His agency in kidnapping little Carrie having become known, he was arrested, and brought before a justice. The magistrate4 sentenced him to a month’s imprisonment5, assuring him that when it was over it would not be expedient6 for him to visit the neighborhood again. The savage7 endured his imprisonment with the stoicism characteristic of his race, and on the day of his release departed, and was not seen again in Brookville.
On the day succeeding Carrie’s adventure, Mr. Taylor said to Julius, “I shall to-day place to your credit in the savings8 bank two hundred and fifty dollars, in acknowledgment of your service in rescuing my little girl, though it involved risk to yourself.”
“Thank you, sir,” said Julius, gratefully; “but I don’t think I deserve so much.”
“Let me be the judge of that.”
“Abner did as much as I.”
“Abner will not go unrewarded. I shall deposit a similar sum in the bank for him.”
“Then, sir, I can only thank you for your kindness. I hope I shall deserve it.”
“I hope and believe you will,” said his patron, warmly. “Only keep on as you have begun, and you will win the respect and good-will of all.”
Though Julius said little, this commendation gave him great satisfaction. Little more than a year before he had been a poor and ignorant street boy, the companion of two burglars, with no prospects11 in life except to grow up in ignorance, and perhaps vice9. To-day he was a member of a family of social position, as well educated as most boys of his age, with every encouragement to keep on in the right path, worth three hundred dollars in money, and with a prosperous future before him.
“How fortunate I am,” he thought. “It was a lucky thing for me when I made up my mind to come out West.”
But his good fortune was not exhausted12. One morning, a few months later, Mr. Taylor called him back as he was leaving the breakfast table.
“Julius,” he said, “I want to speak to you on a matter of business.”
“Yes, sir,” said Julius, inquiringly.
“You have three hundred dollars in the savings bank.”
“It is more now, sir, as some interest was added in January.”
“Very true. Now, I am going to give you some advice about investing it.”
“I shall be very glad to follow your advice, Mr. Taylor.”
“This is what I have in view: You know Mr. Cathcart’s place, about a mile from here?”
“Yes, sir.”
“There is a small house and barn on the place, and about ten acres of land are connected with it. He is anxious to sell, as he has had a very good offer of employment in Minnesota. Now, I advise you to buy the place. It is sure to rise in value on account of its location. I should not be surprised if it doubled in value in five years.”
“But,” said Julius, rather bewildered, “he won’t sell for three hundred dollars, will he?”
“No, probably not,” answered Mr. Taylor, smiling.
“That is all the money I have.”
“He asks fifteen hundred dollars, which is cheap for it, in my opinion.”
“Then I don’t see how I can buy it.”
“Suppose he should be willing to take three hundred dollars down, and the remainder at the end of a few years, you paying the interest in the meantime.”
“Yes, I see,” said Julius.
“The twelve hundred dollars would be secured by a mortgage, which you would eventually pay off.”
Here Mr. Taylor explained to Julius, whose knowledge of real estate transactions was limited, the nature of a mortgage, and the laws relating to it.
“I should like to buy it, if you think best,” said our hero, at length.
“Then I will arrange matters, as your guardian13. By the time you are twenty-one, you will, I venture to say, be worth quite a little property.”
“But what shall I do with the place?” asked Julius. “I can’t go to live there.”
“You may as well defer14 that till you are married,” said Mr. Taylor; a suggestion which made Julius smile. “The proper course is to find a tenant15 for it. The rent will enable you to pay taxes and the interest on the mortgage, and probably yield you a profit beside. Even if not, you will be richly repaid in time by the increased value of the property.”
No time was lost in effecting this transaction, as Mr. Cathcart was anxious to leave Brookville as soon as possible. The money was drawn16 from the savings bank, and almost before he knew it Julius found himself the owner of a house and outbuildings, and ten acres of land. He went out to see it, and it gave him a peculiar17 feeling to think that he, late a ragged18 New York street boy, was now the proprietor19 of a landed estate.
“I wonder what Jack20 and Marlowe would say if they knew it,” he thought. “It would make Marlowe mad, I know. He never at any time liked me very much, and now he hates me bad enough, I am afraid.”
A week after the property passed into our hero’s hands, a respectable-looking man called at Mr. Taylor’s door. He was a young mechanic, a carpenter, who had recently established himself in Brookville.
“Take a seat, Mr. Brown,” said Mr. Taylor, politely.
“I came on a little business,” said the young man. “I would like to hire the Cathcart place. I hear you are the purchaser.”
“You are perfectly21 right, Mr. Brown,” said Mr. Taylor. “I purchased it, but it was in behalf of my ward10 Julius, here. You will have to speak to him about hiring it.”
“Indeed!” said the young man. “I hope,” turning to Julius, “you won’t object to me as a tenant.”
“I have so little experience as a landlord,” said Julius, laughing, “that I don’t quite know what to say. What rent are you willing to give?”
“I could afford to pay ten dollars a month.”
“That is a fair price, Julius,” said Mr. Taylor.
“Then I shall be glad to accept your offer,” said Julius. “You can move in as soon as you please.”
“That is satisfactory. I hope you will find me a desirable tenant.”
“And I hope you will find me a good landlord,” said Julius.
“I think we shall agree pretty well,” said the young man. “After we get settled, we shall be glad to receive a visit from our landlord.”
Julius laughingly agreed to call.
“It seems like a joke,” he said afterward22 to Mr. Taylor, “my being a landlord. I don’t know how to act.”
“I hope it will prove a profitable joke, Julius,” said Mr. Taylor. “I have reason to think it will.”
“I think I will write to Mr. O’Connor and tell him how I am getting along,” said Julius.
“Do so,” said Mr. Taylor.
Julius wrote that very day, not without pride and satisfaction.
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收听单词发音
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1
procuring
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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2
incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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3
proceeding
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| n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报 | |
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4
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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5
imprisonment
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| n.关押，监禁，坐牢 | |
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6
expedient
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| adj.有用的，有利的；n.紧急的办法，权宜之计 | |
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7
savage
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| adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人 | |
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8
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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9
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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10
ward
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| n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开 | |
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11
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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12
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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13
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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14
defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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15
tenant
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| n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用 | |
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16
drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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17
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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18
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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19
proprietor
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| n.所有人；业主；经营者 | |
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20
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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21
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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22
afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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