Mrs. Horton and her friends did not delay calling upon Miss Boulby. That lady has been walking on air since the above-related conversation with Mr. Murphy and was in a very sweet and forgiving mood. She allowed her callers to talk just as much as they pleased and on the subject dearest to them. They discussed and re-discussed every phase of church work. Miss Katherine professed2 herself willing to make endless quilts for the missionary3 box, pin-cushions for the bazaar4, socks for the Old Men’s Home and cakes for the sewing circle. The minister’s wife was dazed by such liberality and when Miss Katherine spoke5 of the number of years her brother had been deacon in their home church, and of her own activities in every conceivable church society, the ladies felt that a terrible injustice6 had been done this exemplary brother and sister.
When Miss Katherine had seen that her words fell on receptive ground she still mellowed7 that soil by tempting8 refreshments9 after which she proposed a walk in the garden. As Joseph was from home she offered slips, roots and seeds without number. At last she came to a rose tree which, she judged, would do as well as any other and she launched into the story of Captain Shannon’s experiments to produce a new species and final triumph.
“We knew,” said the unblushing Miss Katherine, [59] “that he had been awarded a medal by the American Horticultural Society. Mr. Murphy, who is an old friend of the Captain’s, told us he had lost the medal in the garden, so we began looking for it. Come with me and I’ll show you where we found it.”
Miss Katherine did so, elaborating on the trouble they had taken to discover it.
“It is solid gold,” said she, “and we were afraid that the boys might suspect what we were looking for and come at night and hunt for it, so we set Bruno to watch at night, but fortunately we found it. Come in the house and I’ll show it to you.”
As Miss Katherine watched her visitors go away she said to herself:
“I confess that all I said this afternoon was not strictly10 true, but there are times when a prudent11 woman will deviate12 somewhat from the exact truth.”
When Miss Katherine had bade Mr. Murphy good afternoon, on the day of his startling disclosure concerning Captain Kidd’s treasure, the aforementioned gentleman fell to chuckling13.
“I’m in a devil of a fix, but I’ve saved the house from destruction, that’s sure. I’ll trust her to make peace with the neighbors and then I’ll gradually ease her off the Captain Kidd proposition and [60] then there should be plain sailing. But Jehosaphat! What about that chart? Well, I’ll just have to get some paper and a pencil and go back to the shore and draw it, that’s all. I can’t lie worth a darn. I’ve got to get myself in a worse mess every time instead of lying out.”
So saying, Mr. Murphy procured14 the paper and pencil and retraced15 his steps to the shore where he labored16 long and arduously17, for he was neither an artist nor a cartographer.
In a couple of days Mr. Murphy informed Miss Katherine that he thought he had located the right spot and that afternoon, they would begin their search. Miss Katherine was to join him at the spot where she had found him the day they became partners in this affair. He would be laden18 with the necessary tools. Miss Katherine asked if she should bring a bag in case of success, but Mr. Murphy said no, they were more apt to find it if they acted as if they thought they wouldn’t.
At the appointed time and place the junction19 of the forces was successfully accomplished21.
Miss Katherine and Mr. Murphy sat down side by side to study the chart. The latter explained that he had worn out the original and this was a copy he had made. The chart fully20 came up to Miss Katherine’s idea of a chart.
“Now you can see if you study it,” exclaimed Mr. Murphy, “that it’s this bit of shore that’s [61] meant. See where it juts22 out here by the pine tree! Well, just look down the shore there and you’ll see the very spot. From there just follow along and compare the chart with the shore. Line for line, ain’t they?”
“Isn’t that remarkable23!” exclaimed Miss Katherine. “What a wonderful observer you must be to have noticed the similarity! But wouldn’t you think there would be changes in the shore line since the time this chart was made?”
“Well, you see it’s sheltered here,” returned Mr. Murphy. “That makes a big difference.”
“Oh does it?” cried Miss Katherine.
“Oh, yes!” replied Mr. Murphy.
“And now where is the treasure?” asked Miss Katherine.
