CHAPTER I - BAD NEWS KAPITEL I - SCHLECHTE NACHRICHTEN CHAPTER I - BAD NEWS CHAPITRE I - MAUVAISES NOUVELLES 第1章-悪いニュース CAPÍTULO I - MÁS NOTÍCIAS

CHAPTER I BAD NEWS

"Why, Grace, what in the world is the matter? "Why, Grace, what in the world is the matter? 「なぜ、グレース、いったい何が問題なの？ “为什么，格蕾丝，这到底是怎么回事？ You've been crying! " Hai pianto! " あなたは泣いてきました！ 「」 "Yes, I have, Betty. 「はい、そうです、ベティ。 But don't mind me. Aber stört mich nicht. Ma non badate a me. しかし、私を気にしないでください。 It's all so sudden. Es kommt alles so plötzlich. È tutto così improvviso. それはすべてとても突然です。 Come in. お入りください。 I shall be all right presently. Ich werde jetzt in Ordnung sein. Tra poco starò bene. 今は大丈夫です。 我现在就没事了。 Don't mind! " 気にしないでください！ 「」 Grace Ford tried to repress her emotion, but the cause of her tears was evidently too recent, or the effort at self-control too much for her, for she gave way to another outburst, sobbing this time on the shoulder of Betty Nelson, who patted her sympathetically, and murmured soothingly to her chum. Grace Ford versuchte, ihre Gefühle zu unterdrücken, aber der Grund für ihre Tränen war offensichtlich zu frisch, oder die Anstrengung, sich zu beherrschen, war zu viel für sie, denn sie gab einem weiteren Ausbruch nach und schluchzte diesmal an der Schulter von Betty Nelson, die tätschelte sie mitfühlend und murmelte beruhigend zu ihrem Kumpel. Grace Ford cercò di reprimere la sua emozione, ma la causa delle sue lacrime era evidentemente troppo recente, o lo sforzo di autocontrollo troppo grande per lei, perché cedette a un altro sfogo, singhiozzando questa volta sulla spalla di Betty Nelson, che l'accarezzò con simpatia e mormorò con tono rassicurante alla sua amica. グレイスフォードは彼女の感情を抑えようとしましたが、彼女の涙の原因は明らかに最近であるか、彼女にとって自制心が強すぎました。彼女は別の爆発に道を譲り、今回はベティネルソンの肩をすすり泣きました。彼女を同情的に撫でて、彼女の友達に落ち着いてつぶやいた。 格蕾丝·福特试图压抑自己的情绪，但她流泪的原因显然是最近发生的，或者说是她太努力地控制自己，因为她又爆发了一次，这次她靠在贝蒂·尼尔森的肩上抽泣。同情地拍拍她，并对她的朋友低声安慰。

"But what is it, Grace? „Aber was ist, Grace? " Betty asked, after waiting a minute. "I—I'll tell you in a moment or two, Betty. Just—just wait," and the tall, graceful girl made a more successful effort to master her feelings. "Here come Amy and Mollie," went on Betty, as she glanced from the library window and saw two girls walking up the path opened across the lawn through the mass of newly fallen snow. "Arrivano Amy e Mollie", proseguì Betty, quando, gettando uno sguardo dalla finestra della biblioteca, vide due ragazze che camminavano lungo il sentiero aperto sul prato attraverso la massa di neve appena caduta. "Do you want to meet them, Grace; or shall I say you don't feel well—have a headache? They'll understand. And perhaps in a little while——" "No—no, Betty. It's sweet of you to want to help me; but Amy and Mollie might just as well know now as later. Es ist lieb von dir, mir helfen zu wollen; aber Amy und Mollie könnten es genauso gut jetzt wie später wissen. È dolce da parte tua volermi aiutare; ma Amy e Mollie potrebbero saperlo ora come dopo. I'll be able to see them—in a little while. It—it's all so sudden. " "But what does it all mean, Grace? I can't understand. Is anyone dead—or—or hurt?" and Betty Nelson, who had called at the house of Grace to talk over plans for a dance they were going to attend the following week, looked anxiously at her chum. e Betty Nelson, che si era recata a casa di Grace per discutere dei piani per un ballo a cui avrebbero partecipato la settimana successiva, guardò ansiosa la sua amica. Only the day before Grace had seemed like her nearly-always jolly self. Solo il giorno prima Grace era sembrata quasi sempre allegra. She and her three chums, including Betty, had been down town shopping, and Grace, as usual, had indulged in chocolates—her one failing, if such it can be called. Lei e le sue tre amiche, compresa Betty, erano andate a fare shopping in città e Grace, come al solito, si era concessa dei cioccolatini, il suo unico difetto, se così si può chiamare.

