“Tempting bait for Dad’s jaded1 appetite,” she remarked, helping2 herself to the largest berry in the dish. “If he can’t eat them, I can.”
“I do wish you’d leave those berries alone,” the housekeeper3 protested in an exasperated4 tone. “They haven’t been washed yet.”
“Oh, I don’t mind a few germs,” laughed Penny. “I just toss them off like a duck shedding water. Shall I take the breakfast tray up to Dad?”
“Yes, I wish you would, Penny,” sighed Mrs. Weems. “I’m right tired on my feet this morning. Hot weather always did wear me down.”
She washed the berries and then offered the tray of food to Penny who started with it toward the kitchen vestibule.
[2]
“Now where are you going, Penelope Parker?” Mrs. Weems demanded suspiciously.
“Oh, just to the automatic lift.” Penny’s blue eyes were round with innocence5.
“Don’t you dare try to ride in that contraption again!” scolded the housekeeper. “It was never built to carry human freight.”
“I’m not exactly freight,” Penny said with an injured sniff6. “It’s strong enough to carry me. I know because I tried it last week.”
“You walk up the stairs like a lady or I’ll take the tray myself,” Mrs. Weems threatened. “I declare, I don’t know when you’ll grow up.”
“Oh, all right,” grumbled7 Penny good-naturedly. “But I do maintain it’s a shameful8 waste of energy.”
Balancing the tray precariously9 on the palm of her hand she tripped lightly up the stairway and tapped on the door of her father’s bedroom.
“Come in,” he called in a muffled10 voice.
Anthony Parker, editor and owner of the Riverview Star sat propped11 up with pillows, reading a day-old edition of the newspaper.
“’Morning, Dad,” said Penny cheerfully. “How is our invalid13 today?”
“I’m no more an invalid than you are,” returned Mr. Parker testily14. “If that old quack15, Doctor Horn, doesn’t let me out of bed today—”
[3]
“You’ll simply explode, won’t you, Dad?” Penny finished mischievously16. “Here, drink your coffee and you’ll feel less like a stick of dynamite17.”
Mr. Parker tossed the newspaper aside and made a place on his knees for the breakfast tray.
“Did I hear an argument between you and Mrs. Weems?” he asked curiously18.
“No argument, Dad. I just wanted to ride up in style on the lift. Mrs. Weems thought it wasn’t a civilized19 way to travel.”
“I should think not.” The corners of Mr. Parker’s mouth twitched20 slightly as he poured coffee from the silver pot. “That lift was built to carry breakfast trays, but not in combination with athletic21 young ladies.”
“What a bore, this business of growing up,” sighed Penny. “You can’t be natural at all.”
“You seem to manage rather well with all the restrictions,” her father remarked dryly.
Penny twisted her neck to gaze at her reflection in the dresser mirror beyond the footboard of the big mahogany bed.
“I won’t mind growing up if only I’m able to develop plenty of glamour,” she said speculatively22. “Am I getting any better looking, Dad?”
[4]
“Not that I’ve noticed,” replied Mr. Parker gruffly, but his gaze lingered affectionately upon his daughter’s golden hair. She really was growing prettier each day and looked more like her mother who had died when Penny was a little girl. He had spoiled her, of course, for she was an only child, but he was proud because he had taught her to think straight. She was deeply loyal and affectionate and those who loved her overlooked her casual ways and flippant speech.
“What happened to the paper boy this morning?” Mr. Parker asked between bites of buttered toast.
“It isn’t time for him yet, Dad,” said Penny demurely23. “You always expect him at least an hour early.”
“First edition’s been off the press a good half hour,” grumbled the newspaper owner. “When I get back to the Star office, I’ll see that deliveries are speeded up. Just wait until I talk with Roberts!”
“Haven’t you been doing a pretty strenuous24 job of running the paper right from your bed?” inquired Penny as she refilled her father’s cup. “Sometimes when you talk with that poor circulation manager I think the telephone wires will burn off.”
“So I’m a tyrant25, am I?”
“Oh, everyone knows your bark is worse than your bite, Dad. But you’ve certainly not been at your best the last few days.”
Mr. Parker’s eyes roved about the luxuriously26 furnished bedroom. Tinted27 walls, chintz draperies, the rich, deep rug, were completely lost upon him. “This place is a prison,” he grumbled.
[5]
For nearly a week the household had been thrown completely out of its usual routine by the editor’s illness. Overwork combined with an attack of influenza28 had sent him to bed, there to remain until he should be released by a doctor’s order. With a telephone at his elbow, Mr. Parker had kept in close touch with the staff of the Riverview Star but he fretted29 at confinement30.
“I can’t half look after things,” he complained. “And now Miss Hilderman, the society editor, is sick. I don’t know how we’ll get a good story on the Kippenberg wedding.”
Penny looked up quickly. “Miss Hilderman is ill?”
“Yes, DeWitt, the city editor, telephoned me a few minutes ago. She wasn’t able to show up for work this morning.”
“I really don’t see why he should bother you about that, Dad. Can’t Miss Hilderman’s assistant take over the duties?”
“The routine work, yes, but I don’t care to trust her with the Kippenberg story.”
“Is it something extra special, Dad?”
“Surely, you’ve heard of Mrs. Clayton Kippenberg?”
“The name is familiar but I can’t seem to recall—”
“Clayton Kippenberg made a mint of money in the chain drug business. No one ever knew exactly the extent of his fortune. He built an elaborate estate about a hundred and twenty-five miles from here, familiarly called The Castle because of its resemblance to an ancient feudal31 castle. The estate is cut off from the mainland on three sides and may be reached either by boat or by means of a picturesque32 drawbridge.”
[6]
“Sounds interesting,” commented Penny.
