章节正文
Behind him, preserving a distance of from fifteen
to twenty feet, walked a dark-complexioned man of
not far from forty years of age. Of course Phil
was not likely to notice him.
Whatever the man's designs might be, he satisfied
himself at first with simply keeping our hero in
view. But as they both reached Bleecker Street, he
suddenly increased his pace and caught up with
Phil. He touched the boy on the shoulder, breathing
quickly, as if he had been running.
Phil turned quickly.
"Do you want me, sir?" he asked, eying the
stranger in surprise.
"I don't know. Perhaps I am mistaken. Are
you in the employ of Mr. Oliver Carter?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ah I then you are the boy I want. I have bad
news for you."
"Bad news!" repeated Phil, alarmed. "What is
it?"
"Mr. Carter was seized with a fit in the street
half an hour since."
"Is he--dead?" asked Phil, in dismay.
"No, no! I think he will come out all right."
"Where is he?"
"In my house. I didn't of course know who he
was, but I found in his pocket a letter directed to
Oliver Carter, Madison Avenue. There was also a
business card. He is connected in business with Mr.
Pitkin, is he not?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil; "where is your house?"
"In Bleecker Street, near by. Mr. Carter is lying
on the bed. He is unconscious, but my wife heard
him say: `Call Philip.' I suppose that is you?"
"Yes, sir; my name is Philip."
"I went around to his place of business, and was
told that you had just left there. I was given a
description of you and hurried to find you. Will
you come to the house and see Mr. Carter?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil, forgetting everything
except that his kind and generousemployer was
sick, perhaps dangerously.
"Thank you; I shall feel relieved. Of course you
can communicate with his friends and arrange to
have him carried home."
"Yes, sir; I live at his house."
"That is well."
They had turned down Bleecker Street, when it
occurred to Phil to say:
"I don't understand how Mr. Carter should be in
this neighborhood."
"That is something I can't explain, as I know
nothing about his affairs," said the stranger
pleasantly. "Perhaps he may have property on the
street."
"I don't think so. I attend to much of his
business, and he would have sent me if there had been
anything of that kind to attend to."
"I dare say you are right," said his companion.
"Of course I know nothing about it. I only formed
a conjecture."
"Has a physician been sent for?" asked Phil.
"Do you know of any we can call in?"
"My wife agreed to send for one on Sixth Avenue,"
said the stranger. "I didn't wait for him to
come, but set out for the store."
Nothing could be more ready or plausible than
the answers of his new acquaintance, and Phil was
by no means of a suspicioustemperament. Had he
lived longer in the city it might have occurred to
him that there was something rather unusual in the
circumstances, but he knew that Mr. Carter had
spoken of leaving the house at the breakfast-table,
indeed had left it before he himself had set out for
the store. For the time being the thought of the
sum of money which he carried with him had escaped
his memory, but it was destined very soon to
be recalled to his mind.
They had nearly reached Sixth Avenue, when his
guide stopped in front of a shabby brick house.
"This is where I live," he said. "We will go in."
He produced a key, opened the door, and Phil
accompanied him up a shabbystaircase to the third
floor. He opened the door of a rear room, and
made a sign to Phil to enter.
CHAPTER XXXII.
PHIL IS ROBBED.
When he was fairly in the room Phil looked
about him expecting to see Mr. Carter, but
the room appeared unoccupied. He turned to his
companion, a look of surprise on his face, but he was
destined to be still more surprised, and that not in a
pleasant way. His guide had locked the door from
the inside and put the key in his pocket.
"What does that mean?" asked Phil, with sudden
apprehension.
"What do you refer to?" asked his guide with an
unpleasant smile.
"Why do you lock the door?"
"I thought it might be safest," was the significant
answer.
"I don't believe Mr. Carter is in the house at all,"
said Phil quickly.
"I don't believe he is either, youngster."
"Why did you tell me he was here?" demanded
Phil, with rising indignation.
"I thought you wouldn't come if I didn't,"
replied his companion nonchalantly.
"Answer me one thing, is Mr. Carter sick at all?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then I am trapped!"
"Precisely. You may as well know the truth
now."
