CHAPTER XXX NAT COMES INTO HIS OWN

 Once at the police station, Nat made a charge against Nick Smithers, and then the swindler was asked what he had to say for himself.

 

"This is all a mistake," he said. "I am not the person."

 

"He is wanted in Chicago as well as in New York City," went on our hero.

 

In the meantime another officer had been looking up Nick Smithers' picture in the rogues¹' gallery.

 

"I don't think the young man is mistaken," he said. "Wait till I telephone to New York for more particulars."

 

This was done, and inside of an hour the rascal²'s identity was fully³ established. Then Nick Smithers broke down.

 

"It's all up with me, and I may as well confess," he said, scowling⁴ at Nat. "But I must say, I never thought a country boy would run me down."

 

"Well, you see, I am not quite as green as I used to be," answered Nat, with a faint smile.

 

"But you missed it by not coming to me on the quiet," went on Nick Smithers. "Had you done so, you might have gotten your hundred dollars back. As it is, you'll not get a cent."

 

"That remains⁵ to be seen," answered our hero.

 

When Nat could get away from the police station he hurried at once to the law offices of Messrs. Caswick & Sampson, as directed by Mr. Garwell.

 

"So you are the young man John Garwell telegraphed about," said Mr. Sampson, shaking hands. "I am glad to meet you. The business on hand concerns you personally as well as it concerns your employer."

 

"Concerns me?" ejaculated Nat, in wonder. "How is that?"

 

"I am interested in a piece of property located in New York City, near Central Park. By some papers which you turned over to Mr. Garwell it would seem that you are likewise interested in the land."

 

"Through my grandfather?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Then he really owned a share of the land?"

 

"He did, and so far as Mr. Garwell and I can ascertain⁶ he never sold out his claim."

 

"What is the claim worth?"

 

"You will have to ask Mr. Garwell about that. He wanted me to sign certain documents, and let you take them to New York to-night. Can you do that?"

 

"I think I can. But the police may wish to detain me." And then our hero told of the arrest of Nick Smithers. Mr. Sampson became interested, and in the end went to the station with Nat. He knew some of the officials, so our hero had no more trouble.

 

"We shall send the rascal to New York as soon as the officers down there want him," said one of the police officials; and, later on, this was done.

 

Not to lose time, our hero took the night train for the metropolis⁷. He had a berth⁸ in the sleeper⁹, but it was a long while before he could get to sleep. There were many things to think about, and the question of property near Central Park was an absorbing one.

 

Arriving in New York, he went to his boarding house for breakfast, and then hurried down to the office. It was not until ten o'clock that John Garwell appeared.

 

"Did you get the papers from Mr. Sampson?" was his employer's first question.

 

"Yes, sir."

 

"And fix up those matters at Springfield, too?"

 

"Yes, Mr. Garwell, and I did some other things, too," added Nat. "I had that rascal, Hamilton Dart¹⁰, alias¹¹ Nick Smithers, arrested."

 

"Is it possible! Tell me the particulars," and Nat did so. "We must do what we can to get your money back. This chap may have some property somewhere."

 

"Well, even if I don't get the money back, it's a satisfaction to put him where he belongs," said our hero.

 

"Perhaps you'll not be so anxious to get that hundred dollars after you've heard what I have to tell, Nat," went on John Garwell, with a quiet smile.

 

"What have you to tell, Mr. Garwell?"

 

"It's about that property in which your grandfather and your father were interested."

 

"Is there a share coming to me?"

 

"Yes."

 

"What is it worth?"

 

"That remains to be learned. The hotel folks want all that tract¹² of land, as I told you. I shall advise you to hold out for sixty thousand dollars."

 

"Sixty thousand dollars!" gasped¹³ Nat, thinking he had not heard aright.

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you mean to say that you think my share in that property is worth sixty thousand dollars?"

 

"Either that or pretty close to it. I would not take a cent less than fifty-five thousand dollars."

 

"It's a—a fortune!"

 

"It certainly is a neat sum of money for any lad to fall heir to. I trust, if you do get it, that you invest it wisely."

 

"I'll do my best to do that, Mr. Garwell. But this—stumps me! Sixty thousand dollars! What will Uncle Abner say when he hears of it!"

 

"I'm afraid he will be a bit jealous. I'm jealous myself," added the real estate broker¹⁴, with a twinkle in his eye.

 

"I know you are not," answered Nat, honestly. "Just the same, sir, if I get that money, you are going to have your full share for helping¹⁵ me get it."

 

"Well, I shan't object to my regular commission."

 

"And you are going to have more," added Nat, firmly.

 

"The way matters have turned out will make that Shanley of Brooklyn sick," continued John Garwell. "And it will make Rufus Cameron sick, too. The business will be transacted¹⁶ entirely¹⁷ through me, and they will not get a cent in commissions."

 

"Well, I'm glad to get back at Rufus Cameron," answered Nat. "I haven't forgotten how he treated me."

 

"His aunt will have nothing more to do with him. He has got to support himself."

 

"I hope it makes a man of him," said our hero.

 

The next three weeks were busy ones for Nat. He had to appear against Nick Smithers, who was brought to New York, tried, and sentenced to several years in prison. It was found that there was money coming to the swindler, and through this our hero and the others who had put up their money for positions with "Hamilton Dart," received what was coming to them.

 

"It was great of you to run him down," said the sick man to Nat. "This return of money will please my sister."

