Cupids Understudy文档格式.docx
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Cupids Understudy文档格式.docx
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tit?
Butitwasn'
tsordid,really,forIneveractuallylivedovera
stable.Indeed,wehadthesweetestcottageinallSanBernardino.I
rememberitsowell:
thelong,coolporch,thewonderfulgold-of-
Ophirroses,thehoneysucklewherethelinnetsnested,themocking
birdsthatsangallnightlong;
theperfumeofthejasmine,ofthe
orange-blossoms,thepinkflameofthepeachtreesinApril,the
ever-changingcolorofthemountains.AndIrememberNinette,my
littleCreolemother,gayasabutterfly,carefreeasameadow-lark.
'
Twasshewhoplantedthejasmine.
MylittlemotherdiedwhenIwassevenyearsold.DadandIandmy
oldblackmammy,Rachel,stayedoninthecottage.Themocking-birds
stillsang,andthelinnetsstillnestedinthehoneysuckle,but
nothingwaseverquitethesameagain.Itwaslikeadifferent
world;
itwasadifferentworld.Thereweregold-of-Ophirroses,
and,peachblossomsinApril,buttherewasnomorejasmine;
Dadhad
italldugup.Tothisdayheturnspaleatthesightofit--poor
Dad!
WhenIwastwelveyearsold,Dadsoldouthishardwarebusiness,
intendingtoputhismoneyinanorangegroveatRiverside,butthe
nicestlivery-stableinSanBernardinohappenedtobeforsalejust
then,soheboughtthatinstead,forhewasalwayscrazyabout
horses.
ToseemetrottingaboutinPaquingownsandDoucetmodels,you'
d
neverthinkIowedthemtothreeowlishlittleburros,wouldyou?
Butit'
safact.WhenDadtookoverthelivery-stable,hefoundhe
wastheproudpossessorofthreedonkeys,aswellassometwenty-odd
horses,andadozenorsobuggies,buckboardsandsurries.The
burrosatetheirsolemnheadsoffallwinter,butinMayithadbeen
thecustomtosendthemtoStrawberryValleyinchargeofaMexican
whohiredthemouttotheboardersatthesummerhotelthere.
Luckilyforus,whenFortunecamestalkingdownthemainstreetof
SanBernardinotoknockatthedooroftheGoldenEagleStables,
bothdadandtheburroswereathome.Ifeitherhadbeenout,we
mightbepoorthisveryminute.
ItisgenerallyunderstoodthatwhenFortunegoesa-visiting,she
goesdisguised,soit'
ssmallwonderDaddidn'
trecognizeherat
first.Shewasn'
tevena"
her"
;
shewasahe,agreat,awkwardSwede
withmouse-coloredhairandaYonYonsenaccent--youknowthekind--
slowtoanger;
slowtoeverything,without"
j"
inhisalphabet--by
thenameofOlafKnutsen.
NowOlafwasadreamer.Nottheconventionalsortofadreamer,who
seesbeautyineverythingbutanhonestday'
swork,butabrawny,
pick-swingingdreamerwhohaddugholesinthegroundattheendof
manyrainbows.Thathehadneveryetuncoveredtheelusivepotof
golddidn'
tseemtobotherhimintheleast;
forhim,thattender
plantcalledHopefloweredperennially.Andnowhewasbenton
followinganotherrainbow;
arainbowwhich;
archingoverthe
mountains,endedinthatarid,pitilesswasteknowninthesouth
countryasDeathValley.
Hewouldn'
tfailthistime.No,byYimminy!
WithDad'
sthreeburros,
andplentyofbaconandbeansandwater--itwastobeagrub-stake,
ofcourse--hewouldmakeboththeirfortunes.Andthebeautifulpart
aboutitwas,hedid.
NodoubtyouhaveheardofthefamousGoldenEaglemine.Well,
that'
swhatOlafandthethreeburrosfoundinDeathValley.Good
oldOlaf!
HenamedthemineafterDad'
slivery-stableinSan
Bernardino,andheinsistedonkeepingonlyahalfinterest,even
thoughDadfoughthimaboutit.Yousee,Daddidn'
thavethe
reputationofbeingthesquarestmaninSanBernardinofornothing.
ChapterTwo
Mymother'
sfamilyhadneverapprovedofhermarriagewithDad,but
Dad,poorandrunningahardwareshoporalivery-stable,andDad
withafortuneinhishandsweretwoverydifferentpeople--from
theirstandpoint,atleast;
soassoonasOlafandthethreeburros
struckitrich,Dadsoldhislivery-stable,andmammyRachelandI
werebundledofftoNinette'
srelationsinNewOrleans.Ididn'
t
likeitabitatfirst,butonecangetusedtoanythingintime.
Ninette'
smaidensister,MissMarieMadelineAntoinetteHortense
Prevost,wasawfullynicetome;
sowasgrandmerePrevost.Ilived
withthemtillIwassixteen,whenIwassenttoFrance.