Phil had already conjectured the reason why he
had been enticed to this poor dwelling. The two
hundred dollars which he had in his pocket made
him feel very uncomfortable. I think I may say
truly that if the money had been his own he would
have been less disturbed. But he thought, with a
sinking heart, that if the money should be taken
from him, he would himself fall under suspicion,
and he could not bear to have Mr. Carter think that
he had repaid his kindness with such black ingratitude.
He might be mistaken. The man before him
might not know he had such a sum of money in his
possession, and of course he was not going to give
him the information.
"I am glad Mr. Carter is all right," said Phil.
"Now tell me why you have taken such pains to get
me here?"
"Why, as to that," said his companion, "there
were at least two hundred good reasons."
Phil turned pale, for he understood now that in
some way his secret was known.
"What do you mean?" he asked, not wholly able
to conceal his perturbed feelings.
"You know well enough, boy," said the other
significantly. "You've got two hundred dollars in your
pocket. I want it."
"Are you a thief, then?" said Phil, with perhaps
imprudent boldness.
"Just take care what you say. I won't be
insulted by such a whipper-snapper as you. You'd
better not call names. Hand over that money!"
"How do you know I have any money?" Phil
asked, trying to gain a little time for deliberation.
"No matter. Hand it over, I say!"
"Don't take it!" said Phil, agitated. "It isn't
mine!"
"Then you needn't mind giving it up."
"It belongs to Mr. Carter."
"He has plenty more."
"But he will think I took it. He will think I am
dishonest."
"That is nothing to me."
"Let me go," pleaded Phil, "and I will never
breathe a word about your wanting to rob me. You
know you might get into trouble for it."
"That's all bosh! The money, I say!" said the
man sternly.
"I won't give it to you!" said Phil boldly.
"You won't, hey? Then I shall have to take it.
If I hurt you, you will have yourself to blame."
So saying the man seized Phil, and then a struggle
ensued, the boy defending himself as well as he
could. He made a stouter resistance than the thief
anticipated, and the latter became irritated with the
amount of trouble he had to take it. I should be
glad to report that Phil made a successful defense,
but this was hardly to be expected. He was a
strong boy, but he had to cope with a strong man,
and though right was on his side, virtue in his case
had to succumb to triumphant vice.
Phil was thrown down, and when prostrate, with
the man's knee on his breast, the latter succeeded in
stripping him of the money he had so bravely defended.
"There, you young rascal!" he said, as he rose to
his feet; "you see how much good you have done.
You might as well have given up the money in the
first place."
"It was my duty to keep it from you, if I could,"
said Phil, panting with his exertions.
"Well, if that's any satisfaction to you, you're
welcome to it."
He went to the door and unlocked it.
"May I go now?" asked Phil.
"Not much. Stay where you are!"
A moment later and Phil found himself alone and
a prisoner.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
Phil tried the door, but now it was locked on
the outside, and he found that he was securely
trapped. He went to the window, but here, too,
there was no chance of escape. Even if he had been
able to get safely out, he would have landed in a
back-yard from which there was no egress except
through the house, which was occupied by his
enemies.
"What shall I do?" Phil asked himself, despairingly.
"Mr. Carter will be anxious about me, and
to twenty feet, walked a dark-complexioned man of
not far from forty years of age. Of course Phil
was not likely to notice him.
Whatever the man's designs might be, he satisfied
himself at first with simply keeping our hero in
view. But as they both reached Bleecker Street, he
suddenly increased his pace and caught up with
Phil. He touched the boy on the shoulder, breathing
quickly, as if he had been running.
Phil turned quickly.
"Do you want me, sir?" he asked, eying the
stranger in surprise.
"I don't know. Perhaps I am mistaken. Are
you in the employ of Mr. Oliver Carter?"
"Yes, sir."
"Ah I then you are the boy I want. I have bad
news for you."
"Bad news!" repeated Phil, alarmed. "What is
it?"
"Mr. Carter was seized with a fit in the street
half an hour since."
"Is he--dead?" asked Phil, in dismay.
"No, no! I think he will come out all right."
"Where is he?"
"In my house. I didn't of course know who he
was, but I found in his pocket a letter directed to
Oliver Carter, Madison Avenue. There was also a
business card. He is connected in business with Mr.
Pitkin, is he not?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil; "where is your house?"
"In Bleecker Street, near by. Mr. Carter is lying
on the bed. He is unconscious, but my wife heard
him say: `Call Philip.' I suppose that is you?"
"Yes, sir; my name is Philip."
