【英文原著类】MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY(莱提女士的莫兰).pdf

MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY
MORAN OF THE LADY
LETTY
by Frank Norris
DEDICATED TO Captain Joseph Hodgson UNITED STATES
LIFE SAVING SERVICE
1
MORAN OF THE LADY LETTY
CHAPTER I
SHANGHAIED
This is to be a story of a battle, at least one murder, and several
sudden deaths. For that reason it begins with a pink tea and among the
mingled odors of many delicate perfumes and the hale, frank smell of
Caroline Testout roses.
There had been a great number of debutantes "coming out" that season
in San Francisco by means of afternoon teas, pink, lavender, and otherwise.
This particular tea was intended to celebrate the fact that Josie Herrick had
arrived at that time of her life when she was to wear her hair high and her
gowns long, and to have a "day" of her own quite distinct from that of her
mother.
Ross Wilbur presented himself at the Herrick house on Pacific Avenue
much too early upon the afternoon of Miss Herrick's tea. As he made, his
way up the canvased stairs he was aware of a terrifying array of millinery
and a disquieting ato chatter of feminine voices in the parlors and
reception-rooms on either side of the hallway. A single high hat in the
room that had been set apart for the men's use confirmed him in his
suspicions.
"Might have known it would be a hen party till six, anyhow," he
muttered, swinging out of his overcoat. "Bet I don't know one girl in
twenty down there now--all mamma's friends at this hour, and papa's
maiden sisters, and Jo's school-teachers and governesses and music-
teachers, and I don't know what all."
When he went down he found it precisely as he expected. He went
up to Miss Herrick, where she stood receiving with her mother and two of
the other girls, and allowed them to chaff him on his forlornness.
"Maybe I seem at my ease," said Ross Wilbur to them, "but really I am
very much frightened. I'm going to run away as soon as it is decently
possible, even before, unless you feed me."
"I believe you had l