章节正文
your own living."
"I am glad you think that, sir. I have begun
to wonder whether I have not acted rashly."
"In undertaking to support yourself?"
"Yes, sir."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"At fourteen I was obliged to undertake
what you have now before you."
"To support yourself?"
"Yes; I was left an orphan at fourteen, with
no money left me by my poor father, and no
relatives who could help me."
"How did you make out, sir?" asked Carl,
feeling very much interested.
"I sold papers for a while--in Newark, New
Jersey--then I got a place at three dollars
a week, out of which I had to pay for board,
lodging and clothes. Well, I won't go through
my history. I will only say that whatever I
did I did as well as I could. I am now a man
of about middle age, and I am moderately wealthy."
"I am very much encouraged by what you tell me, sir."
"Perhaps you don't understand what a hard
struggle I had. More than once I have had
to go to bed hungry. Sometimes I have had
to sleep out, but one mustn't be afraid to rough
it a little when he is young. I shouldn't like to
sleep out now, or go to bed without my supper,"
and the little man laughed softly.
"Yes, sir; I expect to rough it, but if I could
only get a situation, at no matter what income,
I should feel encouraged."
"You have earned no money yet?"
"Yes, sir; I earned a dollar yesterday."
"At what kind of work?"
"Archery."
The little man looked surprised.
"Is that a business?" he asked, curiously.
"I'll explain how it was," and Carl told
about the contest.
"So you hit the mark?" said the little man,
significantly.
Somehow, there was something in the little
man's tone that put new courage into Carl,
and incited him to fresh effort.
"I wonder, sir," he said, after a pause, "that
you should be walking, when you can well afford
to ride."
The little man smiled.
"It is by advice of my physician," he said.
"He tells me I am getting too stout, and ought
to take more or less exercise in the open air.
So I am trying to follow his advice "
"Are you in business near here, sir?"
"At a large town six miles distant. I may
not walk all the way there, but I have a place
to call at near by, and thought I would avail
myself of the good chance offered to take a
little exercise. I feel repaid. I have made a
pleasant acquaintance."
"Thank you, sir."
"There is my card," and the little man took
out a business card, reading thus:
HENRY JENNINGS,
FURNITURE WAREHOUSE,
MILFORD.
"I manufacture my furniture in the country,"
he continued, "but I ship it by special ar-
rangements to a house in New York in which
I am also interested."
"Yes, sir, I see. Do you employ many persons
in your establishment?"
"About thirty."
"Do you think you could make room for me?"
"Do you think you would like the business?"
"I am prepared to like any business in which
I can make a living."
"That is right. That is the way to look at
it. Let me think."
For two minutes Mr. Jennings seemed to be
plunged in thought. Then he turned and
smiled encouragingly.
"You can come home with me," he said, "and
I will consider the matter."
"Thank you, sir," said Carl, gladly.
"I have got to make a call at the next house,
not on business, though. There is an old schoolmate
lying there sick. I am afraid he is rather
poor, too. You can walk on slowly, and I will
overtake you in a few minutes."
"Thank you, sir."
"After walking half a mile, if I have not
overtaken you, you may sit down under a tree
and wait for me."
"All right, sir."
"Before I leave you I will tell you a secret."
"What is it, sir?"
"The two dollars you picked up, I dropped
on purpose."
"On purpose?" asked Carl, in amazement.
"Yes; I wanted to try you, to see if you were honest."
"Then you had noticed me?"
"Yes. I liked your appearance, but I wanted to test you."
CHAPTER XIII.
AN UNEQUAL CONTEST.
Carl walked on slowly. He felt encouraged
by the prospect of work, for he was sure that
Mr. Jennings would make a place for him, if
possible.
"He is evidently a kind-hearted man," Carl
reflected. "Besides, he has been poor himself,
and he can sympathize with me. The wages
may be small, but I won't mind that, if I
only support myself economically, and get on."