"I went around to his place of business, and was
told that you had just left there. I was given a
description of you and hurried to find you. Will
you come to the house and see Mr. Carter?"
"Yes, sir," answered Phil, forgetting everything
except that his kind and generousemployer was
sick, perhaps dangerously.
"Thank you; I shall feel relieved. Of course you
can communicate with his friends and arrange to
have him carried home."
"Yes, sir; I live at his house."
"That is well."
They had turned down Bleecker Street, when it
occurred to Phil to say:
"I don't understand how Mr. Carter should be in
this neighborhood."
"That is something I can't explain, as I know
nothing about his affairs," said the stranger
pleasantly. "Perhaps he may have property on the
street."
"I don't think so. I attend to much of his
business, and he would have sent me if there had been
anything of that kind to attend to."
"I dare say you are right," said his companion.
"Of course I know nothing about it. I only formed
a conjecture."
"Has a physician been sent for?" asked Phil.
"Do you know of any we can call in?"
"My wife agreed to send for one on Sixth Avenue,"
said the stranger. "I didn't wait for him to
come, but set out for the store."
Nothing could be more ready or plausible than
the answers of his new acquaintance, and Phil was
by no means of a suspicioustemperament. Had he
lived longer in the city it might have occurred to
him that there was something rather unusual in the
circumstances, but he knew that Mr. Carter had
spoken of leaving the house at the breakfast-table,
indeed had left it before he himself had set out for
the store. For the time being the thought of the
sum of money which he carried with him had escaped
his memory, but it was destined very soon to
be recalled to his mind.
They had nearly reached Sixth Avenue, when his
guide stopped in front of a shabby brick house.
"This is where I live," he said. "We will go in."
He produced a key, opened the door, and Phil
accompanied him up a shabbystaircase to the third
floor. He opened the door of a rear room, and
made a sign to Phil to enter.
CHAPTER XXXII.
PHIL IS ROBBED.
When he was fairly in the room Phil looked
about him expecting to see Mr. Carter, but
the room appeared unoccupied. He turned to his
companion, a look of surprise on his face, but he was
destined to be still more surprised, and that not in a
pleasant way. His guide had locked the door from
the inside and put the key in his pocket.
"What does that mean?" asked Phil, with sudden
apprehension.
"What do you refer to?" asked his guide with an
unpleasant smile.
"Why do you lock the door?"
"I thought it might be safest," was the significant
answer.
"I don't believe Mr. Carter is in the house at all,"
said Phil quickly.
"I don't believe he is either, youngster."
"Why did you tell me he was here?" demanded
Phil, with rising indignation.
"I thought you wouldn't come if I didn't,"
replied his companion nonchalantly.
"Answer me one thing, is Mr. Carter sick at all?"
"Not that I know of."
"Then I am trapped!"
"Precisely. You may as well know the truth
now."
Phil had already conjectured the reason why he
had been enticed to this poor dwelling. The two
hundred dollars which he had in his pocket made
him feel very uncomfortable. I think I may say
truly that if the money had been his own he would
have been less disturbed. But he thought, with a
sinking heart, that if the money should be taken
from him, he would himself fall under suspicion,
and he could not bear to have Mr. Carter think that
he had repaid his kindness with such black ingratitude.
He might be mistaken. The man before him
might not know he had such a sum of money in his
possession, and of course he was not going to give
him the information.
"I am glad Mr. Carter is all right," said Phil.
"Now tell me why you have taken such pains to get
me here?"
"Why, as to that," said his companion, "there
were at least two hundred good reasons."
Phil turned pale, for he understood now that in
some way his secret was known.
"What do you mean?" he asked, not wholly able
to conceal his perturbed feelings.
"You know well enough, boy," said the other
significantly. "You've got two hundred dollars in your
pocket. I want it."
"Are you a thief, then?" said Phil, with perhaps
imprudent boldness.
"Just take care what you say. I won't be
insulted by such a whipper-snapper as you. You'd
better not call names. Hand over that money!"
"How do you know I have any money?" Phil
asked, trying to gain a little time for deliberation.
"No matter. Hand it over, I say!"
"Don't take it!" said Phil, agitated. "It isn't
mine!"
"Then you needn't mind giving it up."
"It belongs to Mr. Carter."
"He has plenty more."
