　warrant；

there　were　few