CHAPTER XXI. JASPER IS INTRUSTED WITH A DELICATE COMMISSION.

 "Look here, boy," said Dick, "do you want a job?"

 

"Yes," said Jasper, "if it's honest."

 

"No fear of that. I want you to take that boy home to his father."

 

"I'll do it," said Jasper, eagerly.

 

"How much pay do you want?"

 

"None at all, except money to pay my fare in the cars."

 

"You're the right sort," said Dick, with satisfaction. "But there's another matter I've got to think about. How do I know but you will betray me?"

 

"How?"

 

"Put the police on my track."

 

"If you hadn't given up the boy I might," said Jasper, frankly¹.

 

Dick regarded him attentively².

 

"You're bold," he said. "Then you won't betray me now."

 

"No."

 

"Promise it."

 

"I promise—that is, if you send the boy home by me."

 

"All right; that's understood. Now for another matter. Read that letter."

 

Jasper read the letter of Herman Fitch, already quoted.

 

"You see this man, the boy's father, agrees to pay one hundred and fifty dollars when he is given up."

 

"I see that."

 

"He will give you that money—that is, if he means fair—and you will bring it to me. Do you understand?"

 

"I do."

 

"Do you promise that?"

 

"I promise that, too. Where am I to find you? Here?"

 

"No; I'll give you an address in St. Louis."

 

"Does the father live in St. Louis?"

 

"He lives a little out of the city. His name is in the directory, so you won't have any trouble in finding it."

 

"How glad he will be to see the little boy again!"

 

"He ought to be. You don't think he'll back out from his agreement?" said Dick, suspiciously.

 

"No; he'll be so glad to see the child, he will care nothing for the money."

 

"That's what I hope. When I get that money I'm going East."

 

"You'll take me with you, Dick?" asked his wife.

 

"What good'll you be?" growled³ Dick. "It'll cost more."

 

"What can I do alone, here?"

 

"I'll leave money for your board."

 

"But I'll be so lonely, Dick," she persisted.

 

"Oh, I'll come back! It's business I'm going for, old woman. If I can't come back I'll send money to bring you."

 

"Do let me go with you, Dick."

 

"Oh, hush⁴ up! I can't have you always in my way. What, blubbering? Plague take all the women, I say!"

 

"When do you want me to go?" said Jasper.

 

"There's a train this afternoon; take that, for the sooner matters are arranged the better. Here's five dollars. It'll be more than enough to pay your fare, but you'd better have it in case anything happens."

 

Jasper felt some repugnance⁵ in taking money acquired in such a way, but it seemed necessary, and he thrust the note into his vest-pocket.

 

"You'll be able to carry the boy back to-night," said Dick. "To-morrow at twelve bring the money to this address."

 

He handed him a greasy-looking card with the name "Mark Mortimer, No. 132 S—— Street," scrawled⁶ on it in pencil.

 

"Am I to ask for Mark Mortimer?" asked Jasper.

 

"Yes, that's me—that is, it's one of my names. Don't fail."

 

"I won't."

 

"If you should play me false, you'd better never have been born," said the kidnapper⁷, menacingly.

 

"I'll come, not on account of your threats, but because I have promised," said Jasper, quietly.

 

"You're a plucky⁸ boy. You ain't one of the milk-and-water sort," said Dick, with respect for the boy's courage.

 

"Thank you," said Jasper, laughing. "I am not often afraid."

 

"By Jove! you've got more pluck than half the men. You'd make a fine lad for my business."

 

"I don't think I'd like your business, so far as I know what it is," said Jasper.

 

"Well, there's some I'd like better myself. If my sister does the right thing by me I'll become a model citizen—run for Congress, may be. Eh, old woman?"

 

"I wish you would reform, Dick," said his wife.

 

"Let the world give me a chance, then. Now, boy, you must be starting."

 

"Harry⁹," said Jasper to the little boy, whose name he had learned, "do you want to go with me?"

 

The little boy confidingly¹⁰ put his arms round our hero's neck.

 

"Will you take me to my mamma?" he asked.

 

"Yes, I will take you to her."

 

The little boy uttered a cry of delight.

 

"Me all ready!" he said, eagerly.

 

"Do you think he can walk to the depot¹¹?" asked Jasper.

 

"Yes; it is only a mile or so."

 

"Then I will start."

 

Part of the way he carried the little boy in his arms. They could make but slow progress, but luckily there was plenty of time, and they reached the depot a quarter of an hour before the train started.

 

The station-master looked at the two with curiosity.

 

"Is that boy yours?"

 

"He isn't my son, if that's what you mean," said Jasper, amused.

 

"Brother, then?"

 

"No; he's a friend of mine that I'm taking home to his father and mother."

