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！
wuss 'n' ever； 'n' the neighbors say he called her a hombly
old trollop； an' fired the bread loaves all over the dooryard；
he was so crazy at bein' cheated。
〃Wall； to go back to DixieI'll be comin' right along； boys。〃
（This to Brad Gibson； who was taking his farewell drink of ginger tea
preparatory to beginning work。）
〃I pity you； Steve！〃 exclaimed Brad； between deep swallows。
〃If you 'd known when you was well off； you 'd 'a' stayed in Boston。
If Jabe hed a story started； he 'd talk three days after he was dead。〃
〃Go 'long； leave me be！ Wall； as I was sayin'； Dixie brought Fiddy home
（'Dell；' he called her）； an' they 'peared bride 'n' groom at meetin'
next Sunday。 The last hundred dollars he hed in the world hed gone into
the weddin' tower 'n' on to Fiddy's back。 He hed a new suit； 'n' he looked
like a major。 You ain't got no idea what he was； 'cause his eyes is dull now；
'n' he 's bowed all over； 'n' ain't shaved nor combed； hardly； but they was
the han'somest couple that ever walked up the broad aisle。 She hed on a green
silk dress； an' a lace cape that was like a skeeter nettin' over her neck an'
showed her bare skin through； an' a hat like an apple orchard in full bloom；
hummin'…bird an' all。 Dixie kerried himself as proud as Lucifer。
He didn't look at the minister 'n' he didn't look at the congregation；
his great eyes was glued on Fiddy； as if he couldn't hardly keep from eatin'
of her up。 An' she behaved consid'able well for a few months； as long
's the novelty lasted an' the silk dresses was new。 Before Christmas；
though； she began to peter out 'n' git slack…twisted。 She allers hated
housework as bad as a pig would a penwiper； an' Dixie hed to git
his own breakfast afore he went to work； or go off on an empty stomach。
Many 's the time he 's got her meals for her 'n' took 'em to her on a waiter。
Them secesh fellers'll wait on women folks long as they can stan' up。
〃Then bime bye the baby come along； but that made
things wuss 'stid o' better。 She didn't pay no more
'tention to it than if it hed belonged to the town。
She 'd go off to dances； an' leave Dixie to home tendin'
cradle； but that wa'n't no hardship to him for he was 'bout
as much wropped up in the child as he was in Fiddy。
Wall； sir； 'bout a month ago she up 'n' disappeared off the face o'
the airth 'thout sayin' a word or leavin' a letter。
She took her clo'es； but she never thought o' takin' the baby；
one baby more or less didn't make no odds to her s' long 's she
hed that skeeter…nettin' cape。 Dixie sarched fer her high an'
low fer a fortnight； but after that he give it up as a bad job。
He found out enough； I guess； to keep him pretty busy thinkin'
what he 'd do next。 But day before yesterday the same circus
that plays here this afternoon was playin' to Wareham。
A lot of us went over on the evenin' train； an' we coaxed
Dixie into goin'； so 's to take his mind off his trouble。
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；