Chapter XXV

 WHEN Harold saw Ruth after she secured the position with the Wing Mortgage Company one of the first things she wanted to know was why he had asked over the 'phone as to her associations with men.

"I heard that you had been keeping company with a disreputable young man, and I wanted to prove that I was the man," he said.

"Who said I had been keeping bad company?"

"Your former employer."

"Stover?"

"Yes. I had just learned through my friend Wilson that someone had told Wing that you associated with a disreputable young man and that was the reason you did not get the job. I guessed at once that it was Stover. Wilson admitted it was he. I wanted to know if you had been with any other men so that I would know how to talk to Stover. When I talked to him he said that he didn't mean his nephew, so there wasn't anyone for him to mean but me. I went to Wing then and confessed that I was the disreputable young man."

"I just knew that you had something to do with my getting that job. Of course Stover spoke¹ that way of you because you belong to the Klan."

"Yes, he pretends so; but the real reason is because he can't use me or bribe² me. As I told you before, Stover is a crook³ and one of these days I will prove it to you and to the world. I know why you lost your job at the bank. It was on my account, wasn't it?"

"I don't have to answer, do I?"

"No. I know."

"I want to thank you for helping⁴ me get the job and especially for setting me right in the estimation of Mr. Wing. I certainly appreciate it."

"It was a great pleasure to be of some little assistance to you, but I am the one who is indebted for a job. You are the one who secured me my chance. How can I repay you?"

"Who's been tattling?" she asked, laughing.

"Your friend, Miss Welty, told me the last trip I made to the capital."

"She's a piker; she told me she wouldn't tell."

"Well, she didn't exactly tell. I got her to admit it. She said that you talked like a professional salesman in selling me to her father."

"It wasn't difficult. You see I had a good article to sell. When your goods have real merit it isn't hard to make a sale."

"Ruth, I am leaving tonight."

"Will you be gone long?"

"I am not sure. At least four or five days. I have to go early to get ready. I did not want to go without having a little visit with you."

"Once before when you were leaving we pulled a wishbone."

"Yes, and you won and made three wishes. You haven't told me yet what you wished."

"No, they haven't all come true yet."

"You can tell me about the ones that have come true, can't you?"

"No, not yet. If I were to tell you now that would break the charm and the others would not come true. Say, do you want to pull another wishbone? I've got one in here, but there isn't any meat on this one."

"Well, we don't want the meat on it when we pull it. Come on, let's wish." She went into the kitchen and secured the wishbone. "This is a small one," she said.

"It should be good for two wishes," he said, "if the other was sufficient to carry three."

"All right, here goes for two wishes." He took every advantage in the hold that he secured and the quick twist that he gave it when she was ready. He won, and she said, "That wasn't fair; you cheated."

"You won the other time," he replied, "and it was my time to win."

He said he must leave, and she accompanied him to the front porch. He said good-night and took several steps down the walk, then turned back and talked a while longer. "Well, I must go," he said, but he remained ten minutes more. Finally he screwed his courage to the sticking point, leaned over and kissed her cheek. She playfully slapped him, as she said, "You naughty boy." The combined effect of the kiss and slap sent him away happy.

After leaving Ruth, Harold had only time enough to pack his grip and make the California Limited.

The same day that Ruth had given Harold the description of Dick Watson, he sent the description to the heads of the Klan in every state in the union. Within a week three million secret service men were looking for the missing bank cashier. This afternoon Harold had received a telegram informing him that his man had been located by Klansmen in Arizona.

1 spoke   

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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

3 crook   

v.使弯曲；n.小偷，骗子，贼；弯曲(处)

参考例句：

• He demanded an apology from me for calling him a crook.我骂他骗子，他要我向他认错。
• She was cradling a small parcel in the crook of her elbow.她用手臂挎着一个小包裹。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。