"Surely she can't be ill," thought Betty. "Ill from too many chocolates? I've seen her take twice as many as she did yesterday, and she doesn't look ill. " L'ho vista prenderne il doppio rispetto a ieri, e non sembra malata". " With this half-formed thought in her mind Betty looked more critically at her chum. Con questo pensiero a metà nella mente, Betty guardò in modo più critico il suo amico.

Aside from the tears—which seldom add to a girl's beauty—there was no change in Grace Ford. A parte le lacrime - che raramente aggiungono bellezza a una ragazza - non c'era alcun cambiamento in Grace Ford. That is, no change except one caused by something rather mysterious, Betty thought—something that was hard for Grace to tell, but which had deeply affected her. Cioè, nessun cambiamento se non quello causato da qualcosa di piuttosto misterioso, pensò Betty, qualcosa che per Grace era difficile da dire, ma che l'aveva profondamente colpita.

There came a ring at the door. Suonarono alla porta.

Betty started toward it from the library, where she and Grace had gone when Grace let her chum in a short time before. Betty si avviò verso di essa dalla biblioteca, dove lei e Grace erano andate quando Grace aveva fatto entrare la sua amica poco tempo prima.

"Shall I answer, Grace? "Devo rispondere, Grace? " inquired Betty, hesitating. "Yes, do, please. I think Katy is with mamma. Credo che Katy sia con la mamma. She took the news very much to heart. Ha preso molto a cuore la notizia. Let Amy and Mollie in, and then I'll tell you all about it. Oh, but I don't know what to do! " "Now look here, Grace Ford! " exclaimed Betty briskly, pausing a moment on her way to the door. ", esclamò Betty alacremente, fermandosi un attimo mentre si dirigeva verso la porta. "You just stop this! If no one is dead, and no one is hurt, then it can't be so very dreadful. Se nessuno è morto e nessuno è ferito, allora non può essere così terribile. You just stop now, and when we all get together we'll help you in whatever trouble you have. Smettila ora, e quando ci riuniremo tutti ti aiuteremo in qualsiasi problema tu abbia. You know that; don't you? " "Oh, yes, Betty, I do. You aren't the 'Little Captain' to all of us for nothing. Non per niente lei è il "Piccolo Capitano" di tutti noi. I'll try and not cry any more. " "Do. It—it isn't at all becoming. Non è affatto in divenire. Your nose is positively like a—lobster! " Il tuo naso è proprio come un'aragosta! " "It is not, Betty Nelson! " Grace flared. " Grace si è infiammata. "It certainly is. Look in the glass if you don't believe me. There—take my chamois and give it a little rub before I let in Amy and Mollie. Ecco, prenda il mio camoscio e lo strofini un po' prima di far entrare Amy e Mollie. It's only nice, clean talcum—you needn't think it's powder. " È solo talco bello e pulito, non bisogna pensare che sia polvere. " "All right—as if talcum wasn't powder, though," and Grace smiled through the traces of her recent tears. "Va bene, anche se il talco non è polvere", e Grace sorrise attraverso le tracce delle sue recenti lacrime. "That's better," decided Betty, with a nod of her shapely head and a bright look from her sparkling eyes. "Così va meglio", decise Betty, con un cenno della testa formosa e uno sguardo luminoso dagli occhi scintillanti. "Yes, I'll be there in a moment," she called as there came another ring at the bell. "Sì, arrivo subito", chiamò mentre il campanello suonava di nuovo. "Shall I bring them right in, Grace? "Li faccio entrare subito, Grace? " she called over her shoulder, as she neared the door. ", chiamò sopra le sue spalle, mentre si avvicinava alla porta. "Yes—yes. I might as well—have it over with," faltered the weeping one. Tanto vale che la faccia finita", disse la donna in lacrime. "Gracious, you'd think someone was going to be hanged, or beheaded, or sent to the galleys for life—or some other dreadful thing such as we read of in our ancient histories," commented Betty. "Santo cielo, si potrebbe pensare che qualcuno stia per essere impiccato, o decapitato, o mandato in galea a vita, o qualche altra cosa terribile come quelle che si leggono nelle nostre storie antiche", commentò Betty. "Cheer up, Grace. "Su con la vita, Grace. There may be worse to come. " Potrebbe esserci di peggio. " "It's awfully good of you, Betty, to try and cheer me, only, if you understood—but there—let them in. "È molto bello da parte tua, Betty, cercare di rincuorarmi, solo che, se capisci... Ma ecco... Falli entrare. They must be perishing! " Devono essere in via di estinzione! " "Oh, it isn't so cold. "Oh, non fa così freddo. You don't feel well, that's all. Non ti senti bene, tutto qui. Hello, Amy—Mollie. Come in!" she greeted the other girls, at the same time endeavoring by nods and winks to convey some idea that all was not well with Grace. salutò le altre ragazze, cercando allo stesso tempo di far capire con cenni e ammiccamenti che non tutto andava bene con Grace.

