Shoe-Bar Stratton - Chapter 4

Stratton was never sure just how long he stood staring at her in dumb, dazed bewilderment. After those mental pictures of the Mary Thorne he had expected to find, it was small wonder that the sight of this slip of a black-frocked girl, with her soft voice, her tawny-golden hair and wistful eyes, should stun ¹ him into temporary speechlessness. Even when he finally pulled himself together to feel a hot flush flaming in his face and find one gloved hand recklessly crumpling ² his new Stetson, he could not quite credit the evidence of his hearing., ,"I--I beg pardon," he said stiffly. "But it doesn't seem possible that--", ,He hesitated. The girl's smile deepened whimsically., , ,She paused, her glance falling on the book she held. Stratton saw that it was a shabby account-book, a stubby pencil thrust between the leaves., ,"Yes?" he prompted, scarcely aware what made him ask the question., ,Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地 ，被一下打昏了 。,His crumpling body bent low from years of carrying heavy loads. 由于经年累月的负重，他那皱巴巴的身子被压得弯弯的。