winesburg,ohio-第6节

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stood　by　the　bar　talking　to　Will　Henderson　he　rubbed　the　hands　together。　As　he　grew　more　and　more　excited　the　red　of　his　fingers　deepened。　　It　was　as　though　the　hands　had　been　dipped　in　blood　that　had　dried　and　faded。

As　Will　Henderson　stood　at　the　bar　looking　at　the　red　hands　and　talking　of　women；　his　assistant；　George　Willard；　sat　in　the　office　of　the　Winesburg　Eagle　and　listened　to　the　talk　of　Doctor　Parcival。

Doctor　Parcival　appeared　immediately　after　Will　Henderson　had　disappeared。　　One　might　have　sup…　posed　that　the　doctor　had　been　watching　from　his　office　window　and　had　seen　the　editor　going　along　the　alleyway。　　Coming　in　at　the　front　door　and　find…　ing　himself　a　chair；　he　lighted　one　of　the　stogies　and　crossing　his　legs　began　to　talk。　　He　seemed　intent　upon　convincing　the　boy　of　the　advisability　of　adopt…　ing　a　line　of　conduct　that　he　was　himself　unable　to　define。

〃If　you　have　your　eyes　open　you　will　see　that　although　I　call　myself　a　doctor　I　have　mighty　few　patients；〃　he　began。　　〃There　is　a　reason　for　that。　　It　is　not　an　accident　and　it　is　not　because　I　do　not　know　as　much　of　medicine　as　anyone　here。　　I　do　not　want　patients。　　The　reason；　you　see；　does　not　appear　on　the　surface。　　It　lies　in　fact　in　my　character；　which　has；　if　you　think　about　it；　many　strange　turns。　　Why　I　want　to　talk　to　you　of　the　matter　I　don't　know。　　I　might　keep　still　and　get　more　credit　in　your　eyes。　　I　have　a　desire　to　make　you　admire　me；　that's　a　fact。　I　don't　know　why。　　That's　why　I　talk。　　It's　very　amus…　ing；　eh？〃

Sometimes　the　doctor　launched　into　long　tales　concerning　himself。　　To　the　boy　the　tales　were　very　real　and　full　of　meaning。　　He　began　to　admire　the　fat　unclean…looking　man　and；　in　the　afternoon　when　Will　Henderson　had　gone；　looked　forward　with　keen　interest　to　the　doctor's　coming。

Doctor　Parcival　had　been　in　Winesburg　about　five　years。　　He　came　from　Chicago　and　when　he　arrived　was　drunk　and　got　into　a　fight　with　Albert　Long…　worth；　the　baggageman。　　The　fight　concerned　a　trunk　and　ended　by　the　doctor's　being　escorted　to　the　vil…　lage　lockup。　　When　he　was　released　he　rented　a　room　above　a　shoe…repairing　shop　at　the　lower　end　of　Main　Street　and　put　out　the　sign　that　announced　himself　as　a　doctor。　　Although　he　had　but　few　pa…　tients　and　these　of　the　poorer　sort　who　were　unable　to　pay；　he　seemed　to　have　plenty　of　money　for　his　needs。　　He　slept　in　the　office　that　was　unspeakably　dirty　and　dined　at　Biff　Carter's　lunch　room　in　a　small　frame　building　opposite　the　railroad　station。　　In　the　summer　the　lunch　room　was　filled　with　flies　and　Biff　Carter's　white　apron　was　more　dirty　than　his　floor。　Doctor　Parcival　did　not　mind。　　Into　the　lunch　room　he　stalked　and　deposited　twenty　cents　upon　the　counter。　　〃Feed　me　what　you　wish　for　that；〃　he　said　laughing。　　〃Use　up　food　that　you　wouldn't　otherwise　sell。　　It　makes　no　difference　to　me。　　I　am　a　man　of　distinction；　you　see。　　Why　should　I　concern　myself　with　what　I　eat。〃

The　tales　that　Doctor　Parcival　told　George　Willard　began　nowhere　and　ended　nowhere。　　Sometimes　the　boy　thought　they　must　all　be　inventions；　a　pack　of　lies。　　And　then　again　he　was　convinced　that　they　contained　the　very　essence　of　truth。

