Hearts and Hands
At Denver there was a flood of passengers into the coaches on the eastbound B. & M. Express. In one coach there sat a very young woman dressed in elegant taste. Among the newcomers were two young men, one of handsome presence with a young, bold face and manner; the other a messy, glum-faced person, heavily built and roughly dressed. The two were handcuffed (铐) together.
As they passed down the aisle of the coach the only vacant seat offered was the one facing the attractive young woman. Here the linked couple seated themselves. The young woman’s glance fell upon them with a distant, quick disinterest; then with a lovely smile brightening her face and a tender pink coloring her rounded cheeks, she held out a gray-gloved hand and her full, sweet voice flowed.
“Well, Mr. Easton, if you will make me speak first, I suppose I must. Don’t you ever recognize old friends when you meet them in the West?”
The younger man roused himself sharply at the sound of her voice, seemed to struggle with a slight embarrassment which he threw off instantly, and then clasped her fingers with his left hand.
“It’s Miss Fairchild,” he said, with a smile. “I’ll ask you to excuse the other hand; it’s otherwise engaged just at present.”
He slightly raised his right hand, bound at the wrist by the shining “bracelet” to the left one of his companion. The glad look in the girl’s eyes slowly changed to a confused horror. The glow faded from her cheeks. Her lips parted in a vague, relaxing distress. Easton, with a little laugh, as if amused, was about to speak again when the other, the glum-faced man who had been watching the girl, stopped him. The glum-faced man had been watching the girl.
“You’ll excuse me for speaking, miss, but I see you’ve met the marshal (执行官) before. If you’ll ask him to speak a word for me when we get to the prison he’ll do it, and it’ll make things easier for me there. He’s taking me to Leavenworth prison. It’s seven years for cheating.”
“Oh!” said the girl, with a deep breath and returning color. “So that is what you are doing out here? Amarshal!”
“My dear Miss Fairchild,” said Easton, calmly, “I had to do something. Money has a way of taking wings unto itself, and you know it takes money to keep step with our crowd in Washington. I saw this opening in the West, and—well, a marshalship isn’t quite as high a position as that of ambassador (大使), but—”
“The ambassador,” said the girl, warmly, “doesn’t call any more. He needn’t ever have done so. You ought to know that. And so now you are one of these dashing Western heroes, and you ride and shoot and go into all kinds of dangers. That’s different from the Washington life. You have been missed from the old crowd.”
The girl’s eyes, fascinated, went back, widening a little, to rest upon the glittering handcuffs.
“Don’t you worry about them, miss,” said the other man. “All marshals handcuff themselves to their prisoners to keep them from getting away. Mr. Easton knows his business.”
“Will we see you again soon in Washington?” asked the girl.
“Not soon, I think,” said Easton. “My butterfly days are over, I fear.”
“I love the West,” said the girl carelessly. Her eyes were shining softly. She looked away out the car window. She began to speak simply without the gloss of style and manner. “Mamma and I spent the summer in Denver. She went home a week ago because father was slightly ill. I could live and be happy in the West. I think the air here agrees with me. Money isn’t everything. But people always misunderstand things and remain stupid—”
“Say, Mr. Marshal,” growled the glum-faced man. “This isn’t quite fair. I’m needing a drink and haven’t had a smoke all day. Haven’t you talked long enough? Take me in the smoker now, won’t you? I’m half dead for a pipe.”
The bound travelers rose to their feet, Easton with the same slow smile on his face.
“I can’t deny a want for tobacco,” he said, lightly. “It’s the one friend of the unlock. Good-bye, Miss Fairchild. Duty calls, you know.” He held out his hand for a farewell.
“It’s too bad you are not going East,” she said, reclothing herself with manner and style. “But you must go onto Leavenworth, I suppose?"
“Yes,” said Easton, “I must go on to Leavenworth.”
The two men walked down the aisle into the smoker.
The two passengers in a seat nearby had heard most of the conversation. Said one of them: “That marshal’s a good sort of chap. Some of these Western fellows are all right.”
“Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he?” asked the other.
“Young!” shouted the first speaker, “Why— Oh! Didn’t you catch on? Say—did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand?”
31. The underlined word “agree with” in Paragraph 15 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.be of the same opinion | B.be good for |
C.be fresh and clean | D.be popular and welcome |
32. Which of the underlined sentences tells us Mr. Easton’s true identity (身份)?
A.but I see you’ve met the marshal before. |
B.And so now you are one of these dashing Western heroes, … |
C.Pretty young to hold an office like that, isn’t he? |
D.Say—did you ever know an officer to handcuff a prisoner to his right hand? |
33. What does “Hearts” in the title “
Hearts and Hands” stand for?
A.Easton’s love for money. | B.Miss Fairchild’s enjoyment of the West. |
C.The marshal’s kindness toward Easton. | D.The passenger’s praise for the marshal. |