Daddy Morrison and Dick and Ralph continued to go every day to the city and Jimmie worked faithfully at his books, determined4 to begin the fall school term without a condition. As captain of the football team it was necessary for him to make a good showing in his lessons as well as in athletics5.
Louise and Grace perhaps enjoyed the vacation time more than any other members of the family. They would be sophomores6 when they returned to high school in September, and while they were willing to study hard then, they meant to have all the fun they could before they were bound down to books and lessons again.
"Where you going?" Sister asked one night, finding Louise prinking before the hall mirror and Grace counting change from her mesh7 bag.
"I know—to the movies!" guessed Brother. "Can't we go? Oh, please, Louise—you said you'd take us sometime!"
"Oh, yes, Louise, can't we go?" teased Sister. "I never went to the movies at night," she added pleadingly.
"You can't go," said Louise reasonably enough. "We didn't go when we were little like you. Don't hang on me, please, Sister; it's too hot."
"I think you're mean!" stormed Brother. "Mother, can't we go to the movies?"
Mother Morrison, who had been upstairs to get her fan, was going with Louise and Grace. She shook her head to Brother's question.
"My dearies, of course you can't go at night," she said firmly. "I want you to be good children and go to bed when the clock strikes eight. Ralph promised to come up and see you. Kiss Mother good-night, Sister, and be a good girl."
Left alone, Brother and Sister sat down on the front stairs. Molly was out and Daddy Morrison and Dick had gone to a lodge9 meeting. Jimmie was studying up in his room and Ralph was out in the barn putting some things away.
"There's that old clock!" said Brother crossly as the Grandfather's clock on the stair landing boomed the hour.
Eight slow, deep strokes—eight o'clock.
Sister settled herself more firmly against the banister railings.
"I'm not going to bed," she announced flatly. "If everybody can go to the movies 'cept me, I don't think it's fair, so there!"
Just how she expected to even things up by refusing to go to bed Sister did not explain. Perhaps she didn't know. Anyway, Brother said he wasn't going to bed either. Ralph came in at half-past eight to find them both playing checkers on the living-room floor.
"Thought you went to bed at eight o'clock," said Ralph, surprised. "Mother say you might stay up tonight?"
"No, she didn't," admitted Brother, "but she went to the movies with Louise and Grace. Everybody is having fun and we're not."
Ralph didn't scold. He merely closed up the checkerboard and put it away in the book-case drawer with the box of checkers. Then he lifted Sister to his lap and put an arm around Brother.
"Poor chicks, you do feel abused; don't you?" he said comfortably. "But I'll tell you something—you wouldn't like going to the movies at night; you would go to sleep after a little while and lose half the pictures. Now suppose I take you this Saturday afternoon. How will that do?"
This was the largest motion picture theatre in Ridgeway.
"I'll take you both to the Majestic next Saturday afternoon," promised Ralph, "if you will go to bed without any more fuss tonight."
Both children were delighted with the thought of an afternoon's enjoyment11 with Ralph and they trotted12 up to bed with him as pleasantly as though going to bed were a pleasure. Grownups will tell you it is, but when you are five and six this is difficult to believe.
Unfortunately Brother and Sister were doomed13 to another disappointment. Before Saturday afternoon came, Ralph remembered that he had promised to play tennis with a friend and he could not break the engagement, because to do so would spoil the afternoon for eight or ten people who counted on him for games.
"I'm just as sorry as I can be," Ralph told Brother and Sister earnestly. "I don't see how I could forget I promised Fred Holmes to play with him. If you want to wait another week for me, I'll give you the money for ice-cream sodas14."
Grandmother Hastings and Mother Morrison had gone to the city, the girls had company, Molly was lying down with a headache—there seemed to be no one to take the children to the matinee.
"I guess we'll have to go buy sodas," agreed Brother disconsolately15. "Only if I don't go to movies pretty soon, I'll—I'll—I don't know what I'll do!"
"I know," said Sister, dimpling mischievously16. "I'll tell you, Roddy."
"You be good, Sister," warned Ralph, eyeing her a bit anxiously. "I couldn't take a naughty little girl to the movies, you know."
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收听单词发音
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1
celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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4
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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5
athletics
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| n.运动，体育，田径运动 | |
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6
sophomores
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| n.（中等、专科学校或大学的）二年级学生( sophomore的名词复数 ) | |
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7
mesh
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| n.网孔，网丝，陷阱；vt.以网捕捉，啮合，匹配；vi.适合； [计算机]网络 | |
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8
serenely
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| adv.安详地，宁静地，平静地 | |
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9
lodge
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| v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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11
enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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12
trotted
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| 小跑，急走( trot的过去分词 )； 匆匆忙忙地走 | |
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13
doomed
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| 命定的 | |
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14
sodas
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| n.苏打( soda的名词复数 )；碱；苏打水；汽水 | |
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15
disconsolately
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| adv.悲伤地，愁闷地；哭丧着脸 | |
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16
mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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