"But he will think I took it. He will think I am
dishonest."
"That is nothing to me."
"Let me go," pleaded Phil, "and I will never
breathe a word about your wanting to rob me. You
know you might get into trouble for it."
"That's all bosh! The money, I say!" said the
man sternly.
"I won't give it to you!" said Phil boldly.
"You won't, hey? Then I shall have to take it.
If I hurt you, you will have yourself to blame."
So saying the man seized Phil, and then a struggle
ensued, the boy defending himself as well as he
could. He made a stouter resistance than the thief
anticipated, and the latter became irritated with the
amount of trouble he had to take it. I should be
glad to report that Phil made a successful defense,
but this was hardly to be expected. He was a
strong boy, but he had to cope with a strong man,
and though right was on his side, virtue in his case
had to succumb to triumphant vice.
Phil was thrown down, and when prostrate, with
the man's knee on his breast, the latter succeeded in
stripping him of the money he had so bravely defended.
"There, you young rascal!" he said, as he rose to
his feet; "you see how much good you have done.
You might as well have given up the money in the
first place."
"It was my duty to keep it from you, if I could,"
said Phil, panting with his exertions.
"Well, if that's any satisfaction to you, you're
welcome to it."
He went to the door and unlocked it.
"May I go now?" asked Phil.
"Not much. Stay where you are!"
A moment later and Phil found himself alone and
a prisoner.
CHAPTER XXXIII.
A TERRIBLE SITUATION.
Phil tried the door, but now it was locked on
the outside, and he found that he was securely
trapped. He went to the window, but here, too,
there was no chance of escape. Even if he had been
able to get safely out, he would have landed in a
back-yard from which there was no egress except
through the house, which was occupied by his
enemies.
"What shall I do?" Phil asked himself, despairingly.
"Mr. Carter will be anxious about me, and
- generous [´dʒenərəs]
a.慷慨的；丰盛的 (初中英语单词) - employer [im´plɔiə] n.雇佣者，雇主 (初中英语单词)
- physician [fi´ziʃən] n.(内科)医生 (初中英语单词)
- acquaintance [ə´kweintəns] n.相识；熟人，相识的人 (初中英语单词)
- unusual [ʌn´ju:ʒuəl] a.不平常的；异常的 (初中英语单词)
- companion [kəm´pæniən] n.同伴；同事；伴侣 (初中英语单词)
- dwelling [´dweliŋ] n.住所；寓所 (初中英语单词)
- wholly [´həul-li] ad.完全，十足；统统 (初中英语单词)
- conceal [kən´si:l] vt.藏；隐瞒 (初中英语单词)
- resistance [ri´zistəns] n.抵抗；抵制；耐力 (初中英语单词)
- virtue [´və:tʃu:] n.美德；贞操；长处 (初中英语单词)
- satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)
- safely [´seifli] ad.安全地；平安地 (初中英语单词)
- anxious [´æŋkʃəs] a.担忧的；渴望的 (初中英语单词)
- mistaken [mis´teikən] mistake的过去分词 (高中英语单词)
- repeated [ri´pi:tid] a.反复的；重复的 (高中英语单词)
- unconscious [ʌn´kɔnʃəs] a.无意识的；不觉察的 (高中英语单词)
- hurried [´hʌrid] a.仓促的，慌忙的 (高中英语单词)
- communicate [kə´mju:nikeit] vi.通讯；传达；传播 (高中英语单词)
- suspicious [sə´spiʃəs] a.可疑的，多疑的 (高中英语单词)
- temperament [´tempərəmənt] n.气质；性格 (高中英语单词)
- shabby [´ʃæbi] a.(衣服)破旧的 (高中英语单词)
- uncomfortable [ʌn´kʌmftəbəl] a.不舒服的，不自在的 (高中英语单词)
- saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
- bravely [´breivli] ad.勇敢地；毅然 (高中英语单词)
- staircase [´steəkeis] n.楼梯 =stairway (英语四级单词)
- trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
- triumphant [trai´ʌmfənt] a.胜利的；洋洋得意的 (英语四级单词)
- prostrate [´prɔstreit, prɔ´streit] a.俯伏的 vt.弄倒 (英语四级单词)
- unoccupied [ʌn´ɔkjupaid] a.空闲的，没人住的 (英语六级单词)
- wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
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章节正文
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