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1、EXPLANATION‘TheThirteenthCandle?’Well,itismeanttobealogicaltitlederivedfromwhatIamtryingtodo.Iamtryingto‘lightacandle’whichisfarbetterthan‘cursingthedark-ness’.Thisismythirteenthbookwhich,Ihope,willbemyThirteenthCandle.Youmaythinkitisaverylittlecandl
2、e,perhapsoneofthosebirthday-cakecandles.ButIhaveneverhadacakeofanykindwithcandles—neverevenhadabirthdaycake!—andnowwithmyrestrictedsugar-free,low-residuedietofnotmorethanathousandcaloriesistoolatetobother.Soindulgeme;let'spretendthatthisIs‘TheThirtee
3、nthCandle’eventhoughitbeassmallasthecandleonadoll'sbirthdaycake.CHAPTERONEMrs.MarthaMacGoohooglystrodepurposefullytoherkitchendoor,atatteredscrapofnewspaperclutchedinaham-likehand.Outside,intheparchedpatchofweed-coveredgroundwhichservedas‘backgarden’
4、shestoppedandglaredaroundlikeacrossbullinthematingseasonawaitingtheadventofrivals.Satisfied—ordisappointed—thattherewerenorivalsforattentionintheoffing,shehurriedtothebroken-downfencedefiningthegardenlimits.Gratefullyproppinghermorethanamplebosomonaw
5、orm-eatenpost,sheshuthereyesandopenedhermouth.‘Hey,Maud!’sheroaredacrosstheadjoininggardens,hervoiceechoingandreverberatingfromthenearbyfactorywall.‘Hey,Maud,whereareya?’Closinghermouthandopeninghereyesshestoodawaitingtheresults.Fromthedirectionofthe
6、next-house-but-onecamethesoundofaplatedroppingandsmashing,andthenthekitchendoorofTHAThouseopenedandasmall,scraggywomancamehoppingout,agitatedlywipingherhandsonherraggedapron.‘Well?’shegrowleddourly.‘Whatd'yawant?’‘Hey,Maud,youseenthis?’yelledbackMart
7、haasshewavedthetatteredpieceofnewsprintoverherhead.‘HowdoIknowifIseenitifIhaven'tseenitfirst?’snortedMaud.‘Imightadone,then,ontheotherhand,Imightnot.Whatisit,anyhowanothersexscandal?’Mrs.MarthaMacGoohooglyfumbledinthepocketofherapronandwithdrewlargeh
8、orn-rimmedspectacleslavishlybesprinkledwithsmallstones.Carefullyshewipedtheglassesonthebottomofherskirtbeforeputtingthemonandpattingherhairinplaceoverherears.Thennoisilywipinghernoseonthebackofhersleeve,sheyelledout,7‘It'sfromtheDominion,mynephewsent