But if Betty hoped to convey a quiet intimation that something out of the ordinary had happened she did not succeed. Ma se Betty sperava di trasmettere una silenziosa indicazione che era successo qualcosa di insolito, non ci riuscì.

In her eagerness to warn the newcomers not to ask questions she overdid it, and succeeded only in making them alarmed. Nella sua foga di avvertire i nuovi arrivati di non fare domande, esagerò e riuscì solo a metterli in allarme.

"What—what is it? " asked Mollie, in a sort of stage whisper. " chiese Mollie, con una sorta di sussurro da palcoscenico. "Oh, nothing like that," said Betty, seeing that she was only making matters worse. "Oh, niente del genere", disse Betty, vedendo che stava solo peggiorando la situazione. "Who—who is——" began Amy. "No one! " said Betty, half-sharply. "Don't put on such a mournful look, Amy. "Non assumere un'aria così triste, Amy. But Grace has had some bad news, I expect, so I let you in. " Ma Grace ha avuto brutte notizie, immagino, quindi ti ho fatto entrare". " "Bad news! " echoed Mollie. ", gli fece eco Mollie. "What kind? " inquired Amy. "I don't know—yet. She's going to tell us. " The two newcomers, divesting themselves of their rubbers, walked on tiptoe toward the library, preceded by Betty. Le due nuove arrivate, spogliatesi dei loro gommini, si diressero in punta di piedi verso la biblioteca, precedute da Betty.

The latter heard their cautious approach and turned on them quickly. Questi ultimi hanno sentito il loro cauto avvicinarsi e si sono rivolti rapidamente contro di loro.

