But above all else Trolley had a mind of his own. For example he had chosen his home. He began life at the Graysons’ on Grayson avenue, but as soon as he was old enough to choose for himself he took up his abode8 with the President of the Seminary.
Aunt Charlotte did not particularly care for cats, and furthermore did not covet9 anything that was her neighbor’s, so again and again[9] Trolley was sent back, all to no purpose, and at length he was allowed to have his way.
This was just at the time when the Graysons and some others were bringing suit to prevent the laying of a trolley line on the avenue, and between the progressive people who wished more rapid transportation than the stage which passed back and forth10 once an hour, and the old-fashioned residents who feared to have the beauty of their street destroyed, and their quiet disturbed by clanging bells and buzzing wheels, feeling had grown exceedingly bitter.
Dr. Barrows himself had no special interest in the matter, but some members of his family were warm supporters of the railway, and when the suit was decided11 in its favor one of his nephews named the cat in honor of the event.
As Trolley he was known from that hour, and he grew so large and handsome that even Aunt Charlotte came to take pride in him. He was amiable12 in disposition13, but distant in manner to all except Caro, who had won his heart as he had won hers, at first sight.
He forgot his dignity and raced with her in the garden like a frolicsome14 kitten, when she was tired he allowed himself to be made a pillow[10] of, and to all her confidences he listened with a sympathetic purr. In fact he did all he could to keep her from being homesick.
There were of course times when his own affairs demanded his attention. Bobby Brown a yellow cat who lived two doors away needed an occasional setting down for instance, and other matters of this kind sometimes kept him away for a day. It was on one of these occasions that Caro quite tired out with searching for him sat down on the doorstep and began to miss mamma and the boys—“just dreadfully.”
“I am going to do some shopping; do you want to come?” asked her grandfather’s voice behind her.
The clouds flew from her face in a minute, for shopping with grandfather always meant something interesting, if only a glass of ice cream soda16.
As they walked down town together, Caro chattered17 away without a pause.
“Are you going to buy something for me, grandpa?” she asked as they entered a large grocery.
“I want to see some wax candles in different[11] colors,” Dr. Barrows said to the clerk who came forward.
“Why that sounds like Christmas or a birthday,” exclaimed Caro.
But the candles brought out were too large for Christmas trees, or cakes. They were of all colors, and some were plain, others fluted18.
“What color do you prefer, Caro?” her grandfather asked.
It was difficult to decide among so many pretty ones, and she hung over them with a finger on her lip and an expression of great earnestness on her face.
“The pink is lovely—and so is the blue, only not quite so pretty,—and the green, and—yes I like the violet too—”
“We’ll have to take one of each, I see,” said the president; and this greatly simplified the matter. Six candles were selected—blue, pink, green, red, violet and yellow, and these were done up in a white paper parcel and handed to Caro.
“Now grandpa, what are we going to do with them?” she asked when they were on the street again.
“That is a secret.”
[12]Caro gave a little jump of excitement. “I love secrets;” “Please tell me what it is.”
“Then it wouldn’t be a secret any longer.”
“But—two people can know a secret, and I promise truly, bluely, I’ll not tell.”
“I’ll see about it when we get home,” her grandfather replied, thereby19 causing her to be in such a flutter of anticipation20 that as he told her, he might as well have tried to keep step with a yellow butterfly.
When at last they reached the study, Caro looked on with deep interest while her grandfather unlocked a cabinet and took from it a small silver candlestick of beautiful design.
“How pretty! Is it to put the candles in?”
Dr. Barrows glanced up at the portrait of a sweet-faced young woman in an old-fashioned gown, as he replied.
“This candlestick belonged to your grandmother, Caro, when she was a little girl, and now I am going to give it to another little girl who has her name, and who sometimes reminds me of her. You are to put one of the candles in it and put it on your dressing21 table, and when the gas is out after you go to bed you can[13] have a little candle-light to keep you from being lonely.”
“You are the dearest, sweetest, goodest grandpa in the world!” Caro exclaimed with a ferocious22 hug. “The dear little candlestick! I’ll never be lonesome any more.”
Aunt Charlotte shook her head and called it a compromise, when the plan was explained to her, but made no real objection to it.
There was a faculty23 meeting that evening in the president’s study, and two of the members had arrived and were talking with their host when a shrill24 voice was heard crying: “Go away Jane, I will call him! O grandpa!”
Dr. Barrows rose hastily and left the room, saying: “Excuse me gentlemen, my little granddaughter is calling me.”
From the hall he had a vision of Caro—her small red slippers25 peeping out from her long white gown, her curly head looking over the stair rail. Behind her was Jane, the upstairs maid whispering sternly, “Come back Caro this minute, you are a naughty girl!”
“I just want you to see my candle lighted, grandpa,” Caro said hopping15 down three steps to meet him, and taking his hand while Jane[14] retired26 shaking her head. She stood in great awe27 of the president, and in her eyes a faculty meeting was almost as sacred as a church service.
“You can turn the gas out, grandpa,” Caro said, as after leading the way into her room, she merrily kicked off the red slippers and bounded into the middle of the bed.
From the door Jane saw the president laughing as he stooped to kiss the saucy28 face.
Caro snuggled down beneath the cover and when the gas was turned out, from the dressing table came the clear, soft light of the candle.
“It is my little candle-star, grandpa, and I don’t mind the dark now, ’cause I can see it, and it is soft and nice.”
“You are a funny child, Caro,” her grandfather said, stroking her hair. “Suppose you try to be a little candle yourself.”
“Why how could I?” Caro sat up much interested.
“We’ll talk about it to-morrow; they are waiting for me in the study, I must go.”
“Well I think I’ll be a pink one,” remarked Caro meditatively29, and Dr. Barrows went down stairs with a smile on his lips.
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1
trolley
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| n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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undoubtedly
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| adv.确实地，无疑地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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divan
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| n.长沙发；（波斯或其他东方诗人的）诗集 | |
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6
ornament
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| v.装饰，美化；n.装饰，装饰物 | |
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7
aspiring
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| adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求 | |
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8
abode
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| n.住处，住所 | |
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covet
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| vt.垂涎；贪图(尤指属于他人的东西) | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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12
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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13
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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14
frolicsome
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| adj.嬉戏的，闹着玩的 | |
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15
hopping
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| n. 跳跃 动词hop的现在分词形式 | |
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16
soda
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| n.苏打水；汽水 | |
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17
chattered
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| （人）喋喋不休( chatter的过去式 )； 唠叨； （牙齿）打战； （机器）震颤 | |
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18
fluted
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| a.有凹槽的 | |
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19
thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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anticipation
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| n.预期，预料，期望 | |
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21
dressing
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| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
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22
ferocious
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| adj.凶猛的，残暴的，极度的，十分强烈的 | |
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23
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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24
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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25
slippers
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| n. 拖鞋 | |
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26
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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27
awe
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| n.敬畏，惊惧；vt.使敬畏，使惊惧 | |
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28
saucy
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| adj.无礼的；俊俏的；活泼的 | |
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meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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