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万般牵挂 Innocent Homeless（第1页）

万般牵挂IHomeless

洛里·S。莫尔LoriS。Mohr

&ilyscrawledsignonthecrumpledcardboardread:BROKE-NEEDDOGFOOD。ThedesperateyouhesigninonehandaheotherashepacedbadforthonthebusydowntownLasVegas。

Attachedtotheleashuphanayearold。Notfarfromthemwasanofthesamebreed，ppost。Hewashowlingintothebriskchilloftheapproaterevening，withawailthatcouldbeheardforblocks。Itwasasthoughheknewhisowhesignthatedohimread:FORSALE。

&ingaboutmyowion，Iquiedtheadeabeeliowardthehomelesstrio。Foryears，I’vekeptdogandcatfoodirunkofmycarforstrayryanimalsIoftenfind。It’sbeenaingthoseI’ttakein。It’salsowhatI’veusedtoanyascareddogofftheroadtosafety。Helpingneedyanimalshasalwaysbeenanautomatie。

Ipullediparkinglotandgrabbedafivepoundbagofdogfood，aerofwateray-dollarbillfrommypurse。Iapproachedtheragged-lookingmanandhisunhappydogswarily。Ifthismathesecreaturesorwasusingthemase-ons，Iknewmyangerwouldquicklytakeover。Theatthesky，whiningpitifully。JustbeforeIreachedthem，atruckpulledupalohemandaskedhowmuwahe。

“Fiftybucks，”themanontheerreplied，thenaddedquickly，“butIreallydon'twanttosellhim。”

“Ishepapered?”

“No。”

“Ishefixed?”

“No。”

“Howoldishe?”

&Ireallydon'twanttosellhim。ijustofeedhim。”

“IfIhadfiftybucks，I'dbuyhim。”thelightturhetruckspedoff。

Themanshookhisheadandueddejectedlypagthesidewalk。Wheiingiiooppedwalkingandwatchedmeapproach。Thepupbeganwagginghistail。“Hi。”Ioffered，asIdrewheyoungmaleandfriendly，andIsejustbylookingihewassomeoneinrealcrisis。

“Ihavesomefoodherefs。”Isaid。DumbfouhebagasIsetdowerinfrontofthem。

“Yhtwater，too?”heaskedincredulously。Webothkdowhe，andthepuppygreetedmeenthusiastically“Thato。dthisone’sDog。I’mWayhesad，stenoughtoseewhatwasiainer。

“ened，Wayabitihealyandsimply。“Well，IjustmovedoutherefromArizonaabeeofindwork。I’matthepoievehedogs。”

“Whereareyouliving?”

“Inthattruckrightthere。”Hepoioadilapidatedoldvehiclethatarkedcloseby。Ithadaralohashell，soatleasttheyhadshelterfromtheelements。

Thepuphadylapaledin。Iaskedeofworkhedid。“I’mamedawelder，”hesaid，“Butthere’snothingouthereforeither。I’velookedahesedogsaremyfamily;Ihatetohavetosellthem，butIjust’taffordtofeedthem。”

&sayingitoverandover。Hedidn’twahem，buthe’tfeedthem。Anawfullookcameoverhisfaceeverytimeherepeatedit。Itwasasifhemighthavetogiveupachild。

&imeseemedrighttocasuallypassoverthetwenty-dollarbill，hopingIwouldn’tfurtherdamagehisalreadyshakypride。“Here。Usethistobuyyourselfsomethi。”

&hanks。”heslowlyreplied，uolookmeintheface。

“Thiscouldgetusarht，too。”

“Howlonghaveyoubeenouthere?”

“Allday。”

“Hasopped?”

“hefirst。”Itwaslateafternoonandquicklygettingdark。Herei，whenthesuemperaturewoulddipiies。

Mymiofast-foricturedthethreeofthemgoingwithouteveoday，perhapsforseveraldays，andspendingmanylong，coldhourscoopedupintheirie，makeshiftshelter。

Seeingpeoplebegforfoodisn’tahiscity。Butthismanstoodoutbecausehewasn’taskingforfoodforhimself。Hewasmoreedwithkeepinghisdogsfedthanwithhisownarentofnineassionatelyloveddogsofmyown，ithitadeepe。

Idon’tthinkI’lleverreallyknowwhateatthatmoment，inspiriodowhatIdidIjustkwassomethingIhadtodo。Iaskedhimifhe’dwaitthereforafewmiilIreturned。Henoddedhisheadandsmiled。

Mycarflewtrocerystwithurgency，Iradtookholdofacart。Istartedoaisleanddidn’tquituheothersideofthestore。Theitems’tbepulledofftheshelvesfastenough。Justtheessentials，Ithought。Justfoodthatleofweeksandsustaintheirmeagerexisteerandjelly。Bread。edfood。Juice。Fruit。Vegetables。Dogffood（fortypou）。Aheyshouldhavesometreats，too。Afewotherhejobwasdone。

&alesto$102。91。”saidthechecker。Ididn’tbatahepeblaerthanIcouldlegiblywrite。ItdidhemewasduesoonorthatIreallydidrahundreddollarstospend。Nothingmatteredbesidesseeingthatthisfamilyhadsomefood。Iwasamazedatmyowyandthemotivationthatetospendahundreddollarsonater。Yet，atthesametime，IfeltliketheluckiestpersoobeabletogivethismanandhisbelovedpanionsatinybitofsomethingofwhichIhadsomuedthefloodgatesofgratitudeinmyowheithecakewasthelookonWayne’sfaIreturhallthegroceries。“Herearejustafewthings……”Isaidasthedogslookedoi。Iwaoavoidanyawkwardness，soIhastilypettedthedogs。