epilogue- 第1部分

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　EPILOGUE







　　　　　MOONSTONE　again；　in　the　year　1909。　　The　Metho…



dists　are　giving　an　ice…cream　sociable　in　the　grove



about　the　new　court…house。　　It　is　a　warm　summer　night　of



full　moon。　　The　paper　lanterns　which　hang　among　the



trees　are　foolish　toys；　only　dimming；　in　little　lurid　circles；



the　great　softness　of　the　lunar　light　that　floods　the　blue



heavens　and　the　high　plateau。　　To　the　east　the　sand　hills



shine　white　as　of　old；　but　the　empire　of　the　sand　is　grad…



ually　diminishing。　　The　grass　grows　thicker　over　the　dunes



than　it　used　to；　and　the　streets　of　the　town　are　harder　and



firmer　than　they　were　twenty…five　years　ago。　　The　old　in…



habitants　will　tell　you　that　sandstorms　are　infrequent



now；　that　the　wind　blows　less　persistently　in　the　spring



and　plays　a　milder　tune。　　Cultivation　has　modified　the　soil



and　the　climate；　as　it　modifies　human　life。







　　　　　The　people　seated　about　under　the　cottonwoods　are



much　smarter　than　the　Methodists　we　used　to　know。　　The



interior　of　the　new　Methodist　Church　looks　like　a　theater；



with　a　sloping　floor；　and　as　the　congregation　proudly　say；



〃opera　chairs。〃　　The　matrons　who　attend　to　serving　the



refreshments　to…night　look　younger　for　their　years　than



did　the　women　of　Mrs。　Kronborg's　time；　and　the　children



all　look　like　city　children。　　The　little　boys　wear　〃Buster



Browns〃　and　the　little　girls　Russian　blouses。　　The　coun…



try　child；　in　made…overs　and　cut…downs；　seems　to　have



vanished　from　the　face　of　the　earth。







　　　　　At　one　of　the　tables；　with　her　Dutch…cut　twin　boys；



sits　a　fair…haired；　dimpled　matron　who　was　once　Lily



Fisher。　　Her　husband　is　president　of　the　new　bank；　and



she　〃goes　East　for　her　summers；〃　a　practice　which　causes















envy　and　discontent　among　her　neighbors。　　The　twins　are



well…behaved　children；　biddable；　meek；　neat　about　their



clothes；　and　always　mindful　of　the　proprieties　they　have



learned　at　summer　hotels。　　While　they　are　eating　their　ice…



cream　and　trying　not　to　twist　the　spoon　in　their　mouths；



a　little　shriek　of　laughter　breaks　from　an　adjacent　table。



The　twins　look　up。　　There　sits　a　spry　little　old　spinster



whom　they　know　well。　　She　has　a　long　chin；　a　long　nose；



and　she　is　dressed　like　a　young　girl；　with　a　pink　sash　and



a　lace　garden　hat　with　pink　rosebuds。　　She　is　surrounded



by　a　crowd　of　boys；loose　and　lanky；　short　and　thick；



who　are　joking　with　her　roughly；　but　not　unkindly。







　　　　　〃Mamma；〃　one　of　the　twins　comes　out　in　a　shrill



treble；　〃why　is　Tillie　Kronborg　always　talking　about　a



thousand　dollars？〃







　　　　　The　boys；　hearing　this　question；　break　into　a　roar　of



laughter；　the　women　titter　behind　their　paper　napkins；



and　even　from　Tillie　there　is　a　little　shriek　of　apprecia…



tion。　　The　observing　child's　remark　had　made　every　one



suddenly　realize　that　Tillie　never　stopped　talking　about



that　particular　sum　of　money。　　In　the　spring；　when　she



went　to　buy　early　strawberries；　and　was　told　that　they



were　thirty　cents　a　box；　she　was　sure　to　remind　the　grocer



