共用题干 第二篇

A Desert Between Paul and Clara

Paul had long promised to marry Clara.But at thirty-three he met and married Alice.
Clara was driven mad.
Paul was taken to court.The judge ordered him to pay Clara$600 because of the
broken promise.Paul had to borrow the money from a moneylender. He agreed to pay
back$5 a month一for twenty years.His wages at the time were$16 a month,
Paul and Alice were poor but not unhappy.They had little enough food,certainly,
even before the children began to arrive.Each month Paul paid$5 to the moneylender.
He worked hard,never taking a holiday,In time,there were seven mouths to feed.
Illness was always with them.It grew serious when the oldest child was eight.The
years of hunger weakened the family,because each month Paul paid$5.The details of
the sickness were ugly,but the result was this:after twelve years of family life,Paul was
alone in the world.
He lived alone,except for memories.Work was not now a god for him:it was a pain-
killer. Each month he paid,and in time the twenty years ended.From that moment his
wages were his own.
One day,it was a holiday一he went to the seaside.He sat down on a seat by the sea.
A middle-aged woman came and sat down near him.They recognized each other at once.
The woman said,"The$600 has been in the bank since the day it was paid to me.It
is now$6,000,and I have kept it for you.Will you let me share it with you?"
"No,"said Paul,gently."Each thousand is a lost life in a desert between us.It can
never bring any happiness." When Paul met Clara again 20 years later, he decided