To most boys brought up in comfort, not to
say luxury, the prospect of working hard for
small pay would not have seemed inviting. But
Carl was essentially manly, and had sensible
ideas about labor. It was no sacrifice or
humiliation to him to become a working boy,
for he had never considered himself superior
to working boys, as many boys in his position
would have done.
He walked on in a leisurely manner, and at
the end of ten minutes thought he had better
sit down and wait for Mr. Jennings. But he was
destined to receive a shock. There, under the tree
which seemed to offer the most inviting shelter,
reclined a figure only too well-known.
It was the tramp who the day before had
compelled him to surrender the ten-dollar bill.
The ill-looking fellow glanced up, and when
his gaze rested upon Carl, his face beamed
with savage joy.
"So it's you, is it?" he said, rising from his seat.
"Yes," answered Carl, doubtfully.
"Do you remember me?"
"Yes."
"I have cause to remember you, my chicken.
That was a mean trick you played upon me,"
and he nodded his head significantly.
"I should think it was you that played the trick on me."
"How do you make that out?" growled the tramp.
"You took my money."
"So I did, and much good it did me."
Carl was silent.
"You know why, don't you?"
Carl might have denied that he knew the
character of the bill which was stolen from him,
but I am glad to say that it would have come
from him with a very ill grace, for he was
accustomed to tell the truth under all circumstances.
"You knew that the bill was counterfeit,
didn't you?" demanded the tramp, fiercely.
"I was told so at the hotel where I offered
it in payment for my bill."
"Yet you passed it on me!"
"I didn't pass it on you. You took it from me,"
retorted Carl, with spirit.
"That makes no difference."
"I think it does. I wouldn't have offered
it to anyone in payment of an honest bill."
"Humph! you thought because I was poor
and unfortunate you could pass it off on me!"
This seemed so grotesque that Carl found
it difficult not to laugh.
"Do you know it nearly got me into trouble?"
went on the tramp.
"How was that?"
"I stopped at a baker's shop to get a lunch.
When I got through I offered the bill. The
old Dutchman put on his spectacles, and he
looked first at the bill, then at me. Then he
threatened to have me arrested for passing bad
money. I told him I'd go out in the back yard
and settle it with him. I tell you, boy, I'd
have knocked him out in one round, and he
knew it, so he bade me be gone and never
darken his door again. Where did you get it?"
"It was passed on me by a man I was traveling with."
"How much other money have you got?" asked the tramp.
"Very little."
"Give it to me, whatever it is."
This was a little too much for Carl's patience.
"I have no money to spare," he said, shortly.
"Say that over again!" said the tramp, menacingly.
"If you don't understand me, I will.
I have no money to spare."
"You'll spare it to me, I reckon."
"Look here," said Carl, slowly backing.
"You've robbed me of ten dollars. You'll have
to be satisfied with that."
"It was no good. It might have sent me
to prison. If I was nicely dressed I might
pass it, but when a chap like me offers a ten-
dollar bill it's sure to he looked at sharply.
I haven't a cent, and I'll trouble you to hand
over all you've got."
"Why don't you work for a living? You
are a strong, able-bodied man."
"I am glad you think that, sir. I have begun
to wonder whether I have not acted rashly."
"In undertaking to support yourself?"
"Yes, sir."
"How old are you?"
"Sixteen."
"At fourteen I was obliged to undertake
what you have now before you."
"To support yourself?"
"Yes; I was left an orphan at fourteen, with
no money left me by my poor father, and no
relatives who could help me."
"How did you make out, sir?" asked Carl,
feeling very much interested.
"I sold papers for a while--in Newark, New
Jersey--then I got a place at three dollars
a week, out of which I had to pay for board,
lodging and clothes. Well, I won't go through
my history. I will only say that whatever I
did I did as well as I could. I am now a man
of about middle age, and I am moderately wealthy."
"I am very much encouraged by what you tell me, sir."