that　though　her　name　was　Kronborg　she　didn't　get　a



thousand　dollars　a　night。　　In　the　autumn；　when　she　went



to　buy　her　coal　for　the　winter；　she　expressed　amazement



at　the　price　quoted　her；　and　told　the　dealer　he　must



have　got　her　mixed　up　with　her　niece　to　think　she　could



pay　such　a　sum。　　When　she　was　making　her　Christmas



presents；　she　never　failed　to　ask　the　women　who　came　into



her　shop　what　you　COULD　make　for　anybody　who　got　a



thousand　dollars　a　night。　　When　the　Denver　papers　an…



nounced　that　Thea　Kronborg　had　married　Frederick　Otten…



burg；　the　head　of　the　Brewers'　Trust；　Moonstone　people



expected　that　Tillie's　vain…gloriousness　would　take　an…



other　form。　　But　Tillie　had　hoped　that　Thea　would　marry















a　title；　and　she　did　not　boast　much　about　Ottenburg；



at　least　not　until　after　her　memorable　trip　to　Kansas　City



to　hear　Thea　sing。







　　　　　Tillie　is　the　last　Kronborg　left　in　Moonstone。　　She　lives



alone　in　a　little　house　with　a　green　yard；　and　keeps　a　fancy…



work　and　millinery　store。　　Her　business　methods　are　in…



formal；　and　she　would　never　come　out　even　at　the　end



of　the　year；　if　she　did　not　receive　a　draft　for　a　good　round



sum　from　her　niece　at　Christmas　time。　　The　arrival　of　this



draft　always　renews　the　discussion　as　to　what　Thea　would



do　for　her　aunt　if　she　really　did　the　right　thing。　　Most　of



the　Moonstone　people　think　Thea　ought　to　take　Tillie



to　New　York　and　keep　her　as　a　companion。　　While　they



are　feeling　sorry　for　Tillie　because　she　does　not　live　at　the



Plaza；　Tillie　is　trying　not　to　hurt　their　feelings　by　show…



ing　too　plainly　how　much　she　realizes　the　superiority　of



her　position。　　She　tries　to　be　modest　when　she　complains



to　the　postmaster　that　her　New　York　paper　is　more　than



three　days　late。　　It　means　enough；　surely；　on　the　face　of



it；　that　she　is　the　only　person　in　Moonstone　who　takes　a



New　York　paper　or　who　has　any　reason　for　taking　one。　　A



foolish　young　girl；　Tillie　lived　in　the　splendid　sorrows　of



〃Wanda〃　and　〃Strathmore〃；　a　foolish　old　girl；　she　lives



in　her　niece's　triumphs。　　As　she　often　says；　she　just　missed



going　on　the　stage　herself。







　　　　　That　night　after　the　sociable；　as　Tillie　tripped　home



with　a　crowd　of　noisy　boys　and　girls；　she　was　perhaps　a



shade　troubled。　　The　twin's　question　rather　lingered　in　her



ears。　　Did　she；　perhaps；　insist　too　much　on　that　thousand



dollars？　　Surely；　people　didn't　for　a　minute　think　it　was



the　money　she　cared　about？　　As　for　that；　Tillie　tossed　her



head；　she　didn't　care　a　rap。　　They　must　understand　that



this　money　was　different。







　　　　　When　the　laughing　little　group　that　brought　her　home



had　gone　weaving　down　the　sidewalk　through　the　leafy



shadows　and　had　disappeared；　Tillie　brought　out　a　rocking















chair　and　sat　down　on　her　porch。　　On　glorious；　soft　summer



nights　like　this；　when　the　moon　is　opulent　and　full；　the



day　submerged　and　forgotten；　she　loves　to　sit　there　behind



her　rose…vine　and　let　her　fancy　wander　where　it　will。　　If



you　chanced　to　be　passing　down　that　Moonstone　street



and　saw　that　alert　white　figure　rocking　there　behind　the



