time enough for love-时间足够你爱(英文版)-第132部分

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　　I　am　pleased　indeed　to　hear　that　you　are　in　the　Seventh　Regiment；　I　know　how　much　it　means　to　you。　But　please　don't　disparage　the　Seventh　Missouri　by　calling　it　the　〃home　guards。〃　Unless　somebody　gets　a　ham…
　　
　　第74节
　　
　　？merlock　on　Hindenburg　pretty　soon；　you　may　see　a　lot　of　action　in　this　war。
　　
　　？But　truthfully；　sir；　I　hope　you　do　not…and　I　think　Captain　Smith　would　agree　with　my　reasoning。　Someone　does　have　to　guard　the　borne…and　I　mean　a　specific
　　
　　？home　on　Benton　Boulevard。　Brian　Junior　isn't　old　enough　to　be　the　man　of　the　family…I　think　Captain　Smith　would　worry　if　you　weren't　there。
　　
　　But　I　do　understand　how　you　feel。　I　hear　that　the　only　way　for　a　sergeant…instructor　to　get　off　this　treadmill　is　to　lose　his　stripes。　Would　you　feel　ashamed　of　me　if　I　went　absent　over　leave　just　long　enough　to　get　busted　back　to　corporal　。　。　then　did　something　else　to　lose　those　chevrons；　too？　I　feel　sure　it　would　get　me　on　the　first
　　
　　？troop　train　headed　east。
　　
　　You'd　better　not　read　that　last　to　the　rest　of　the　family。　An　〃Honorary　Smith〃　had　best　find　some　other　way。
　　
　　525My　warmest　respects　to　you　and　to　Mrs。　Smith；
　　
　　？My　loveto　all　the　youngsters；
　　
　　？Ted　Bronson　〃Smith〃
　　
　　（And　most　happy　to　be　？adopted〃）
　　
　　*　*　*
　　
　　〃e　in！〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　Sergeant　Bronson　reports　to　Captain　Smith　as　or　dered！〃　（Pop；　I　wouldn't　have　recognized　you。　But　durned　ii　you　don't　look　just　as　you　ought　to。　Only　younger。）
　　
　　〃At　ease；　Sergeant。　Close　that　door。　Then　sit　down。〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Lazarus　did　so；　still　mystified。　He　had　not　onI）　never　expected　Captain　Smith　to　get　in　touch　with　him；　but　he　had　refrained　from　asking　for　a　pass　long　enough　to　let　him　go　to　Kansas　City　for　two　reasons：　One；　his　father　might　be　there　that　weekend…or；　two；　his　father　might　not　be　thert　that　weekend。　Lazarus　was　not　sure　which　was　worse；　h　had　avoided　both。
　　
　　Now　a　dog…robber　type　on　a　motorcycle　with　a　sidecar　had　suddenly　picked　him　up　with　orders　to　〃Report　to　Captain　Smith〃…and　it　was　not　until　he　had　done　so　that　he　knew　that　this　〃Captain　Smith〃　was　Captain　Brian　Smith。
　　
　　〃Sergeant；　my　father…in…law　has　told　me　quite　a　bit　about　you。　And　so　has　my　wife。〃
　　
　　There　seemed　to　be　no　answer　to　that；　so　Lazarus　looked　sheepish　and　said　nothing。
　　
　　Captain　Smith　went　on；　〃Oh；　e；　Sergeant；　don't　look　embarrassed；　this　is　man　to　man。　My　family　has　'adopted'　you；　so　to　speak；　and　it　meets　with　my　heartiest　approval。　In　fact　it　fits　in　with　something　the　War　Department　is　starting；　through　the　Red　Cross　and　the　Y。M。C。A。　and　the　churches；　a　program　to　locate　every　man　in　uniform　who　does　not　get　mail　regularly　and　see　to　it　that　he　does。　Get　a　family　to　'adopt　him　for　the　duration'　in　other　words。　Write　to　him；　remember　his　birthday；　send　him　little　presents。　What　do　you　think　of　that？〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　it　sounds　good。　What　the　Captain's　family　has　done　for　me　has　certainly　been　good　for　my　moral~。〃