"Perhaps you don't understand what a hard
struggle I had. More than once I have had
to go to bed hungry. Sometimes I have had
to sleep out, but one mustn't be afraid to rough
it a little when he is young. I shouldn't like to
sleep out now, or go to bed without my supper,"
and the little man laughed softly.
"Yes, sir; I expect to rough it, but if I could
only get a situation, at no matter what income,
I should feel encouraged."
"You have earned no money yet?"
"Yes, sir; I earned a dollar yesterday."
"At what kind of work?"
"Archery."
The little man looked surprised.
"Is that a business?" he asked, curiously.
"I'll explain how it was," and Carl told
about the contest.
"So you hit the mark?" said the little man,
significantly.
Somehow, there was something in the little
man's tone that put new courage into Carl,
and incited him to fresh effort.
"I wonder, sir," he said, after a pause, "that
you should be walking, when you can well afford
to ride."
The little man smiled.
"It is by advice of my physician," he said.
"He tells me I am getting too stout, and ought
to take more or less exercise in the open air.
So I am trying to follow his advice "
"Are you in business near here, sir?"
"At a large town six miles distant. I may
not walk all the way there, but I have a place
to call at near by, and thought I would avail
myself of the good chance offered to take a
little exercise. I feel repaid. I have made a
pleasant acquaintance."
"Thank you, sir."
"There is my card," and the little man took
out a business card, reading thus:
HENRY JENNINGS,
FURNITURE WAREHOUSE,
MILFORD.
"I manufacture my furniture in the country,"
he continued, "but I ship it by special ar-
rangements to a house in New York in which
I am also interested."
"Yes, sir, I see. Do you employ many persons
in your establishment?"
"About thirty."
"Do you think you could make room for me?"
"Do you think you would like the business?"
"I am prepared to like any business in which
I can make a living."
"That is right. That is the way to look at
it. Let me think."
For two minutes Mr. Jennings seemed to be
plunged in thought. Then he turned and
smiled encouragingly.
"You can come home with me," he said, "and
I will consider the matter."
"Thank you, sir," said Carl, gladly.
"I have got to make a call at the next house,
not on business, though. There is an old schoolmate
lying there sick. I am afraid he is rather
poor, too. You can walk on slowly, and I will
overtake you in a few minutes."
"Thank you, sir."
"After walking half a mile, if I have not
overtaken you, you may sit down under a tree
and wait for me."
"All right, sir."
"Before I leave you I will tell you a secret."
"What is it, sir?"
"The two dollars you picked up, I dropped
on purpose."
"On purpose?" asked Carl, in amazement.
"Yes; I wanted to try you, to see if you were honest."
"Then you had noticed me?"
"Yes. I liked your appearance, but I wanted to test you."
CHAPTER XIII.
AN UNEQUAL CONTEST.
Carl walked on slowly. He felt encouraged
by the prospect of work, for he was sure that
Mr. Jennings would make a place for him, if
possible.
"He is evidently a kind-hearted man," Carl
reflected. "Besides, he has been poor himself,
and he can sympathize with me. The wages
may be small, but I won't mind that, if I
only support myself economically, and get on."
To most boys brought up in comfort, not to
say luxury, the prospect of working hard for
small pay would not have seemed inviting. But
Carl was essentially manly, and had sensible
ideas about labor. It was no sacrifice or
humiliation to him to become a working boy,
for he had never considered himself superior
to working boys, as many boys in his position
would have done.
He walked on in a leisurely manner, and at
the end of ten minutes thought he had better
sit down and wait for Mr. Jennings. But he was
destined to receive a shock. There, under the tree
which seemed to offer the most inviting shelter,
reclined a figure only too well-known.
It was the tramp who the day before had
compelled him to surrender the ten-dollar bill.
The ill-looking fellow glanced up, and when
his gaze rested upon Carl, his face beamed
with savage joy.
"So it's you, is it?" he said, rising from his seat.
"Yes," answered Carl, doubtfully.
"Do you remember me?"
"Yes."