"Nobody's asleep! " she exclaimed. "Why don't you act—naturally? " "Perché non agisci in modo naturale? " "Why don't you, yourself, Betty Nelson? " demanded Mollie Billette, quickly, her dark eyes flashing. "You meet us as if—as if something terrible had happened, and because we live up to the part, and behave ourselves, you——" "Ci incontrate come se fosse successo qualcosa di terribile, e poiché siamo all'altezza della parte e ci comportiamo bene, voi...". "Hush, please," begged gentle Amy, for well she knew Mollie's failing—an exceedingly quick temper. "Zitta, per favore", implorò la gentile Amy, perché conosceva bene il difetto di Mollie: un carattere estremamente veloce. "I beg your pardon," spoke Mollie, contritely. "I forgot myself. " "That's all right," said Betty, with a smile. "I don't blame you. "Non ti biasimo. But we must all help Grace now. She feels very bad. " As the three entered the library they saw their chum standing near a window, looking out over the snow-covered lawn. Quando i tre entrarono nella biblioteca videro il loro amico in piedi vicino a una finestra, che guardava il prato coperto di neve.

Grace did not turn at the approach of her friends. Grace non si voltò all'avvicinarsi delle sue amiche.

Then Amy stole softly up to her, and, reaching up her arms, tried to put them around Grace's neck. Poi Amy si avvicinò dolcemente a lei e, allungando le braccia, cercò di metterle intorno al collo di Grace. But Grace was tall, while Amy was rather short, so the little act of kindness could not be carried out.

Mollie laughed a little.

She could not help it.

Amy flushed. Amy arrossì.

She was rather sensitive on the point of her stature.

"Don't mind them, Amy," said Grace quickly, as she turned about, placing her own arms around the other. "Non farci caso, Amy", disse prontamente Grace, mentre si girava e metteva le sue braccia intorno all'altra. "I know I am too tall, and I seem to keep on growing. "So di essere troppo alto e sembra che continui a crescere. Hello, Mollie dear. I'm so glad you came," and she kissed the two newcomers. Her eyes filled with tears again, seeing which Betty called out: I suoi occhi si riempirono di nuovo di lacrime e Betty li chiamò:

"Now, Grace, remember you promised not to do that any more. Just be brave, and tell us all about it; that is, if we can help you in any manner. " Siate coraggiosi e raccontateci tutto, se possiamo aiutarvi in qualche modo". " "I—I don't know whether you can or not," spoke Grace slowly, "but I'll tell you just the same. "Non so se puoi o meno", disse Grace lentamente, "ma te lo dirò lo stesso. It's—it's about my brother Will! " She paused a moment, catching her breath as she gave this piece of information.

"Has he—has he——" began Betty, hoping to make it easier for Grace to tell. "Ha... ha..." iniziò Betty, sperando di rendere più facile a Grace il racconto. "No, he hasn't done anything to attract public attention this time," went on Grace. "But he has run away. " "Ma è scappato. " "Run away! It was a surprised chorus from the three visitors.

"Yes he has left Uncle Isaac's home—stopped work in the cotton mill, and gone—no one knows where. "Sì, ha lasciato la casa dello zio Isaac, ha smesso di lavorare al cotonificio e se n'è andato, non si sa dove. "Why, Grace! " exclaimed Mollie. "Do you really mean it? " "Lo pensi davvero? " Grace nodded.

She could not speak for a moment.

"How did it happen? " asked Betty. "Who told you? " Amy wanted to know. "Uncle Isaac himself told us," resumed Grace, after a pause. "As for how it happened we don't know yet. "Per quanto riguarda il modo in cui è successo, non lo sappiamo ancora. Uncle Isaac is on his way now to give us some particulars. He just telephoned to mamma, and that is what upset us all. I have sent for papa to come home from the office. Ho mandato a chiamare papà per farlo tornare a casa dall'ufficio. He will be here to meet Uncle Isaac I hope. Oh, isn't it dreadful! " "But perhaps it is only some boyish prank," suggested Betty hopefully. "Ma forse si tratta solo di uno scherzo da ragazzi", suggerì Betty speranzosa. "What are the particulars? Perhaps he has only gone off with some friends, and will come back again, just as he did the—other time. " "The other time," as Betty called it was rather a delicate subject with the Ford family, for Will with some chums had gotten into a little difficulty not long before this story opens, and the present complication was an outcome of that. "L'altra volta", come l'ha chiamata Betty, era un argomento piuttosto delicato per la famiglia Ford, perché Will, con alcuni amici, era entrato in una piccola difficoltà non molto tempo prima dell'inizio di questa storia, e l'attuale complicazione ne era il risultato. I shall describe them in order presently.