　　
　　〃I'm　pleased　to　hear　it。　How　would　you　organize　such　a　program？　Speak　up；　don't　be　afraid　to　express　your　own　ideas。〃
　　
　　？？（Give　me　a　desk　and　I'll　make　a　career　of　it；　Pop！）　〃Sir；　the　problem　breaks　down　into　two…No；　three　parts。　Two　of　preparation；　one　of　execution。　First；　locate　the　men。　Second；
　　
　　526at　the　same　time；　lo~…ate　families　willing　to　help。　Third；　bring　them　together。　The　first　has　to　he　done　by　the　fist　sergeants。〃　（The　top　kicks　。are　going　to　love　this…in　a　pig's　eye。）　〃They　pany　clerks　to　check　mail　against　the　roster　before　handing　it　out。　Uh；　this　must　he　speeded　up；　holding　up　mail　call　for　any　reason　is　not　a　good　idea。　But　checking　can't　be　left　to　platoon　sergeants；　they　aren't　set　up　for　it　and　would　slop　it。　It　has　to　be　at　the　point　where　the　mail　orderly　delivers　mail　to　each　pany　clerk。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　thought。　〃But　to　make　this　work；　if　the　Captain　will
　　
　　？pardon　me；　the　manding　General　must　tell　his　adjutant　to　require　from　elich　pany；　troop；　and　battery　mander　a　report　of　how　many　pieces　of　mail　each　man　under　his　corn…
　　
　　？mand　has　received　that　week。〃　（And　a　damnable　invasion　of　privacy；　and　the　sort　of　multiplication　of　clerical　work　that　bogs　down　armies！　The　bomesick　ones　have　homes　and　（10　get　mail。　The　loners　don't　want　letters；　they　want　women　and　whiskey。　The　prairie　dog　pee　they　sell　for　whiskey　in　this　〃dry〃　state　has　made　a　teetotaler　of　me。）　〃But　that　should　not　be　separate　paper　work；　Captain；　it　need　only　be　a　column　of　tally　marks　on　the　regular　weekly　report。　Both　pany　manders　and　top　sergeants　are　going　to　bellyache　if　it's　too　time…consuming…and　the　manding　General　would　receive　reports　that　would　be　mostly　products　of　pany　clerks'　imaginations。　The　Captain　knows　that；　I　feel　sure。〃
　　
　　？Lazarus'　father　gave　the　grin　that　made　him　look　like　Teddy　Roosevelt。　〃Sergeant；　you　have　iust　caused　me　to　revise　a　letter　I'm　preparing　for　the　General。　As　long　as　I　am　assigned　to　'Plans　&　Training'　no　new　program　will　add　to　the　mountain　of　paper　work　if　I　can　help　it。　I　have　been　trying　to　sweat　this　one　down　to　size；　and　you've　shown　me　a　way　to　do　it。　Tell　me；　why　did　you　turn　down　officers'　training　when　it　was　offered　to　you？　Or　don't　tell　me　if　you　don't　want　to；　it's　your　business。〃
　　
　　？（Pop；　I'm　going　to　have　to　lie　to　you…for　I　can't　point　out　that　a　platoon　leader　has　a　life　expectancy　of　around　twenty　minutes　if　he　takes　his　platoon　〃over　the　top〃　and　does　it　by　the　Book。　What　a　war！）　〃Sir；　look　at　it　this　way。　Suppose　I　put　in　for　it。　A　month　to　get　it　approved。　Then　three　months　at　Benning；　or　Leavenworth；　or　wherever　they're　sending　them。　Then　back　here；　or　Bliss；　or　somewhere　and　I'll　be　assigned　to　recruits。　Six　months　with　them　and　we　g~　？verseas。　More　training　behind　the　lines　'Over　There'　from　what　I　hear。　Adds
　　
　　up　to　about　a　year；　and　the　waris　over；　and　I　haven't　been
　　
　　？in　it。〃
　　
　　〃Mmm　。　。　you　could　be　right。　You　want　to　go　to　France？〃
　　
