american tragedy

Chapter 96 (2)
Chapter 246 (2)
He led the way, suitcase in hand, though Clyde was eager to drag it over.Because, he didn't want to register here, nor did he want to leave the suitcase here.He wasn't going to do it.He had to grab the suitcase and rent a boat.But in the end, as Boniface said, had to "register for the registration's sake," signing the Clifford Goldens before retrieving his suitcase.

The above things have caused him enough trouble, but this is not over yet, there are still all kinds of things coming to his mind.What new developments and people did they meet before they left for this life-and-death business, and to make matters worse, Roberta said, it was hot and they were coming back for dinner, so she was going to Hats and coats are here to stay.The hat, which he had seen bearing the Lycurgus Bronstein trademark, made him fearfully consider whether it would be better to keep the hat here, or to bring it back? But he decided later, perhaps after the fact. ...After the fact, if he did, it wouldn't matter where the hat was.If she had been salvaged, she would not have been recognized anyway; if she hadn't been salvaged, who would know who she was?

He was very flustered, he couldn't figure out the meaning of a certain thought, action, and behavior for a while, so he just led the way with his suitcase and walked towards the ship shed pier.Then, he threw the suitcase on the boat and asked the people in the shed where the scenery was the most beautiful, and he wanted to take a picture with the camera.Having asked this point, and heard nonsensical explanations, he helped Roberta into the boat (she seemed only a shadow now, onto a purely imaginary boat), and he himself Followed to the boat, sat in the middle of the boat, and took the oars.

The calm, glassy, ​​iridescent surface of the lake seemed to both of them more like oil than water, like molten glass, large and heavy, floating in deep, deep, on solid earth.The breeze was so soft, so beautiful, so intoxicating, but there were no ripples on the lake, and the tall pines on both sides were so soft and thick.There are stretches of pine forests everywhere, the tall pine trees are like pointed swords and halberds.Above the pines, the black peaks of the Atrondax could be seen in the distance.Not a single rower could be seen.Not a single house in sight.He tried to find the tent the guide had mentioned, but couldn't find it.He was looking for voices, or any other sound.But there was no sound except for the sound of his oars when he was rowing, and the shouts of the people in the shed and the guide two or three hundred or a thousand steps behind him.

"Isn't it very quiet?" said Roberta. "It's so quiet here. I think it's more beautiful than any lake. These trees are tall, aren't they? And these mountains. Bumpy, but cool and quiet."

"Did you say anything to anyone in the hotel just now?"

"No, what's the matter? Why do you ask this?"

"Ah, I thought you might have run into someone. There don't seem to be many people here today, though, are there?"

"No, I hardly saw anyone on the lake. In the billiard room at the back, I saw two men and a girl in the ladies' room, that's all. Isn't the water cold?" She reached into the water over the side of the boat, chasing the ripples of his oars.

"Yeah, I haven't tried it yet."

After a pause, he put his hand in the water to try it out, and then started paddling again.

He did not intend to row directly to the island to the south.It's too far too early.Maybe she will find it a little strange.Better to wait a little longer.Take some more time to think about it, and some more time to shop around.Roberta would think of lunch (good lunch!). There is a beautiful island a mile to the west.They might as well go there and eat first, or she eat first, because he has no appetite today.then...then...

She was also looking at the island he was looking at just now. It was a sharp-edged piece of land that bent south, but stretched deep into the center of the lake, with tall and straight pine trees on both sides.She then went on to say:

"Honey, what place did you see, shall we stop and eat? I'm a little hungry, aren't you hungry?" (At this point, she still doesn't call him "honey".) The north The tavern and the boat shed were getting smaller and smaller, and now it looked like the boat shed and the gazebo when he had first rowed on Crane Lake.All he thought then was that he wished he could play on a lake like this in the Atrondax, dream of a lake like this, and meet a girl like Roberta, then... . . . and it was the same woolly cloud overhead, the same cloud that floated over his head on Lake Kron that fateful day.

The result of the hard work is terrific!

Today, they might as well look for lotuses here, to pass the time before...Damn it, (Jesus)... If he really meant to do it, he'd have to stop thinking about it.Anyway, he didn't have to think about it at this time.

Arriving at the piece of land that Roberta had chosen, the boat rowed into a very secluded cove.There is also a little honey-colored beach there.On both sides of the northeast, no one can see what is going on here.The two of them went ashore like this.Clyde took the snacks out of the suitcase very carefully, and Roberta spread a newspaper by the river and put the snacks on it.At this time, he was pacing back and forth, admiring the scenery here very reluctantly: the pine trees, the winding river... But in his heart he was thinking... he was thinking about a small island and a bend below the island , although his courage is getting weaker and weaker, he must carry out his terrible plan, and never let his painstaking plan go to waste, if...if...he really doesn't want to escape, abandon everything he has hoped so hard for .