 

"Been makin' a visit around here?" asked the station-master.

 

"Yes," replied Jasper, briefly¹².

 

The arrival of two passengers, who wanted tickets, relieved him from the questions of the curious station-master. He might have asked questions which it would have been inconvenient¹³ to answer.

 

"Did you ever ride in the cars, Harry?" asked Jasper.

 

"I did ride in the cars when the ugly man took me from my mamma."

 

"Was that the only time?"

 

The little boy could remember no other.

 

Jasper led him a little away, to avoid questioning, but was back in time to enter the cars when the train arrived. He found a vacant seat, and gave the little boy the place next the window. There were many admiring glances directed toward the little fellow, who was remarkably¹⁴ handsome. Jasper was apprehensive¹⁵ lest the boy should be recognized by some one who knew him. This would have brought suspicion upon him, and placed him in a very embarrassing position. Fortunately, though the child's appearance was much admired, no such recognition took place.

 

Two hours later they rolled into the central depot at St. Louis.

 

"Now," thought Jasper, "I must find out as soon as possible where Mr. Fitch lives."

 

Jasper had not been much of a traveller, as we know. Finding himself now in a strange city, he felt at first a little bewildered—the more so, that he had a young child under his charge. He did not know in which direction the boy's father lived, but the natural thought occurred to him that he could find his name in the directory. He went into a lager-beer saloon near-by and asked:

 

"Will you let me see your directory?"

 

"I got no directory," answered the burly Dutchman, who presided over the saloon. "I can give you lager."

 

"Not at present," said Jasper, laughing. "We don't drink."

 

It occurred to him that it might be as well to get into the central part of the city. He accordingly hailed a passing car, and got aboard with Harry.

 

After awhile he judged from the appearance of the buildings that he had reached one of the principal streets. He descended¹⁶ from the car, lifting Harry carefully down and carrying him in his arms to the sidewalk. There was a large and imposing¹⁷ store situated¹⁸ at the corner of the street.

 

"They must have a directory in there," thought Jasper.

 

He entered, holding the little boy by the hand. What was his surprise when a richly-dressed lady, turning and catching¹⁹ sight of the child, sprang to him, seized him in her arms, and began to cry and laugh alternately. But the mystery was explained when he heard Harry say:

 

"Oh, mamma, I am so glad to see you!"

1 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

2 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 growled   

v.（动物）发狺狺声， （雷）作隆隆声( growl的过去式和过去分词 )；低声咆哮着说

参考例句：

• \"They ought to be birched, \" growled the old man. 老人咆哮道：“他们应受到鞭打。” 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He growled out an answer. 他低声威胁着回答。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 hush   

int.嘘，别出声；n.沉默，静寂；v.使安静

参考例句：

• A hush fell over the onlookers.旁观者们突然静了下来。
• Do hush up the scandal!不要把这丑事声张出去！

5 repugnance   

n.嫌恶

参考例句：

• He fought down a feelings of repugnance.他抑制住了厌恶感。
• She had a repugnance to the person with whom she spoke.她看不惯这个和她谈话的人。

6 scrawled   

乱涂，潦草地写( scrawl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I tried to read his directions, scrawled on a piece of paper. 我尽量弄明白他草草写在一片纸上的指示。
• Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it -- I got more." 汤姆在他的写字板上写了几个字：“请你收下吧，我多得是哩。”

7 kidnapper   

n.绑架者，拐骗者

参考例句：

• The kidnapper was shot dead then and there by the armed policeman.绑架者被武装警察当时当地击毙。
• The kidnapper strangled the child with a piece of string.绑票的人用一根绳子把这孩子勒死了。

8 plucky   

adj.勇敢的

参考例句：

• The plucky schoolgirl amazed doctors by hanging on to life for nearly two months.这名勇敢的女生坚持不放弃生命近两个月的精神令医生感到震惊。
• This story featured a plucky heroine.这个故事描述了一个勇敢的女英雄。

9 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

10 confidingly   

adv.信任地

参考例句：

• She watched him confidingly and without any fear, faintly wagging her tail. 木木信任地望着自己最新近的主人，不但没有畏惧，还轻轻地摇着尾巴。 来自互联网

11 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

12 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

13 inconvenient   

adj.不方便的，令人感到麻烦的

参考例句：

• You have come at a very inconvenient time.你来得最不适时。
• Will it be inconvenient for him to attend that meeting?他参加那次会议会不方便吗？

14 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

15 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。

16 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

17 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

18 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

19 catching   

adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住

参考例句：

• There are those who think eczema is catching.有人就是认为湿疹会传染。
• Enthusiasm is very catching.热情非常富有感染力。