Edward Wellman bade good-bye to his family in the old country headed for a better life in America. Papa handed him the family's savings hidden in a leather satchel. "Times are desperate here," he said, hugging his son goodbye. "You are our hope."
Edward boarded the Atlantic freighter(貨船) offering free transport to young men willing to shovel(鏟) coal in return for the month-long journey. If Edward struck gold in the Colorado Rockies, the rest of the family could eventually join him.
For months, Edward worked his claim tirelessly, and the small vein of gold provided a moderate but steady income. Leaving Ingrid behind before he could officially court her had been his only regret in accepting this American adventure. He had secretly hoped to make Ingrid his wife. Finally, he wrote to Papa, asking him to help make this dream come true.
After nearly a year, a telegraph came with a plan to make his life complete. Mr. Henderson had agreed to send his daughter to Edward in America. Because she was a hardworking young woman with a good mind for business, she would work alongside Edward for a year to help the mining business grow. By then both families could afford to come to America for their wedding.
Edward's heart soared with joy as he spent the next month trying to make the cabin into a home. At last, the day he had been waiting for his whole life arrived. With a bouquet of fresh-picked daisies in hand, he left for the train depot(倉(cāng)庫(kù)，停車場(chǎng))。 Steam billowed and wheels screeched as the train crawled to a stop.
His heart beat with eager anticipation, then stopped with a sinking thud. Not Ingrid, but her older sister Marta, stepped down from the train.
Edward only stared - dumbfounded. Then with shaking hands he offered Marta the bouquet. "Welcome," he whispered, his eyes burning. A smile etched across her plain face.
"I was pleased when Papa said you sent for me," Marta said, looking into his eyes briefly, before dropping her head again.
"I'll get your bags, "Edward said with a fake smile. Together they headed for the buggy(雙輪單座輕馬車)。
Mr. Henderson and Papa were right. Marta did have a great grasp of business. Within 6 months, their assets doubled.
Her delicious meals and quiet smile graced the cabin with a wonderful woman's touch. But the wrong woman, Edward mourned as he collapsed onto his cot each night. Why did they send Marta? Would he ever see Ingrid again? Was his lifelong dream to have her as his wife forsaken?
For a year, Marta and Edward worked and played and laughed, but never loved. Once, Marta had kissed Edward on the cheek before retiring to her room. He only smiled awkwardly. From then on, she seemed content with their exhilarating hikes in the mountains and long talks on the porch after suppers.
One spring afternoon, torrential rains washed down the hillside, eroding the entrance to their mine. Furiously, Edward filled sand bags and stacked them in the water's path. Suddenly there was Marta at his side holding the next burlap bag open. Edward shoveled sand inside, then with the strength of any man, Marta hurled it onto the pile and opened another bag… For hours they worked, knee-deep in mud, until the rains diminished.
Hand in hand, they walked back to the cabin. Over warm soup Edward sighed, "I never could have saved the mine without you. Thank you, Marta."
"You're welcome," she answered with her usual smile, then went quietly to her room. A few days later, a telegraph came announcing the arrival of the Henderson and Wellman families next week. As much as he tried to stifle it, the thought of seeing Ingrid again started Edward's heart beating in the old familiar way.
Together, he and Marta went to the train station. They watched as their families exited the train at the far end of the platform. When Ingrid appeared, Marta turned to Edward. "Go to her," she said.
Astonished, Edward stammered, "What do you mean?"
"Edward, I have always known I was not the Henderson girl you intended to send for. I had watched you flirt with Ingrid at the church picnics. I know it is she, not me, you desire for your wife." "But …"
Marta placed her fingers over his lips. "Shhh," she hushed him. "I do love you, Edward. I always have. And because of that, all I really want is your happiness. Go to her." As she gazed up at him, he saw for the first time how very beautiful she was. He recalled their walks in the meadows, their quiet evenings before the fire, her working beside him with the sandbags. It was then he realized what he had known for months. "No, Marta. It is you I want." Sweeping her into his arms, he kissed her with all the love bursting inside him. Their families gathered around them chorusing(合唱)， "We are here for the wedding!"