“I never saw the place myself. In fact, Kippenberg never allowed outsiders to visit the estate. Less than a year ago a rumor33 floated around that he had separated from his wife. There also was considerable talk that he had disappeared because of difficulties with the government over income tax evasion34 and wished to escape arrest. At any rate, he faded out of the picture while his wife remained in possession of The Castle.”
“And now she is marrying again?”
“No, it is Mrs. Kippenberg’s daughter, Sylvia, who is to be married. The bridegroom, Grant Atherwald, comes from a very old and distinguished35 family.”
“I don’t see why the story should be so difficult to cover.”
“Mrs. Kippenberg has ruled that no reporters or photographers will be allowed on the estate,” explained Mr. Parker.
“That does complicate36 the situation.”
“Yes, it may not be easy to persuade Mrs. Kippenberg to change her mind. I rather doubt that our assistant society editor has the ingenuity37 to handle the story.”
“Then why don’t you send one of the regular reporters? Jerry Livingston, for instance?”
[7]
“Jerry couldn’t tell a tulle wedding veil from one of crinoline. Nor could any other man on the staff.”
“I could get that story for you,” Penny said suddenly. “Why don’t you try me?”
Mr. Parker gazed at his daughter speculatively.
“Do you really think you could?”
“Of course.” Penny spoke38 with assurance. “Didn’t I bring in two perfectly39 good scoops40 for your old sheet?”
“You certainly did. Your Vanishing Houseboat yarn42 was one of the best stories we’ve published in a year of Sundays. And the town is still talking about Tale of the Witch Doll.”
“After what I went through to get those stories, a mere43 wedding would be child’s play.”
“Don’t be too confident,” warned Mr. Parker. “If Mrs. Kippenberg doesn’t alter her decision about reporters, the story may be impossible to get.”
“May I try?” Penny asked eagerly.
Mr. Parker frowned. “Well, I don’t know. I hate to send you so far, and then I have a feeling—”
“Yes, Dad?”
“I can’t put my thoughts into words. It’s just that my newspaper instinct tells me this story may develop into something big. Kippenberg’s disappearance44 never was fully12 explained and his wife refused to discuss the affair with reporters.”
[8]
“Kippenberg might be at the wedding,” said Penny, thinking aloud. “If he were a normal father he would wish to see his daughter married.”
“You follow my line of thought, Penny. When you’re at the estate—if you get in—keep your eyes and ears open.”
“Then you’ll let me cover the story?” Penny cried in delight.
“Yes, I’ll telephone the office now and arrange for a photographer to go with you.”
“Tell them to send Salt Sommers,” Penny suggested quickly. “He doesn’t act as know-it-all as some of the other lads.”
“I had Sommers in mind,” her father nodded as he reached for the telephone.
“And I have a lot more than Salt Sommers in my mind,” laughed Penny.
“Meaning?”
“Another big story, Dad! A scoop41 for the Star and this for you.”
Penny implanted a kiss on her father’s cheek and skipped joyously45 from the room.
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收听单词发音
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1
jaded
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| adj.精疲力竭的；厌倦的；（因过饱或过多而）腻烦的；迟钝的 | |
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helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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exasperated
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| adj.恼怒的 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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6
sniff
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| vi.嗅…味道；抽鼻涕；对嗤之以鼻，蔑视 | |
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7
grumbled
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| 抱怨( grumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 发牢骚； 咕哝； 发哼声 | |
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8
shameful
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| adj.可耻的，不道德的 | |
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precariously
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| adv.不安全地；危险地；碰机会地；不稳定地 | |
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muffled
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| adj.（声音）被隔的；听不太清的；（衣服）裹严的；蒙住的v.压抑，捂住( muffle的过去式和过去分词 )；用厚厚的衣帽包着（自己） | |
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11
propped
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| 支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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testily
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| adv. 易怒地, 暴躁地 | |
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quack
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| n.庸医；江湖医生；冒充内行的人；骗子 | |
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mischievously
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| adv.有害地；淘气地 | |
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dynamite
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| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
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curiously
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| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
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civilized
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| a.有教养的，文雅的 | |
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twitched
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| vt.& vi.（使）抽动，（使）颤动（twitch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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athletic
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| adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的 | |
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22
speculatively
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| adv.思考地，思索地；投机地 | |
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23
demurely
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| adv.装成端庄地，认真地 | |
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24
strenuous
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| adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的 | |
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25
tyrant
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| n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人 | |
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luxuriously
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| adv.奢侈地，豪华地 | |
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27
tinted
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| adj. 带色彩的 动词tint的过去式和过去分词 | |
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28
influenza
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| n.流行性感冒，流感 | |
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29
fretted
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| 焦躁的，附有弦马的，腐蚀的 | |
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confinement
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| n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限 | |
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31
feudal
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| adj.封建的，封地的，领地的 | |
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32
picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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33
rumor
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| n.谣言，谣传，传说 | |
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34
evasion
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| n.逃避，偷漏(税) | |
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35
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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36
complicate
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| vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂 | |
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ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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38
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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40
scoops
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| n.小铲( scoop的名词复数 )；小勺；一勺[铲]之量；（抢先刊载、播出的）独家新闻v.抢先报道( scoop的第三人称单数 )；（敏捷地）抱起；抢先获得；用铲[勺]等挖（洞等） | |
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41
scoop
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| n.铲子，舀取，独家新闻；v.汲取，舀取，抢先登出 | |
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42
yarn
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| n.纱，纱线，纺线；奇闻漫谈，旅行轶事 | |
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43
mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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44
disappearance
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| n.消失，消散，失踪 | |
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45
joyously
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| ad.快乐地, 高兴地 | |
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