Some of the caddies were poor as sin and lived in one-room houses with a neurasthenic cow in the front yard, but Dexter Green's father owned the second best grocery-store in Black Bear—the best one was "The Hub," patronized by the wealthy people from Sherry Island—and Dexter caddied only for pocket-money.
In the fall when the days became crisp and gray, and the long Minnesota winter shut down like the white lid of a box, Dexter's skis moved over the snow that hid the fairways of the golf course. At these times the country gave him a feeling of profound melancholy—it offended him that the links should lie in enforced fallowness, haunted by ragged1 sparrows for the long season. It was dreary2, too, that on the tees where the gay colors fluttered in summer there were now only the desolate3 sand-boxes knee-deep in crusted ice. When he crossed the hills the wind blew cold as misery4, and if the sun was out he tramped with his eyes squinted5 up against the hard dimensionless glare.
In April the winter ceased abruptly7. The snow ran down into Black Bear Lake scarcely tarrying for the early golfers to brave the season with red and black balls. Without elation8, without an interval9 of moist glory, the cold was gone.
Dexter knew that there was something dismal10 about this Northern spring, just as he knew there was something gorgeous about the fall. Fall made him clinch11 his hands and tremble and repeat idiotic12 sentences to himself, and make brisk abrupt6 gestures of command to imaginary audiences and armies. October filled him with hope which November raised to a sort of ecstatic triumph, and in this mood the fleeting13 brilliant impressions of the summer at Sherry Island were ready grist to his mill. He became a golf champion and defeated Mr. T. A. Hedrick in a marvellous match played a hundred times over the fairways of his imagination, a match each detail of which he changed about untiringly—sometimes he won with almost laughable ease, sometimes he came up magnificently from behind. Again, stepping from a Pierce-Arrow automobile14, like Mr. Mortimer Jones, he strolled frigidly15 into the lounge of the Sherry Island Golf Club—or perhaps, surrounded by an admiring crowd, he gave an exhibition of fancy diving from the spring-board of the club raft.... Among those who watched him in open-mouthed wonder was Mr. Mortimer Jones.
And one day it came to pass that Mr. Jones—himself and not his ghost—came up to Dexter with tears in his eyes and said that Dexter was the —— best caddy in the club, and wouldn't he decide not to quit if Mr. Jones made it worth his while, because every other —— caddy in the club lost one ball a hole for him—regularly——
"No, sir," said Dexter decisively, "I don't want to caddy any more." Then, after a pause: "I'm too old."
"You're not more than fourteen. Why the devil did you decide just this morning that you wanted to quit? You promised that next week you'd go over to the State tournament with me."
Dexter handed in his "A Class" badge, collected what money was due him from the caddy master, and walked home to Black Bear Village.
"The best —— caddy I ever saw," shouted Mr. Mortimer Jones over a drink that afternoon. "Never lost a ball! Willing! Intelligent! Quiet! Honest! Grateful!"
The little girl who had done this was eleven—beautifully ugly as little girls are apt to be who are destined17 after a few years to be inexpressibly lovely and bring no end of misery to a great number of men. The spark, however, was perceptible. There was a general ungodliness in the way her lips twisted down at the corners when she smiled, and in the—Heaven help us!—in the almost passionate18 quality of her eyes. Vitality19 is born early in such women. It was utterly20 in evidence now, shining through her thin frame in a sort of glow.
She had come eagerly out on to the course at nine o'clock with a white linen21 nurse and five small new golf-clubs in a white canvas bag which the nurse was carrying. When Dexter first saw her she was standing22 by the caddy house, rather ill at ease and trying to conceal23 the fact by engaging her nurse in an obviously unnatural24 conversation graced by startling and irrevelant grimaces25 from herself.
"Well, it's certainly a nice day, Hilda," Dexter heard her say. She drew down the corners of her mouth, smiled, and glanced furtively26 around, her eyes in transit27 falling for an instant on Dexter.
Then to the nurse:
"Well, I guess there aren't very many people out here this morning, are there?"
"I don't know what we're supposed to do now," said the nurse, looking nowhere in particular.
"Oh, that's all right. I'll fix it up."