“Well, the first place I’d try is right in this little hollow. We’ll go right along to it.”
Mr. Murphy shouldered his spade, pick and axe25 and directed Miss Katherine to the spot, a little sandy hollow between two little sandy mounds26.
“Now you must keep guard while I dig,” said Mr. Murphy. “It wouldn’t do to let others into the secret you know.”
Miss Katherine was quite disappointed, for she had anticipated watching the excavation27 sink deeper and deeper until the spade suddenly struck the iron lid of a box, and a king’s ransom28 glowed [62] at their feet. But she realized the wisdom of this request and uncomplainingly complied with it.
In silence and with inward protest Mr. Murphy plied24 his spade until he was obliged to straighten his aching back. He looked at his task mistress entreatingly29, but she was on guard and had no eyes for the toiler30. The poor man gazed about him in distress31. Would he fall from grace if he took a little rest?
Fortunately for Mr. Murphy, at this moment, Miss Katherine’s eye fell upon the little lunch basket she carried. A pang32 of remorse33 shot through her heart as she turned and beheld34 her hero leaning wearily upon his spade.
At the suggestion of lunch Mr. Murphy climbed out of prison with such alacrity35 that Miss Katherine’s soft heart suffered another pang. But as pity is akin36 to another, warmer and tendered passion let us hope all was working for the highest good of Miss Katherine and Mr. Murphy.
Whatever hopes of a prolonged rest that gentleman had at first entertained were soon destroyed by a word or two from his inexorable partner, and again the gentle chuck, chuck as the spade struck against the soft sand, was the only sound that broke the silence.
Miss Katherine, though not watching the digger, kept time with his steady spade and strained her ear to catch a clink instead of a click. That [63] would announce the bursting of an old leather bag or the striking upon an iron box. There it would be! Gold! Gold glittering in the light after years of darkness!
“Damn it!” broke in upon Miss Katherine’s golden dream.
In mild surprise she turned about and beheld her erstwhile obedient partner hurl37 his spade from him and scramble38 out of the deep hole he had dug. Rebellion was written on his face, but as he approached Miss Katherine there was something much softer and infinitely39 agreeable to the female eye in his expression.
“Confound it all!” said Captain Peter Shannon, “let’s stop this foolishness and get married.”
The End
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1
softened
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| （使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰 | |
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2
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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3
missionary
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| adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士 | |
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4
bazaar
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| n.集市，商店集中区 | |
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5
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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6
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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7
mellowed
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| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
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8
tempting
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| a.诱人的, 吸引人的 | |
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9
refreshments
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| n.点心,便餐;(会议后的)简单茶点招 待 | |
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10
strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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11
prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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12
deviate
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| v.(from)背离，偏离 | |
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13
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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14
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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15
retraced
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| v.折回( retrace的过去式和过去分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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16
labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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17
arduously
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| adv.费力地，严酷地 | |
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18
laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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19
junction
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| n.连接，接合；交叉点，接合处，枢纽站 | |
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20
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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21
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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22
juts
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| v.（使）突出( jut的第三人称单数 )；伸出；（从…）突出；高出 | |
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23
remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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24
plied
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| v.使用（工具）( ply的过去式和过去分词 )；经常供应（食物、饮料）；固定往来；经营生意 | |
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25
axe
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| n.斧子；v.用斧头砍，削减 | |
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26
mounds
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| 土堆，土丘( mound的名词复数 )； 一大堆 | |
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27
excavation
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| n.挖掘，发掘；被挖掘之地 | |
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28
ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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29
entreatingly
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| 哀求地，乞求地 | |
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30
toiler
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| 辛劳者，勤劳者 | |
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31
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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32
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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33
remorse
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| n.痛恨，悔恨，自责 | |
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34
beheld
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| v.看，注视( behold的过去式和过去分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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35
alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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36
akin
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| adj.同族的，类似的 | |
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37
hurl
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| vt.猛投，力掷，声叫骂 | |
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38
scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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39
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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