曲折浪漫路(Detour to romance)

详细内容

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irememberseeingharrythatfirstevening.hewasn'tmuchmorethanathin,anxiouskidthen.hewasalldressedupandiknewhewasmeetinghisgirlandthattheywouldbemarriedtwentyminutesaftershearrived.

well,thepassengerscameupandihadtogetbusy.ididn'tlooktowardthestairsagainuntilnearlytimeforthe9:18andiwasverysurprisedtoseethattheyoungfellowwasstillthere.shedidn'teonthe9:18either,noronthe9:40,andwhenthepassengersfromthe10:02hadallarrivedandleft,harrywaslookingprettydesperate.prettysoonhecameclosetomywindowsoicalledoutandaskedhimwhatshelookedlike.

"she'ssmallanddark,"hesaid,"andnieenyearsoldandveryneatinthewayshewalks.shehasaface,"hesaid,thinkingaminute,"thathaslotsofspirit.imeanshecangetmadbutsheneverstaysmadforlong,andhereyebrowsetoalittlepointinthemiddle.she'sgotabrownfur,butmaybesheisn'twearingit."icouldn'trememberseeinganybodylikethat.

heshowedmethetelegramhe'dreceived:arrivethursday.meetmestation.lovelovelovelove.may.itwasfromomaha,nebraska."well,"ifinallysaid,"whydon'tyouphooyourhome?she'sprobablycalledthereifshegotinaheadofyou."

hegavemeasicklook."i'veonlybeenintowntwodays.weweregoingtomeetandthendrivedownsouthwherei'vegotajob.shehasn'tanyaddressforme."hetouchedthetelegram.

whenicameondutythenextdayhewasstillthereandcameoverassoonashesawme.

"didsheworkanywhere?"iasked.

henodded."shewasatypist.itelegraphedherformerboss.alltheyknowisthatsheleftherjobtogetmarried."

harrymeteverytrainforthenextthreeorfourdays.ofcourse,therailroadlinesmadearoutinecheckupandthepolicelookedintothecase.butnobodywasanyrealhelp.icouldseethattheyallfiguredthatmayhadsimplyplayedatrickonhim.butineverbelievedthat,somehow.

oneday,afterabouttwoweeks,harryandiweretalkinganditoldhimaboutmytheory."ifyou'lljustwaitlongenough,"isaid,"you'llseeheringupthosestairssomeday."heturnedandlookedatthestairsasthoughhehadneverseenthembefore.

thenextdaywhenicametoworkharrywasbehindthecounteroftony'smagazinestand.helookedatmerathersheepishlyandsaid,"well,ihadtogetajobsomewhere,didn'ti?"

sohebegantoworkasaclerkfortony.weneverspokeofmayanymoreandneitherofusevermentionedmytheory.butinoticedthatharryalwayssaweverypersonwhocameupthestairs.

towardtheendoftheyeartonywaskilledinsomeargumentovergambling,andtony'swidowleftharryinpletechargeofthemagazinestand.andwhenshegotmarriedagainsometimelater,harryboughtthestandfromher.heborrowedmoneyandinstalledasodafountainandprettysoonhehadaverynicelittlebusiness.

thencameyesterday.iheardacryandalotofthingsfalling.thecrywasfromharryandthethingsfallingwerealotofdollsandotherthingswhichhehadupsetwhilehewasjumpingoverthecounter.heranacrossandgrabbedagirlnottenfeetfrommywindow.shewassmallanddarkandhereyebrowscametoalittlepointinthemiddle.

forawhiletheyjusthungtheretoeachotherlaughingandcryingandsayingthingswithoutmeaning.she'dsayafewwordslike,"itwasthebusstationimeant"andhe'dkissherspeechlessandtellherthemanythingshehaddoofindher.whatapparentlyhadhappenedthreeyearsbeforewasthatmayhadebybus,notbytrain,andinhertelegramshemeant"busstation,"not"railroadstation."shehadwaitedatthebusstationfordaysandhadspentallhermoneytryingtofindharry.finallyshegotajobtyping.

"what?"saidharry."haveyoubeenworkingintown?allthetime?"

shenodded.

"well,heavens.didn'tyoueveredownheretothestation?"hepointedacrosstohismagazinestand."i'vebeenthereallthetime.iownit.i'vewatchedeverybodythatcameupthestairs."

shebegantolookalittlepale.prettysoonshelookedoveratthestairsandsaidinaweakvoice,"inevercameupthestairsbefore.yousee,iwentoutoftownyesterdayonashortbusinesstrip.oh,harry!"thenshethrewherarmsaroundhisneckandreallybegantocry.

afteraminuteshebackedawayandpointedverystifflytowardthenorthendofthestation."harry,forthreeyears,forthreesolidyears,i'vebeenrightoverthereworkingrightinthisverystation,typing,intheofficeofthestationmaster."