"THE SONG OF THE LARK" - читать интересную книгу автора (Cather Willa Sibert)

"How's that?"

"I don't have to go to school, and I don't have to prac-
tice. I can read all I want to, and have good things,"--
she patted the grapes. "I had lots of fun that time I
mashed my finger and you wouldn't let Professor Wunsch
make me practice. Only I had to do left hand, even then.
I think that was mean."

The doctor took her hand and examined the forefinger,
where the nail had grown back a little crooked. "You
mustn't trim it down close at the corner there, and then it
will grow straight. You won't want it crooked when you're
a big girl and wear rings and have sweethearts."

She made a mocking little face at him and looked at his
new scarf-pin. "That's the prettiest one you ev-ER had.
I wish you'd stay a long while and let me look at it. What
is it?"

Dr. Archie laughed. "It's an opal. Spanish Johnny
brought it up for me from Chihuahua in his shoe. I had it
set in Denver, and I wore it to-day for your benefit."

Thea had a curious passion for jewelry. She wanted
every shining stone she saw, and in summer she was always
going off into the sand hills to hunt for crystals and agates
and bits of pink chalcedony. She had two cigar boxes full
of stones that she had found or traded for, and she imagined
that they were of enormous value. She was always plan-
ning how she would have them set.

"What are you reading?" The doctor reached under the
covers and pulled out a book of Byron's poems. "Do you
like this?"

She looked confused, turned over a few pages rapidly,
and pointed to "My native land, good-night." "That,"
she said sheepishly.

"How about `Maid of Athens'?"

She blushed and looked at him suspiciously. "I like
'There was a sound of revelry,'" she muttered.

The doctor laughed and closed the book. It was clumsily