"I have cause to remember you, my chicken.
That was a mean trick you played upon me,"
and he nodded his head significantly.
"I should think it was you that played the trick on me."
"How do you make that out?" growled the tramp.
"You took my money."
"So I did, and much good it did me."
Carl was silent.
"You know why, don't you?"
Carl might have denied that he knew the
character of the bill which was stolen from him,
but I am glad to say that it would have come
from him with a very ill grace, for he was
accustomed to tell the truth under all circumstances.
"You knew that the bill was counterfeit,
didn't you?" demanded the tramp, fiercely.
"I was told so at the hotel where I offered
it in payment for my bill."
"Yet you passed it on me!"
"I didn't pass it on you. You took it from me,"
retorted Carl, with spirit.
"That makes no difference."
"I think it does. I wouldn't have offered
it to anyone in payment of an honest bill."
"Humph! you thought because I was poor
and unfortunate you could pass it off on me!"
This seemed so grotesque that Carl found
it difficult not to laugh.
"Do you know it nearly got me into trouble?"
went on the tramp.
"How was that?"
"I stopped at a baker's shop to get a lunch.
When I got through I offered the bill. The
old Dutchman put on his spectacles, and he
looked first at the bill, then at me. Then he
threatened to have me arrested for passing bad
money. I told him I'd go out in the back yard
and settle it with him. I tell you, boy, I'd
have knocked him out in one round, and he
knew it, so he bade me be gone and never
darken his door again. Where did you get it?"
"It was passed on me by a man I was traveling with."
"How much other money have you got?" asked the tramp.
"Very little."
"Give it to me, whatever it is."
This was a little too much for Carl's patience.
"I have no money to spare," he said, shortly.
"Say that over again!" said the tramp, menacingly.
"If you don't understand me, I will.
I have no money to spare."
"You'll spare it to me, I reckon."
"Look here," said Carl, slowly backing.
"You've robbed me of ten dollars. You'll have
to be satisfied with that."
"It was no good. It might have sent me
to prison. If I was nicely dressed I might
pass it, but when a chap like me offers a ten-
dollar bill it's sure to he looked at sharply.
I haven't a cent, and I'll trouble you to hand
over all you've got."
"Why don't you work for a living? You
are a strong, able-bodied man."
- whatever [wɔt´evə]
pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词) - reading [´ri:diŋ] n.(阅)读；朗读；读物 (初中英语单词)
- prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)
- evidently [´evidəntli] ad.明显地 (初中英语单词)
- luxury [´lʌkʃəri] n.奢侈(品)；享受 (初中英语单词)
- working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
- surrender [sə´rendə] vt.&n.交出；引渡；放弃 (初中英语单词)
- savage [´sævidʒ] a.野蛮的 n.蛮人 (初中英语单词)
- stolen [´stəulən] steal 的过去分词 (初中英语单词)
- payment [´peimənt] n.支付；报酬；报偿 (初中英语单词)
- unfortunate [ʌn´fɔ:tʃunit] a.不幸的，运气差的 (初中英语单词)
- nicely [naisli] ad.恰好地；谨慎地 (初中英语单词)
- undertaking [,ʌndə´teikiŋ] n.任务；事业；计划 (高中英语单词)
- orphan [´ɔ:fən] n.&a.孤儿 vt.使成孤儿 (高中英语单词)
- moderately [´mɔdəritli] ad.适度；适中；普通 (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- unequal [ʌn´i:kwəl] a.不平等的；不同的 (英语四级单词)
- essentially [i´senʃəli] ad.本质上，基本上 (英语四级单词)
- leisurely [´leʒəli] a.从容地，慢慢地 (英语四级单词)
- grotesque [grəu´tesk] a.奇异的，想象中的 (英语四级单词)
- inviting [in´vaitiŋ] a.动人的 (英语六级单词)
- dutchman [´dʌtʃmən] n.荷兰人 (英语六级单词)
文章标签:名著
章节正文
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