time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第79章
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City Journal。
〃Morning。〃
Lazarus turned。 〃Good morning 。 。 Chief。〃
〃Just the constable； Son。 Stranger hereabouts？〃 〃Yes。〃 …
〃Passing through？ Or staying with someone？〃 〃Passing through。 Unless I find work。〃
〃That's a gcod answer。 What trade do you follow？〃
〃I was raised on a farm。 But I'm an all…around mechanic。 Or anything； for an honest dollar。〃
〃Well； I tell you。 Not many farmers taking on hands right now。 As for anything else； things are slow in the summertime。 Mmm； you wouldn't be one of them IWW's； would you？〃
'IV' what？〃
〃A Wobbly； son…don't you read the papers？ This is a friendly munity； always glad to have visitors。 But not that sort。〃 The local law raised one hand to wipe away sweat and gave a lodge recognition sign。 Lazarus knew how to answer it
…and decided not to。 Where was his home lodge？…that's a good question； Officer； so let's not let it e up。
The constable went on； 〃Well； since you're not one； you're wele to ask around and see if… somebody needs help。〃 He looked at the front page Lazarus had been pretending to read。 〃Terrible what those U…boats are doing； isn't it？〃
Lazarus agreed that it was。
〃Still；〃 the officer added； 〃if people stayed home and minded their own business； it wouldn't happen。 Live and let live； I always say。 What church do you attend？〃
〃Well； my folks are Presbyterians。〃
〃So？ Meaning you haven't attended lately。 Well； sometimes I miss myself； when the fish are biting。 But… See that church up the street？ The belfry through the elms。 If you do find work； why； e Sunday； ten o'clock； let me extend you the right hand of fellowship there。 Methodist Episcopal； but there ain't all that much difference。 This is a tolerant munity。〃
〃Thank you； sir； I'll be there。〃
〃Good。 Very tolerant。 Mostly Methodists and Baptists…but a few Jack Mormons on farms around here。 Good neighbors；
452they always pay their bills。 A few Cath…a…licks and nobody holds it against them。 Why； we've even got a Jew。〃
〃Sounds like a good town。〃
… 〃It is。 Local option and clean living。 Just one thing… If you don't find work… About half a mile beyond the church you'll find a city…limits sign。 If you're ufiemployed and have no local address； it's best to be on the other side of it e sundown。〃
〃I see。〃
〃Or I would have to run you in。 No hard feelings； that's just the way it is。 No tramps or niggers after sundown。 I dzrn't
make the rt~les； Son； I just enforce them…and that's how Judge Marstellar defines a tramp。 Some of our good ladies have been pushing him…things stolen off clotheslines and the like。 So its ten dollars or ten days 。 。 which isn't …too bad； as the lockup is right in my house。 The food's not fancy as I'm allowed only forty cents a day to board a prisoner…though for fifty cents more you can eat what we do。 No intention of making things hard； you understand…it's just that the Judge and the Mayor aim to keep this a quiet； law…abiding place。〃
〃I understand。 Certainly no hard feelings ； 。 because you won't have occasion to lock me up。〃
〃Glad to hear it。 Any way I can help you； Son； just … let me know。〃
〃Thank you。 Perhaps you can right now。 Do you know of an outhouse a stranger might use？ Or had I better try to hold it until I'm out of town and can find some bushes？〃
The officer smiled。 〃Oh； I think we can be that hospitable。 The courthouse has a real city…type flush toilet…but it's not working。 Let me think。 Blacksmith down this way sometimes acmodates automobiists passing through。 I'll walk down with you。〃
〃That's mighty kind of you。〃
〃Glad to。 Better tell me your name。〃
〃Ted Bronson。〃…
*
The blacksmith was trimming a hoof。 on a young gelding。 He looked up。 〃Hi； Deacon。〃
〃Howdy； Tom。 This young friend of mine； Ted Bronson； has a case of Kansas quickstep。 Could he use your privy？〃
The blacksmith looked Lazarus over。 〃Help yourself； Ted。 Try not to go clear back to the harness section。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃
Lazarus followed the path behind the shop； was pleased to find that the privy had a door with no cracks and could be
453hooked from the inside。 He got at the extra pocket hidden by the bib of his overalls； took out money。