〃I　was　a　reporter　like　you　here；〃　Doctor　Parcival　began。　　〃It　was　in　a　town　in　Iowaor　was　it　in　Illi…　nois？　I　don't　remember　and　anyway　it　makes　no　difference。　　Perhaps　I　am　trying　to　conceal　my　iden…　tity　and　don't　want　to　be　very　definite。　　Have　you　ever　thought　it　strange　that　I　have　money　for　my　needs　although　I　do　nothing？　I　may　have　stolen　a　great　sum　of　money　or　been　involved　in　a　murder　before　I　came　here。　　There　is　food　for　thought　in　that；　eh？　If　you　were　a　really　smart　newspaper　reporter　you　would　look　me　up。　　In　Chicago　there　was　a　Doc…　tor　Cronin　who　was　murdered。　　Have　you　heard　of　that？　Some　men　murdered　him　and　put　him　in　a　trunk。　　In　the　early　morning　they　hauled　the　trunk　across　the　city。　　It　sat　on　the　back　of　an　express　wagon　and　they　were　on　the　seat　as　unconcerned　as　anything。　　Along　they　went　through　quiet　streets　where　everyone　was　asleep。　　The　sun　was　just　com…　ing　up　over　the　lake。　　Funny；　ehjust　to　think　of　them　smoking　pipes　and　chattering　as　they　drove　along　as　unconcerned　as　I　am　now。　　Perhaps　I　was　one　of　those　men。　　That　would　be　a　strange　turn　of　things；　now　wouldn't　it；　eh？〃　Again　Doctor　Parcival　began　his　tale：　〃Well；　anyway　there　I　was；　a　reporter　on　a　paper　just　as　you　are　here；　running　about　and　getting　little　items　to　print。　　My　mother　was　poor。　She　took　in　washing。　　Her　dream　was　to　make　me　a　Presbyterian　minister　and　I　was　studying　with　that　end　in　view。

〃My　father　had　been　insane　for　a　number　of　years。　He　was　in　an　asylum　over　at　Dayton；　Ohio。　　There　you　see　I　have　let　it　slip　out！　All　of　this　took　place　in　Ohio；　right　here　in　Ohio。　　There　is　a　clew　if　you　ever　get　the　notion　of　looking　me　up。

〃I　was　going　to　tell　you　of　my　brother。　　That's　the　object　of　all　this。　　That's　what　I'm　getting　at。　　My　brother　was　a　railroad　painter　and　had　a　job　on　the　Big　Four。　　You　know　that　road　runs　through　Ohio　here。　　With　other　men　he　lived　in　a　box　car　and　away　they　went　from　town　to　town　painting　the　railroad　property…switches；　crossing　gates；　bridges；　and　stations。

〃The　Big　Four　paints　its　stations　a　nasty　orange　color。　　How　I　hated　that　color！　My　brother　was　al…　ways　covered　with　it。　　On　pay　days　he　used　to　get　drunk　and　come　home　wearing　his　paint…covered　clothes　and　bringing　his　money　with　him。　　He　did　not　give　it　to　mother　but　laid　it　in　a　pile　on　our　kitchen　table。

〃About　the　house　he　went　in　the　clothes　covered　with　the　nasty　orange　colored　paint。　　I　can　see　the　picture。　　My　mother；　who　was　small　and　had　red；　sad…looking　eyes；　would　come　into　the　house　from　a　little　shed　at　the　back。　　That's　where　she　spent　her　time　over　the　washtub　scrubbing　people's　dirty　clothes。　　In　she　would　come　and　stand　by　the　table；　rubbing　her　eyes　with　her　apron　that　was　covered　with　soap…suds。