"No, I don't believe it is a prank this time," went on Grace. "He has been gone some time, and we never knew it until Uncle Isaac mentioned it casually over the telephone. "Se n'è andato da un po' di tempo e non l'abbiamo mai saputo finché lo zio Isaac non ne ha parlato casualmente al telefono. Oh, I wish he would come! Oh, vorrei che venisse! We can't do a thing until we hear the particulars. Then papa will start an inquiry, I think. Poi papà avvierà un'indagine, credo. Poor Will! I hope he is not—not hurt!" and again Grace showed symptoms of tears.

"Now stop that! " commanded the Little Captain sharply. ", ordinò bruscamente il Piccolo Capitano. "You know it does no good to worry. Wait until you have some real facts to go on. " "Yes, do," urged Mollie. "But he isn't your brother," said Grace in retort. "Ma non è tuo fratello", disse Grace in risposta. "How would you like it, Mollie Billette, if Paul should be missing some day? " "Ti piacerebbe, Mollie Billette, se un giorno Paul dovesse mancare? " "Oh, I'd feel dreadful, of course. "Oh, mi sentirei malissimo, naturalmente. But Paul and Dodo get into so many scrapes," she added, with a curious shrug of her shoulders, in which she betrayed her French ancestry—"so very many scrapes, my dears, that we are past being shocked. " Ma Paul e Dodo si cacciano in così tanti guai", aggiunse, con una curiosa scrollata di spalle, in cui tradì la sua ascendenza francese, "così tanti guai, miei cari, che non ci scandalizziamo più". " But, for all Mollie spoke so lightly, she knew—and so did her chums—that should anything happen to the twins Mollie would be the first to show emotion. Ma, per quanto Mollie parlasse con tanta leggerezza, sapeva - e lo sapevano anche le sue compagne - che se fosse successo qualcosa alle gemelle Mollie sarebbe stata la prima a mostrare emozione.

"Have you heard no word from Will himself? " asked Betty, after a pause. "Not a word, and that makes it seem all the worse. If we only had some word—something to go by, we might not feel so bad. But it came like a bolt out of a blue sky—what Uncle Isaac telephoned about an hour ago. Ma è arrivato come un fulmine a ciel sereno quello che lo zio Isaac ha telefonato circa un'ora fa. He is down town attending to business, and he said he'd come up as soon as he could. He was surprised himself, to know that Will was not home. " "Then he knew that he had left Atlanta? " asked Mollie. "Yes, but he supposed Will had started back home. "Sì, ma supponeva che Will fosse tornato a casa. "I'm afraid I don't exactly understand it all," said Amy in a low voice. "You know I've been away, and——" "Oh, of course! " exclaimed Grace. "I forgot that you had been off with that newly-found brother of yours. "Avevo dimenticato che eri partito con quel tuo fratello appena ritrovato. Well, you see, Amy, Will disgraced himself a while ago——" Beh, vedi, Amy, Will si è disonorato un po' di tempo fa...". "I don't call it much of a disgrace," said Betty in defense of the absent one. "Non la considero una vergogna", disse Betty in difesa dell'assente. "Well, papa did," said Grace. "Beh, papà l'ha fatto", disse Grace. "I thought perhaps he was a little too severe on Will, but mamma said it was best to be severe at the start. " "Ho pensato che forse è stato un po' troppo severo con Will, ma la mamma ha detto che è meglio essere severi all'inizio". " "What did he do? "Che cosa ha fatto? " asked Amy. "I didn't hear all the particulars," went on Grace. "But you know that new Latin teacher the High School boys have—Professor Cark, his name is. " Amy nodded.