Dexter stood perfectly29 still, his mouth slightly ajar. He knew that if he moved forward a step his stare would be in her line of vision—if he moved backward he would lose his full view of her face. For a moment he had not realized how young she was. Now he remembered having seen her several times the year before—in bloomers.
Suddenly, involuntarily, he laughed, a short abrupt laugh—then, startled by himself, he turned and began to walk quickly away.
"Boy!"
Dexter stopped.
"Boy——"
Beyond question he was addressed. Not only that, but he was treated to that absurd smile, that preposterous30 smile—the memory of which at least a dozen men were to carry into middle age.
"Boy, do you know where the golf teacher is?"
"He's giving a lesson."
"Well, do you know where the caddy-master is?"
"He isn't here yet this morning."
"Oh." For a moment this baffled her. She stood alternately on her right and left foot.
"We'd like to get a caddy," said the nurse. "Mrs. Mortimer Jones sent us out to play golf, and we don't know how without we get a caddy."
"There aren't any caddies here except me," said Dexter to the nurse, "and I got to stay here in charge until the caddy-master gets here."
"Oh."
Miss Jones and her retinue33 now withdrew, and at a proper distance from Dexter became involved in a heated conversation, which was concluded by Miss Jones taking one of the clubs and hitting it on the ground with violence. For further emphasis she raised it again and was about to bring it down smartly upon the nurse's bosom34, when the nurse seized the club and twisted it from her hands.
"You damn little mean old thing!" cried Miss Jones wildly.
Another argument ensued. Realizing that the elements of the comedy were implied in the scene, Dexter several times began to laugh, but each time restrained the laugh before it reached audibility. He could not resist the monstrous35 conviction that the little girl was justified36 in beating the nurse.
The situation was resolved by the fortuitous appearance of the caddy-master, who was appealed to immediately by the nurse.
"Miss Jones is to have a little caddy, and this one says he can't go."
"Mr. McKenna said I was to wait here till you came," said Dexter quickly.
"Well, he's here now." Miss Jones smiled cheerfully at the caddy-master. Then she dropped her bag and set off at a haughty37 mince38 toward the first tee.
"Well?" The caddy-master turned to Dexter. "What you standing there like a dummy39 for? Go pick up the young lady's clubs."
"I don't think I'll go out to-day," said Dexter.
"You don't——"
"I think I'll quit."
The enormity of his decision frightened him. He was a favorite caddy, and the thirty dollars a month he earned through the summer were not to be made elsewhere around the lake. But he had received a strong emotional shock, and his perturbation required a violent and immediate32 outlet40.
It is not so simple as that, either. As so frequently would be the case in the future, Dexter was unconsciously dictated41 to by his winter dreams.
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1
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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3
desolate
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| adj.荒凉的，荒芜的；孤独的，凄凉的；v.使荒芜，使孤寂 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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5
squinted
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| 斜视( squint的过去式和过去分词 )； 眯着眼睛； 瞟； 从小孔或缝隙里看 | |
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6
abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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7
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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elation
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| n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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10
dismal
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| adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的 | |
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11
clinch
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| v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench | |
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12
idiotic
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| adj.白痴的 | |
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13
fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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14
automobile
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| n.汽车，机动车 | |
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frigidly
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| adv.寒冷地；冷漠地；冷淡地；呆板地 | |
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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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destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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18
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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vitality
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| n.活力，生命力，效力 | |
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20
utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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21
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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22
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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23
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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24
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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grimaces
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| n.（表蔑视、厌恶等）面部扭曲，鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 ) | |
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26
furtively
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| adv. 偷偷地, 暗中地 | |
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27
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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28
blatantly
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| ad.公开地 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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30
preposterous
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| adj.荒谬的，可笑的 | |
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31
ominous
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| adj.不祥的，不吉的，预兆的，预示的 | |
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32
immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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33
retinue
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| n.侍从；随员 | |
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34
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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35
monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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36
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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haughty
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| adj.傲慢的，高傲的 | |
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38
mince
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| n.切碎物；v.切碎，矫揉做作地说 | |
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dummy
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| n.假的东西；(哄婴儿的)橡皮奶头 | |
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40
outlet
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| n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄 | |
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41
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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