 

"And I am thankful too," added Harry¹⁸ Bray¹⁹.

 

The day after Nick Smithers was convicted the deal concerning the property near Central Park was closed. It was shown that a part of the property really belonged to Nat, and the sum of sixty thousand dollars was eventually turned over to the youth for this. But this was not until he was of age.

 

"Nat's a rich man now," said Abner Balberry, when the youth became twenty-one. "He's got a reg'lar fortune."

 

"You shall have something of this, Uncle Abner," said our hero, and he gave his uncle five thousand dollars in cash. He also gave the same amount to John Garwell.

 

In the meantime our hero had stuck close to the real-estate business, and learned it thoroughly²⁰. He was still John Garwell's private clerk.

 

"Are you going to leave me, now you have your fortune?" questioned the real estate broker, anxiously.

 

"Do you want me to leave?"

 

"No, indeed!"

 

"How would you like to take me in as a partner, Mr. Garwell?"

 

"I'd like it first-rate, Nat—in fact, I was going to mention that myself."

 

"Then let us form a partnership," and this was done without delay. The new firm, prospered²¹ from the very start, much to the satisfaction of all concerned.

 

In the meantime, Nat did not forget his old friends the Talcotts. Although he no longer lived with them, he visited them often. He learned through the widow that her son was anxious to buy out the store in which he worked. The price was twelve hundred dollars, and one day Nat bought it, and had the transfer made out in Dick's name.

 

"You deserve this, Dick," said he. "When I was a stranger and mighty²² green you did your best by me."

 

"Well, you've paid me back," said Dick, with a grin. "You're a gentleman, Nat, you are."

 

"And how about being green?"

 

"You're not green any more. You're as smart as they make 'em!"

 

Since then the years have rolled on. Nat is still in business and is doing well. He has married and settled down in New York City; and here we will leave him.

 

THE END

1 rogues   

n.流氓( rogue的名词复数 )；无赖；调皮捣蛋的人；离群的野兽

参考例句：

• 'I'll show these rogues that I'm an honest woman,'said my mother. “我要让那些恶棍知道，我是个诚实的女人。” 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛
• The rogues looked at each other, but swallowed the home-thrust in silence. 那些恶棍面面相觑，但只好默默咽下这正中要害的话。 来自英汉文学 - 金银岛

2 rascal   

n.流氓；不诚实的人

参考例句：

• If he had done otherwise,I should have thought him a rascal.如果他不这样做，我就认为他是个恶棍。
• The rascal was frightened into holding his tongue.这坏蛋吓得不敢往下说了。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 scowling   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There she was, grey-suited, sweet-faced, demure, but scowling. 她就在那里，穿着灰色的衣服，漂亮的脸上显得严肃而忧郁。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Scowling, Chueh-hui bit his lips. 他马上把眉毛竖起来。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

6 ascertain   

vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清

参考例句：

• It's difficult to ascertain the coal deposits.煤储量很难探明。
• We must ascertain the responsibility in light of different situtations.我们必须根据不同情况判定责任。

7 metropolis   

n.首府；大城市

参考例句：

• Shanghai is a metropolis in China.上海是中国的大都市。
• He was dazzled by the gaiety and splendour of the metropolis.大都市的花花世界使他感到眼花缭乱。

8 berth   

n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊

参考例句：

• She booked a berth on the train from London to Aberdeen.她订了一张由伦敦开往阿伯丁的火车卧铺票。
• They took up a berth near the harbor.他们在港口附近找了个位置下锚。

9 sleeper   

n.睡眠者，卧车，卧铺

参考例句：

• I usually go up to London on the sleeper. 我一般都乘卧车去伦敦。
• But first he explained that he was a very heavy sleeper. 但首先他解释说自己睡觉很沉。

10 dart   

v.猛冲，投掷；n.飞镖，猛冲

参考例句：

• The child made a sudden dart across the road.那小孩突然冲过马路。
• Markov died after being struck by a poison dart.马尔科夫身中毒镖而亡。

11 alias   

n.化名；别名；adv.又名

参考例句：

• His real name was Johnson,but he often went by the alias of Smith.他的真名是约翰逊，但是他常常用化名史密斯。
• You can replace this automatically generated alias with a more meaningful one.可用更有意义的名称替换这一自动生成的别名。

12 tract   

n.传单，小册子，大片(土地或森林)

参考例句：

• He owns a large tract of forest.他拥有一大片森林。
• He wrote a tract on this subject.他曾对此写了一篇短文。

13 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

15 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。

16 transacted   

v.办理（业务等）( transact的过去式和过去分词 )；交易，谈判

参考例句：

• We transacted business with the firm. 我们和这家公司交易。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Major Pendennis transacted his benevolence by deputy and by post. 潘登尼斯少校依靠代理人和邮局，实施着他的仁爱之心。 来自辞典例句

17 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

18 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。

19 bray   

n.驴叫声, 喇叭声；v.驴叫

参考例句：

• She cut him off with a wild bray of laughter.她用刺耳的狂笑打断了他的讲话。
• The donkey brayed and tried to bolt.这头驴嘶叫着试图脱缰而逃。

20 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

21 prospered   

成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The organization certainly prospered under his stewardship. 不可否认，这个组织在他的管理下兴旺了起来。
• Mr. Black prospered from his wise investments. 布莱克先生由于巧妙的投资赚了不少钱。

22 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。