IfIwantedto(andyouwouldletme)Icouldpersonallyconductyou
toParis,whereifyouweretenfeettallandnotaversetostaring,
youcouldlookoveracertaingraystonewallontheBoulevarddes
Invalides,andseemepacingsedatelyupanddownthegravelwalks
inthegardenoftheConventoftheSacredHeart.Thatis,youcould
haveseenmethreeyearsago.I'
mnottherenow,thankgoodness!
I'
m
inCalifornia.
Andjustonewordbeforewegoanyfurtheranyfurther.Idon'
twant
youtothinkforaminutethatIcamebackfromParisalittle
Frenchifiedmiss.No,indeed!
masAmericanastheymakethem.
WhenIboastedtotheothergirls,whetherinParisorNewOrleans,
Ialwaysboastedabouttwothings:
DadandCalifornia.AndI'
vean
ideaI'
llgoonboastingaboutthemtillmydyingday.
Ofcourse,whenIreturnedfromParis,DadmetmeinNewYork.It
wasagoodthinghewasrich,forittookalotofmoneytogetme
andmyseventrunksthroughthecustom-house.Itmighthavetaken
more,though,ifithadn'
tbeenforayoungmanwhocameoveronthe
sameboat.
Hewassuchagood-lookingyoungman;
tallandbroad-shoulderedand
fair,withlight-brownhair,andthenicesteyesyoueversaw.It
ttheircolorsomuch(hiseyeswereblue)asthewaythey
lookedatyouthatmadethemsoattractive.Hewasawfullywell
bred,too!
Henoticedmealotontheboat(Ihadaperfectloveof
aRedferncoattowearondeck),buthedidn'
ttrytoscrape
acquaintancewithme.Heworshippedfromafar(awomancanalways
tellwhenaman'
sthinkingabouther),andwhileIwouldn'
thavehad
himactotherwisefortheworld,Iwascrazytohavehimspeakto
me.
OurboatdockedatHoboken,andbytippingrightandleftImanaged
tobetheveryfirstpassengerdownthegangway.Ihalfran,half
slid,butIlandedinDad'
sarms.
Myboxesandbagspassedthroughthecustom-housewithflying
colors.Butmytrunks--Icouldn'
tevenfindthemall.Fiveofthem
werestackedinthe"
M"
division,buttheothertwo....Then
therewasmymaid'
strunktolookforunderthe"
V'
s"
(hernameis
Valentine).DadandIwerecommencingat"
A,"
preparedtogot
throughthewholealphabet,ifnecessary,whentheniceyoungman
steppedupand,raisinghishat,askedifhemightbeofany
service.HeaskedDad,buthelookedatme.
Oh,Ifyouplease!
Isaid"
I'
velosttwotrunks.Mybrandisa
white,'
M'
inaredcircle."
Inoticedtheminthe'
R'
pile"
hereplied."
llhavethemmoved
tothe'
s'
rightaway."
Nowthat'
swhatIcallbeingdecent,"
saidDad,assoonasthe
youngmanhadleftus."
Didyounotice,hedidn'
twearauniform?
Probablyaninspector,orsomethingofthesort,eh,Elizabeth?
Well--er--notexactly,"
Imanagedtosay."
Thefactis,Dad,he
cameoverontheboatwithme,and--"
Dadlookedthoughtful.
Heneverspoketomeoncethewholetrip,"
Iaddedhastily.
Dadlookedlessthoughtful.
ItwasniceofhimtowaittillIhadyouwithme,wasn'
Dadsmiled."
Ifyouthinkitwas,itprobablywas,mydear,"
he
said.
ChapterThree
Theniceyoungmandidmorethanfindmymissingtrunks;
hefounda
custom-houseofficer,and,afteraskingmeprivatelywhichtrunks
containedmymostvaluablepossessionsandhowmuchIhadthoughtof
declaring,hesucceededinhavingthempassedthroughonmyown
valuationwithoutanyundueexposureoftheircontents.
BythistimeDadhadgrownveryrespectful.Toseehislittle
Elizabethtreatedlikeaqueen,whileonallsidesangrywomenwere
havingtheirbestgownspawedoverandmussed;
wasamostwholesome
lesson.Hepaidthethousandandodddollarsdutylikealittleman.
We'
dbeensavedalotofbother,andnobodyhatesalotofbother
morethanDad.Sowhenthetrunkswerelockedandstrappedandready
tobesenttoourhotel,Dadwentuptotheniceyoungmanandsaid:
mTomMiddleton,fromCalifornia,andthisismydaughter
Elizabeth.We'
rebothverygratefultoyou,andifyoushouldever
happentocometoCalifornia,Ihopeyou'
lllookusup."
That'
sDadallover!
Ineversawanybodylooksopleasedastheyoungman:
"
Myname'
s
Porter,"
hesaid,"
BlakelyPorter.IfmymotherwereinNewYorkI
wouldaskifshemightcallonMissMiddleton,but,asithappens,
she'
sinCalifornia,whereIintendtojoinher,soIshalllook
forwardtoseeingyouthere."
ThenDaddidjusttherightthing."
What'
stheuseofwaitingtill
wegettoCalifornia?
hesaid."
Whynotdinewithusto-night!
Thereare
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