〃'Don't　touch　it！　Don't　you　dare　touch　that　money；'　my　brother　roared；　and　then　he　himself　took　five　or　ten　dollars　and　went　tramping　off　to　the　saloons。　　When　he　had　spent　what　he　had　taken　he　came　back　for　more。　　He　never　gave　my　mother　any　money　at　all　but　stayed　about　until　he　had　spent　it　all；　a　little　at　a　time。　　Then　he　went　back　to　his　job　with　the　painting　crew　on　the　railroad。　　After　he　had　gone　things　began　to　arrive　at　our　house；　groceries　and　such　things。　　Sometimes　there　would　be　a　dress　for　mother　or　a　pair　of　shoes　for　me。

〃Strange；　eh？　My　mother　loved　my　brother　much　more　than　she　did　me；　although　he　never　said　a　kind　word　to　either　of　us　and　always　raved　up　and　down　threatening　us　if　we　dared　so　much　as　touch　the　money　that　sometimes　lay　on　the　table　three　days。

〃We　got　along　pretty　well。　　I　studied　to　be　a　minis…　ter　and　prayed。　　I　was　a　regular　ass　about　saying　prayers。　　You　should　have　heard　me。　　When　my　fa…　ther　died　I　prayed　all　night；　just　as　I　did　sometimes　when　my　brother　was　in　town　drinking　and　going　about　buying　the　things　for　us。　　In　the　evening　after　supper　I　knelt　by　the　table　where　the　money　lay　and　prayed　for　hours。　　When　no　one　was　looking　I　stole　a　dollar　or　two　and　put　it　in　my　pocket。　　That　makes　me　laugh　now　but　then　it　was　terrible。　　It　was　on　my　mind　all　the　time。　　I　got　six　dollars　a　week　from　my　job　on　the　paper　and　always　took　it　straight　home　to　mother。　　The　few　dollars　I　stole　from　my　brother's　pile　I　spent　on　myself；　you　know；　for　trifles；　candy　and　cigarettes　and　such　things。

〃When　my　father　died　at　the　asylum　over　at　Day…　ton；　I　went　over　there。　　I　borrowed　some　money　from　the　man　for　whom　I　worked　and　went　on　the　train　at　night。　　It　was　raining。　　In　the　asylum　they　treated　me　as　though　I　were　a　king。

〃The　men　who　had　jobs　in　the　asylum　had　found　out　I　was　a　newspaper　reporter。　　That　made　them　afraid。　　There　had　been　some　negligence；　some　care…　lessness；　you　see；　when　father　was　ill。　　They　thought　perhaps　I　would　write　it　up　in　the　paper　and　make　a　fuss。　　I　never　intended　to　do　anything　of　the　kind。

〃Anyway；　in　I　went　to　the　room　where　my　father　lay　dead　and　blessed　the　dead　body。　　I　wonder　what　put　that　notion　into　my　head。　　Wouldn't　my　brother；　the　painter；　have　laughed；　though。　　There　I　stood　over　the　dead　body　and　spread　out　my　hands。　　The　superintendent　of　the　asylum　and　some　of　his　help…　ers　came　in　and　stood　about　looking　sheepish。　　It　was　very　amusing。　　I　spread　out　my　hands　and　said；　'Let　peace　brood　over　this　carcass。'　That's　what　I　said。　　〃

Jumping　to　his　feet　and　breaking　off　the　tale；　Doc…　tor　Parcival　began　to　walk　up　and　down　in　the　office　of　the　Winesburg　Eagle　where　George　Willard　sat　lis…　tening。　　He　was　awkward　and；　as　the　office　was　small；　continually　knocked　against　things。　　〃What　a　fool　I　am　to　be　talking；〃　he　said。　　〃That　is　not　my　object　in　coming　here　and　forcing　my　acquaintance…　ship　upon　you。　　I　have　something　else　in　mind。　　You　are　a　reporter　just　as　I　was　once　and　you　have　at…　tracted　my　attention。　　You　may　end　by　becoming　just　such　another　fool。　　I　want　to　warn　you　and　keep　on　warning　you。　　That's　why　I　seek　you　out。〃

Doctor　Parcival　began　talking　of　George　Willard's　attitude　toward　men。　　It　seemed　to　the　boy　that　the　man　had　but　one　object　in　view；　to　make　everyone　seem　despicable。