But when he is asked to face this matter, how terrible and dangerous this move is... If there is any mistake, it will be too dangerous, let alone, if the boat capsizes inappropriately, if If you don't have the ability to go...go...God! Besides! Maybe it will be found out after the fact...that is... a murderer.Arrested, tried (he's not up to it and doesn't want to. No, no, no!)

But Roberta was sitting beside him on the sand now.It seemed to him that she was content with everything in the world.She was humming, and she gave some advice and practical advice on their trip, and talked about their material and economic situation in the future, and how and where they would go from here, most likely Syrah Gus, since Clyde doesn't seem to object to this, what are they going to do when they get there.Roberta had heard from her brother-in-law, Fred Gable, that a new collar shirt factory had just opened in Syracuse.Clyde might as well go to this factory and find a job right away, no? At least he can settle down temporarily.Then, after a while, after her worst troubles were over, she too could get a job in this factory, or somewhere else.Since they have no money, they might as well rent a small room temporarily in a household.Or, if he didn't like it, since they didn't hit it off like they used to, two rooms would do.Behind his present superficial gallantry, she could still see his stubbornness.

He was also thinking, ah, well, whether she agrees with it or not, it doesn't matter if she says such things now.What difference does it make if they're not going away? My God! But here he talks as if she'd be here tomorrow.But she won't.

If only his knees weren't shaking like they were now.His hands, face, and body were still wet.

After this, they continued in this small boat along the west bank of the small lake, towards the small island.Clyde flustered from time to time, looking around in fear to see if there was anyone there, but there was no one.On the shore, on the lake, as far as the eye can see, there is no one.The surroundings are still so quiet and desolate.Thank God.In fact, he could do it here or anywhere near it now, if he dared.But he dare not now.Reaching out to play in the water, Roberta asked him if he might find lotus or other wild flowers on the bank.Lotuses, wild flowers! And he said to himself as he rowed, that there really were no roads, or huts, tents, paths, or things that could tell of people, among the tall and dense rows of pine forests, in this beautiful Day, there are no other boats on this beautiful and wide lake.But are there any hunters, hunters, guides, or fishermen alone in these woods, or on the shore? Will there be any? If there is someone here somewhere at this time What about such a person? And, looking here!

completion!

It's over!

died!

But there was no sound at all, and no smoke.Only... only...these tall, black, green pines, like swords and halberds.There was a dead silence.Occasionally, there was a dry tree. Under the scorching afternoon sun, only gray and white dry branches could be seen, stretching out very hideously.

die!

The strange bird that flew towards the depths of the woods made a piercing call.Or else, somewhere a lonely woodpecker made a shrill, ghostly "tuk-tuk" sound.Occasionally, a red warbler flies past, and occasionally the shadow of a yellow-winged and black-bodied bird flies past.

"Ah, the sun is shining brightly back home in Kentucky."

Roberta was singing with gusto, one hand in the blue water.

After a while, he sang "I'll be there on Sunday if you want", which was a popular dance song at the time.

Then, rowing, thinking, singing, stopping to look at the scenery, paddling towards a hidden creek where there might be lotus, and finally after an hour, Roberta was saying, they must watch the time and don't delay too long .Finally, we reached the bay south of the island.The small lake is beautiful, but also bleak.Surrounded by pine trees, the land ends here.Here is like a small lake, through the bay, you can lead to the big lake.The surface of the lake is about twenty acres and is circular.Viewed from east, south, north, and even west, this pond, or mountain pool, is surrounded by trees on all sides, except for the northern channel which separates it from the land! Muscats and lotuses grow, and there are some by the lake.For some reason, this place makes people feel that it is a pond or mountain pool made in heaven. It is not bad for those who are tired of life, trapped by troubles, and want to get out of the world, to retreat here with depression choose.

Here they rowed, and the still, black water seemed to hold Clyde tightly.Before this, no matter where or what, nothing could be done like this—his mood had changed.Because, as soon as he got here, he seemed to be tightly grasped, or it could be said to be fascinated. He wanted to paddle along here, and after circling the quiet lake, he wanted to follow the fall. , On this vast lake, there is nothing, no purpose, no conspiracy, plan, problem that needs to be solved... nothing at all.There's underlying beauty to this place! Indeed, it's as if he's being mocked here.It's so strange here, the black pond, surrounded by weird pines.The lake water is like a huge black stone, which was thrown into this black velvet stone by an extremely powerful hand, maybe when he was in a rage, maybe when he was playing a game, maybe when he was having a fantasy attack. Like a col.He stared into the water, only to see that the lake was bottomless.

(End of this chapter)