　　〃Yes；　sir！〃　（Christ；　no！）
　　
　　〃Just　last　Sunday；　in　K。C。；　my　father…in…law　told　me　that
　　
　　？would　be　your　answer。　But　you　may　not　know；　Sergeant；　that　the　billet　you　are　in　will　be　just　as　frustrating　。　。　without　the　pensation　of　bars　on　your　shoulders。　Hcre　in　'Plans　&　Training'　we　keep　track　of　every　enlisted　instructor…and　the　ones　who　don't　work　out　we　ship　out　。　。　but　the　ones　who　do　work　out　we　hang　onto　like　grim　death。
　　
　　〃Except　forone　thing…〃　His　father　smiled　again。　〃We　have　been　asked…the　polite　word　for　'ordered'…to　supply　some　of　our　best　instructors　for　that　behind…the…lines　training　in　France　you　mentioned。　I　knoade　it　a　point　to　note　the　weekly　reports　on　you　ever　since　my　father…in…law　told　me　about　you。　Surprising　proficiency　for　a　man　with　no　bat　time　。　。　plus　a　slight　tendency　to　be　nonregulation　about　minor　points；　which…privately…I　do　not　find　a　drawback；　the　utterly　regulation　soldier　is　a　barracks　soldier。　Est…ce　que　vous　parlez　la　langue　franise？〃
　　
　　〃Oui；　mon　capitaine。〃
　　
　　〃Eh；　bien！　Peut…re　vous　avez　enr？autrefois　en　la　Legion　Etrange；　n'est…ce　pas？〃
　　
　　〃Pardon；　mon　capitaine？　Je　ne　prends　pas。〃
　　
　　〃Nor　will　I　understand　you　if　we　talk　three　more　words　of　it。　But　I'm　studying　hard；　as　I　expect　French　to　be　my　own　ticket　out　of　this　dusty　place。　Bronson；　forget　that　I　asked　that　question。　But　I　must　ask　one　more　and　I　want　an　absolutely　straight　answer。　Is　there　any　possibility　whatever　that　any　French　authority　might　be　looking　for　you？　I　don't　give　a　tinker's　dam　what　you　may　have　done　in　the　past；　and　neither　does　the　War　Department。　But　we　must　protect　our　own。〃
　　
　　Lazarus　barely　hesitated。　（Pop　is　telling　me　plain　as　print　that　if　I　am　a　deserter　from　the　Foreign　Legion…or　have　escaped　from　Devil's　Island　or　any　such…he's　going　to　keep　me　out　of　French　jurisdiction。）　〃Absolutely　none；　sir！〃
　　
　　〃I'm　relieved　to　hear　it。　There　have　been　latrine　rumors　that　Pop　Johnson　could　neither　confirm　nor　deny。　Speaking　of　him…Stand　up　a　moment。　Now　left　face；　please。　And　about　face。　Bronson；　I'm　convinced。　I　don't　remember　my　wife's　Uncle　Ned；　but　I　would　give　long　odds　that　you　are　related　to
　　
　　？527
　　
　　528my　father…in…law；　and　his　theory　certainly　fits。　Which　makes　us　'kinfolk'　of　some　sort。　After　the　war　is　over；　perhaps　we　can　dig　into　it。　But　I　understand　that　my　children　call　you　'Uncle　Ted'　。　。　which　seems　close　enough　and　suits　me　if　it　suits　you。〃
　　
　　〃Sir；　it　does；　indeed！　It's　good　to　have　a　family；　under　any　assumption。〃
　　
　　？〃I　think　so。　Just　one　more　thing　。　。　and　this　you　must　forget　once　you　go　out　that　door。　I　think　that　a　rocker　for　those
　　
　　昪hevrons　will　show　up　one　of　these　days　。　。　and　not　long　after　you'll　be　wven　a　short　leave　that　you　haven't　requested。　When　tklat　happens；　don't　start　any　continued　stories。　prenezvous？〃
　　
　　〃Mais　oui；　mon　capitaine；　certainement。〃
　　
　　〃I　wish　I　could　tell　you　that　we　will　be　in　the　same　outfit；　Pop　Johnson　would　like　that。　But　I　can't。　In　the　meantime　please　remember　that　I　haven't　told　you　anything。〃　？
　　
　　〃Captain；　I've　al