翻譯：
愛(ài)德華威爾曼就要告別家人在祖國(guó)走向更好的生活在美國(guó)。爸爸遞給他家里的積蓄藏在一個(gè)小皮包里�！皶r(shí)代已經(jīng)絕望,”他說(shuō),擁抱他的兒子再見(jiàn)�！澳闶俏覀兊南Ｍ！�
愛(ài)德華登上大西洋貨船(貨船)提供免費(fèi)運(yùn)輸?shù)哪贻p人愿意鏟(鏟)煤炭,以換取長(zhǎng)達(dá)一個(gè)月的旅程。如果愛(ài)德華在科羅拉多州的落基山脈淘到黃金,那么剩下的家人們就能夠到美國(guó)和他團(tuán)聚了。
幾個(gè)月來(lái),他不知疲倦地工作,愛(ài)德華和小型的金礦,一個(gè)溫和但穩(wěn)定的收入。留下Ingrid才能正式向她求婚是他唯一的遺憾在接受美國(guó)冒險(xiǎn)。他偷偷地希望讓妻子英格麗德。最后,他給爸爸寫(xiě)信,要求他幫助使這個(gè)夢(mèng)想成真。
近一年之后,電報(bào)是計(jì)劃讓他的生命完整。韓德勝已同意把他的女兒在美國(guó)的愛(ài)德華。因?yàn)樗且粋�(gè)能吃苦耐勞,有商業(yè)頭腦,她會(huì)在愛(ài)德華的身邊工作一年幫助礦業(yè)業(yè)務(wù)成長(zhǎng)。屆時(shí)雙方家庭可以來(lái)美國(guó)為他們的婚禮。
愛(ài)德華與快樂(lè)的心飆升。他花了一個(gè)月的時(shí)間試圖讓機(jī)艙變成一個(gè)家。最后,天,他一直在等待他的一生。手里拿著一束新鮮的雛菊,他離開(kāi)火車得寶(倉(cāng)庫(kù),停車場(chǎng))。看到火車爬出來(lái)蒸汽翻騰滾滾車輪停止。
用熱切期待著他的心跳,然后停止了下沉砰的一聲。不是Ingrid,而是她的姐姐瑪爾塔,走下了火車。
愛(ài)德華只盯著——目瞪口呆。然后與他握手Marta花束�！皻g迎你,”他輕聲說(shuō)道,眼睛仿佛被灼燒一樣難受。一個(gè)微笑銘刻在她普通的臉。
“我很高興當(dāng)你爸爸說(shuō)給我發(fā)送,”瑪爾塔說(shuō),看著他的眼睛,再把她的頭。
“我要得到你的包,”愛(ài)德華說(shuō)假笑。他們一起向馬車走去(雙輪單座輕馬車)。
漢德森先生和爸爸是對(duì)的�，斔拇_具有很強(qiáng)的商業(yè)頭腦。在6個(gè)月,他們的資產(chǎn)翻了一番。
她美味的飯菜和安靜微笑登上機(jī)艙用美妙的女人的觸摸。但錯(cuò)誤的女人,愛(ài)德華一樣每晚他一下子倒在床。為什么他們把瑪爾塔?他會(huì)再次看到英格麗德嗎?是他一生的夢(mèng)想,她是他的妻子離棄?
一年,瑪爾塔和愛(ài)德華工作、玩耍、笑了,但從來(lái)沒(méi)有愛(ài)。一次,瑪爾塔退休以前愛(ài)德華的臉頰上輕輕地吻了一下她的房間。他只是尷尬的笑了笑。從那時(shí)起,她似乎滿足于他們的令人振奮的上漲在山里,晚餐后走廊里的促膝長(zhǎng)談。
一個(gè)春天的下午,暴雨沖下山坡,侵蝕他們的入口。得飛快,愛(ài)德華填充沙袋并把它們堆在水的路徑。突然有瑪爾塔在他身邊抱著下一個(gè)麻布袋開(kāi)放。愛(ài)德華鏟沙子里面,然后堅(jiān)強(qiáng)的人,瑪爾塔扔到堆,打開(kāi)另一個(gè)袋子…幾個(gè)小時(shí)工作,在及膝的泥,直到雨停。
他們手牽手,走回小木屋。在溫暖的湯愛(ài)德華嘆了口氣,“我從來(lái)不可能沒(méi)有你拯救了我。謝謝你,瑪爾塔。”
“歡迎你,”她回答,她一貫的微笑,然后她默默地走進(jìn)自己的房間里。幾天后,一個(gè)電報(bào)宣布下周亨德森和Wellman家庭的到來(lái)。他試圖壓制它,一想到再次見(jiàn)到英格麗·愛(ài)德華開(kāi)始熟悉的心跳。
在一起,他和瑪爾塔去了火車站。他們看著他們的家庭走出火車在這個(gè)平臺(tái)的盡頭。這時(shí),瑪塔轉(zhuǎn)過(guò)身,愛(ài)德華�！叭ニ�,”她說(shuō)。
愛(ài)德華震驚,結(jié)結(jié)巴巴地問(wèn):“你什么意思?”
“愛(ài)德華,我一直知道我不是女孩你打算發(fā)送。我曾經(jīng)看到過(guò)你和英格里德在教堂野餐。我知道這是她,不是我,你希望你的妻子�！薄暗恰�
瑪塔把她的手指壓在他的嘴唇�！皣u,”她的他�！拔覑�(ài)你,愛(ài)德華。我總是有。正因?yàn)槿绱?我真正想要的是你的幸福。去她�！彼⒁曋�,他第一次看到她是非常美麗的。他回憶起他們的草地散步,安靜的夜晚在火,她的工作在他的沙袋。就在那時(shí)他意識(shí)到他已經(jīng)知道好幾個(gè)月了。“不,瑪爾塔。這是你我想要的�！皰叩厮M(jìn)了他的懷里,他吻了她的愛(ài)情破裂在里面。家人聚集在他們齊聲歌唱(合唱),“我們是來(lái)參加婚禮的!”