Paper banknotes convincing in every detail； they were restored replications of originals in the Museum of Ancient History in New Rome…〃counterfeit〃 by definition but the restorations were so perfect that Lazarus would not hesitate to utter them in any bank…except for one thing…： What dares did they carry？ … …
He quickly shuffled the paper money into two packs： 1916 and earlier； and post…1916； then without hesitating or stopping to count； he shoved the usable banknotes into a pocket； tore a page from the Montgomery Ward catalog in the cob box； packaged the useless bills so that they would not be spotted as money； dropped…the package into the cesspool。 Then he got out coins still in that secret pocket； checked their dates。
He noted that most of them carried damning mint dates… these followed the paper money。 He wasted a full second admiring a proof…perfect replica buffalo nickel…such a pretty thing！ He gave sober thought；… at least two seconds； to a massive twenty…dollar gold piece。 Gold was gold； its value would not be diminished if he melted it down or pounded？it into a shapeless lump。 But it was a hazard until he could deface it； as the next town clown might not be as friendly as this one。 Down it went。
He felt lighthearted then。 〃Queer〃 money was a serious offense here； good for a number of years in prisons unpleasant and difficult to …escape from。 But lack of money was a correctable nuisance。 Lazarus … had considered arriving with no money at all； then had promised by taking enough for a few days； to let him look around； reorient； get used to the customs and the lingo again； before having to scratch for a living…he had never considered trying to fetch enough to last ten years。
Never mind； this was more fun…and good practice for the much harder job of tackling an era he had never known。 Elizabethan England…that would be a real challenge。
He counted what he had left： three dollars and eighty…seven cents。 Not bad。
The blacksmith said； 〃Thought you'd fallen in。 Feel better？〃
〃Much better。 Thanks a lot。〃…
〃Don't mention it。 Deacon Ames says you claim to be a mechanic。〃 …
〃I'm handy with tools。〃
〃Ever work in a smithy？〃〃Yes。〃 …
〃Let me s~e your hands。〃 Lazarus let his palms be inspected。 The blacksmith said； 〃City feller。〃
Lazarus made no ment。
〃Or maybe you got those soft hands in the cooler？〃
〃I suppose that could account for it。 Thanks again for the use of your facilities。〃
〃Wait a jiffy。 Thirty cents an hour and you do what I tell you…and I may fire you after the fIrst hour。〃
… …〃Okay。〃
〃Know adything about automobeels？〃
…〃Some。〃
〃See if you can get that Tin Lizzie moving。〃 The smith jerked his head toward the far side of his shop。
Lazarus went outside； looked over the Ford Runabout he had noted there earlier。 Its turtleback had been removed； and a wooden box had been fitted to convert it into a pickup truck。
…Its wheel spokes showed signs of muddy roads； but it appeared to be in fair condition。 He removed the front seat； checked the gasoline with a dipstick he found there…half a
…tank。 He checked the water； added some from the shop's pump； then opened the hood and inspected the engine。
The lead from mago to coil box was not attached； he reconnected it。
He set the hand brake…decided that it was not very firm； … so he blocked the wheels。 Only then did he switch on ignition； open the throttle； and retard the spark。
He cautiously tucked his thumb by his fingers； rather than around the crank…then brought the crank up high； pushed and spun it。
The motor racketed； the little car shook。 He rushed to the driver's side of the car； reached in and advanced the spark three notches； and eased the throttle to idle。
The smith was watching。 〃All right； turn it off and e
…give me some wind on the forge。〃 Neither of them mentioned
the disconnected lead。…
When the smith…Tom Heimenz…stopped to eat lunch； Lazarus walked two blocks to a grocery store he had passed； bought a quart of Grade…A raw milk…five cents； three cents deposit on the bottle…looked at a nickel loaf of bread； then decided to splurge on the big dime loaf； he had had no breakfast。 He walked back to the blacksmith shop； and greatly enjoyed his lunch while he listened to Mr。 Heimenz's opinions。