screen　of　roses　and　lingering　late　into　the　night；　you　might



feel　sorry　for　her；　and　how　mistaken　you　would　be！　　Tillie



lives　in　a　little　magic　world；　full　of　secret　satisfactions。



Thea　Kronborg　has　given　much　noble　pleasure　to　a　world



that　needs　all　it　can　get；　but　to　no　individual　has　she



given　more　than　to　her　queer　old　aunt　in　Moonstone。　　The



legend　of　Kronborg；　the　artist；　fills　Tillie's　life；　she　feels



rich　and　exalted　in　it。　　What　delightful　things　happen　in



her　mind　as　she　sits　there　rocking！　　She　goes　back　to　those



early　days　of　sand　and　sun；　when　Thea　was　a　child　and



Tillie　was　herself；　so　it　seems　to　her；　〃young。〃　　When



she　used　to　hurry　to　church　to　hear　Mr。　Kronborg's　won…



derful　sermons；　and　when　Thea　used　to　stand　up　by　the



organ　of　a　bright　Sunday　morning　and　sing　〃Come；　Ye



Disconsolate。〃　　Or　she　thinks　about　that　wonderful　time



when　the　Metropolitan　Opera　Company　sang　a　week's



engagement　in　Kansas　City；　and　Thea　sent　for　her　and



had　her　stay　with　her　at　the　Coates　House　and　go　to



every　performance　at　Convention　Hall。　　Thea　let　Tillie



go　through　her　costume　trunks　and　try　on　her　wigs　and



jewels。　　And　the　kindness　of　Mr。　Ottenburg！　　When　Thea



dined　in　her　own　room；　he　went　down　to　dinner　with



Tillie；　and　never　looked　bored　or　absent…minded　when



she　chattered。　　He　took　her　to　the　hall　the　first　time



Thea　sang　there；　and　sat　in　the　box　with　her　and　helped



her　through　〃Lohengrin。〃　　After　the　first　act；　when　Tillie



turned　tearful　eyes　to　him　and　burst　out；　〃I　don't　care；



she　always　seemed　grand　like　that；　even　when　she　was　a



girl。　　I　expect　I'm　crazy；　but　she　just　seems　to　me　full　of



all　them　old　times！〃Ottenburg　was　so　sympathetic















and　patted　her　hand　and　said；　〃But　that's　just　what　she



is；　full　of　the　old　times；　and　you　are　a　wise　woman　to　see



it。〃　　Yes；　he　said　that　to　her。　　Tillie　often　wondered　how



she　had　been　able　to　bear　it　when　Thea　came　down　the



stairs　in　the　wedding　robe　embroidered　in　silver；　with　a



train　so　long　it　took　six　women　to　carry　it。







　　　　　Tillie　had　lived　fifty…odd　years　for　that　week；　but　she



got　it；　and　no　miracle　was　ever　more　miraculous　than　that。



When　she　used　to　be　working　in　the　fields　on　her　father's



Minnesota　farm；　she　couldn't　help　believing　that　she



would　some　day　have　to　do　with　the　〃wonderful；〃　though



her　chances　for　it　had　then　looked　so　slender。







　　　　　The　morning　after　the　sociable；　Tillie；　curled　up　in　bed；



was　roused　by　the　rattle　of　the　milk　cart　down　the　street。



Then　a　neighbor　boy　came　down　the　sidewalk　outside　her



window；　singing　〃Casey　Jones〃　as　if　he　hadn't　a　care　in



the　world。　　By　this　time　Tillie　was　wide　awake。　　The



twin's　question；　and　the　subsequent　laughter；　came　back



with　a　faint　twinge。　　Tillie　knew　she　was　short…sighted



about　facts；　but　this　time　　Why；　there　were　her　scrap…



books；　full　of　newspaper　and　magazine　articles　about　Thea；



and　half…tone　cuts；　snap…shots　of　her　on　land　and　sea；　and



photographs　of　her　in　all　her　parts。　　There；　in　her　parlor；　was



the　phonograph　that　had　come　from