"Well, the boys didn't like him from the very start," proceeded Grace, "and I guess he didn't like the boys any too well. "Beh, ai ragazzi non piaceva fin dall'inizio", proseguì Grace, "e credo che a lui non piacessero troppo i ragazzi. They played some tricks on him, and he retaliated by doubling up on their lessons. Then one night he was kidnapped—taken from his boarding place and hazed. Poi, una notte, è stato rapito, prelevato dalla sua pensione e sottoposto a un'azione di nonnismo. It was nothing very bad, but the faculty held a meeting, and voted to expel all the boys concerned in it. Non era niente di grave, ma la facoltà si è riunita e ha votato per l'espulsione di tutti i ragazzi coinvolti. Will was one, and papa was so angry that he said he would punish Will in a way he wouldn't forget. He said he'd take him out of school, before he'd have him expelled, and make him lose a term. Ha detto che lo avrebbe tolto dalla scuola, prima di farlo espellere e fargli perdere un trimestre. "So poor Will was given his choice of starting the study of law in papa's office, or going to work for Uncle Isaac Ford—papa's brother. "Così al povero Will fu data la possibilità di scegliere se iniziare a studiare legge nello studio di papà o andare a lavorare per lo zio Isaac Ford, fratello di papà. Uncle Isaac has a big cotton mill down in Atlanta, Georgia, you know. Lo zio Isaac ha un grande cotonificio ad Atlanta, in Georgia. Papa thought it would be a good thing for Will to see what hard work meant. Papà pensava che sarebbe stata una buona cosa per Will vedere cosa significava lavorare sodo. At the same time it would take him away from Deepdale, and out of the influence of some of the boys who were responsible for the hazing. Allo stesso tempo, lo avrebbe portato lontano da Deepdale e dall'influenza di alcuni dei ragazzi responsabili del nonnismo. I don't believe Will was one of the ringleaders. " Non credo che Will fosse uno dei capibanda. " "And did he go South? " asked Amy. "He did. He chose to work for Uncle Isaac instead of studying law here. And for the past month or so he has been in the mill. Then, all of a sudden, he disappears. " "But how? " asked Mollie. "We don't know the particulars," said Grace. "We supposed up to about an hour ago, that Will was in Atlanta, though we wondered why he didn't write. But then he never was very good at sending letters. Then came this 'phone message. I answered and I was surprised to hear Uncle Isaac speaking.

"At first I thought he was talking from Atlanta, and I was afraid something had happened. But Uncle Isaac said he was here—in Deepdale, and then he startled me by asking how Will was. Ma lo zio Isaac ha detto che era qui a Deepdale, e poi mi ha spiazzato chiedendomi come stava Will.

"'Why, isn't he down in your mill? ' I asked. Uncle Isaac said he was not—that Will had not come to work one morning, and had left a note saying that he was going to quit. Lo zio Isaac disse che non era così: Will non era venuto al lavoro una mattina e aveva lasciato un biglietto in cui diceva che si sarebbe licenziato. Of course Uncle Isaac thought Will had come back home. But when I told him we had not seen my brother, why, Uncle Isaac was as startled as I was. Ma quando gli dissi che non avevamo visto mio fratello, lo zio Isaac rimase sbigottito quanto me. He said he'd come right up here and tell us all he knew. " Ha detto che sarebbe venuto qui e ci avrebbe detto tutto quello che sapeva. " Grace paused.

She had spoken rather at length. Aveva parlato piuttosto a lungo.

"Well, that is rather strange," murmured Mollie. "But of course it may be easily explained when your Uncle comes," said Betty. "There he is now! "Eccolo lì! " cried Grace, glancing out of a window. "And he has papa with him. He must have stopped at the office. Oh, I'm so glad papa is here!" and she hurried to the front door to let them in.