第63节
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He was a Progressive…Republican； but this time time he was going to switch； Mr。 Wilson had kept us out of war。 〃Not that
he's done the country any good otherwise； the high cost of living is worse than ever…and besides that； he's pro…British。 But that fool Hughes would have us in the Europe~an War overnight。 It's a hard choice。 I'd like to vote for La Follette； but they didn't have sense enough to nominate him。 Germany's going to win； and he knows it…and we'd look pretty silly
？trying to pull England's chestnuts out of the fire。〃
Lazarus agreed solemnly。…
Heimenz told 〃Ted〃 to show up at seven the next morning。 But just before sundown； almost three dollars richer and fiis stomach well padded with sausage； cheese； and crackers； Lazarus was beyond the city…limits sign and moving west。 He had nothing against the town or the blacksmith； but he had not risked this trip to spend ten years in a country town at thirty cents an hour。 He intended to stir around； recapture the ifavor of the time。
Besides； Heimenz had been too inquisitive。 Lazarus had not minded the inspection of his hands or the suggestion that he might be fresh out of jail； and the disconnected wire was a standoff； but when Lazarus had parried a question about his accent with generalities the smith had tried to pin him down with just where in Indian Territory had he lived as a child and when did his folks e down from Canada。
A larger munity meant feore opportunities to lay hands on more than thirty cents an
hour without quite stealing it。
He had been walking an hour when he came across a stranded automobilist； … an old country …doctor plagued with aflat tire on a Maxwell。 LazArus dismounted a coal…oil sidelight and had the physician hold it while he patched the tube； replaced the tire and pumped it up； then refused a tip。
Dr。 Chaddock said； 〃Red； do you know how to drive these gas buggies？〃 Lazarus admitted that he did。 …
〃Well； son； since you're headed west anyhow； what would you say to driving me to Lamar； then a shakedown on the couch in my waiting ~room； breakfast…and four bits to boot for your trouble？〃 …… …
〃I say Yes to all of it； Doctor…save that there's no need to waste cash on me。 I'm nOt broke。〃 …
〃Stuff and nonsense。 Argue about it in the morning。 Fat plumb tuckered out； this day started before daybreak。 Used
to be I'd wind the reins around the whip and nap until the mare got us home。 But these things are stupid。〃 …
After a breakfast of fried eggs； fried ham； fried potatoes； pancakes with sorghum and country butter； …watermelon preserves； strawberry preserves； cream that would barely pour； and endless coffee saucered and blowed…the doctor's housekeeper； his old…maid sister； had kept plying Lazarus； insisting
that he wasn't eating enough to keep a bird alive…he set out again； a dollar richer； much cleaner； and looking less like a hayseed； …for spit and Shinola and elbow grease had improved the appearance of his shoes； and Miss tie had insisted on giving him sor馿 old clothes…〃Might as well be you； Roderick； as the Salvation Army。 Here； take this tie； too； Doc doesn't wear it anymore。 Look neat when you look for work； I always say…I do …declare I won't hardly open the screen door to give a man a handout if he don't wear a necktie。〃
He accepted it all； aware that she was right； aware also that Dr。 Chaddock would have spent a bad night trying to sleep in his automobile while his sister worried had not Lazarus e along…accounts balanced。 Miss tie made a neat bundle of his own clothes； he thanked her and promised to send them a postcard from …Kansas City…then he abandoned the bundle in the first bushes he came to； feeling mild regret as those clothes would wear indefinitely despite the worn look built into them。 But they were slightly anachronistic in cut and he had never expected to wear them longer than he had to…and a man on the road could not afford to look like a bindle stiff； which Miss tie probably didn't know。
He found the railroad but avoided the depot。 He posted himself at the north edge of town and waited。 A passenger train and a freight headed south wen
