CHAPTER XIX. NELSON TO THE RESCUE.

 On the same evening that Gertrude visited Sam Pepper's establishment, Nelson, after closing up, determined¹ to run down and call upon the girl and tell her about the stand and how well they had done that day.

 

"She'll be pleased, I know," he told himself. "She wants me to make a man of myself."

 

Arriving at the tenement² house, he ascended³ the stairs to Mrs. Kennedy's rooms and knocked upon the back door. To his surprise Gladys Summers, the flower girl, let him in.

 

"Hullo, Gladys! you here?" he said.

 

"Oh, Nelson! I thought it was Gertrude," answered the flower girl. "Did you bring her along?"

 

"Along? I haven't seen her."

 

"She went over to Sam Pepper's place to bring you here. Mrs. Kennedy is very sick, and we didn't know what to do."

 

"I haven't been to Sam's place. I left there[Pg 148] yesterday for good. What's the matter with the old lady?"

 

"Her rheumatism⁴ has got up around her heart, and she's very bad. I think she ought to have a doctor."

 

"She shall have one, Gladys. Was Gertrude going to get one?"

 

"No, she was going to get you to do that. She doesn't know anything of doctors down here, so she said."

 

"I'll have one here in a little while," said our hero, and ran down the stairs, two steps at a time.

 

Two blocks below the house there was a drug store, and a doctor had his office upstairs. The physician was in, and listened to what Nelson had to say.

 

"I'll go," he said. "But you know my terms to strangers."

 

"How much will the visit be?"

 

"A dollar."

 

"There's your money." And our hero handed it over.

 

The pair were soon at Mrs. Kennedy's bedside, and after an examination the doctor wrote out a prescription⁵ and Nelson had it filled at the drug store. The physician said he would call again the following afternoon.

 

"She's in a bad state," he said. "She has[Pg 149] likely had this rheumatism for years, and her age is against her."

 

"Don't you think she'll get over it?" asked our hero.

 

"I think she will. But she may be helpless for many weeks."

 

"It's hard luck. She hasn't any money."

 

"Then you had better send her to the hospital."

 

"No, she shall stay home, if she wants to," said Nelson. "I guess I and the rest can take care of her. She was always good to me and the others."

 

After the medicine had been administered and Mrs. Kennedy was a trifle easier, Nelson began to grow impatient that Gertrude had not yet returned.

 

"I guess I'll go out and hunt her up," he said to Gladys Summers. "Will you stay here?"

 

"Yes; I promised to stay all night, Nelson."

 

Our hero was soon in the street again and making his way rapidly over to the East Side in the direction of Sam Pepper's resort. It was now late, but this part of the city was still bustling⁶ with life. Yet to our hero's surprise, when he reached Pepper's place he found it locked up.

 

"Closed!" he muttered. "This is queer. I wonder where Gertrude went?"

 

He stood for a moment on the pavement, then went and rapped loudly on the glass of the door.

 

[Pg 150]

 

For a minute there was no response, then, as he rapped again, Sam Pepper appeared. His face fell when he lifted a door shade and saw our hero.

 

"What do you want now?" he growled⁷, as he opened the door for a space of several inches.

 

"Was that young lady over here to find me?" asked our hero.

 

"Nobody here to see you," answered Sam Pepper gruffly.

 

"She wasn't? Why, she started for here."

 

"I haven't seen anybody. Is that all you want?"

 

"Yes. Why are you shut up so early?"

 

"I didn't feel very well and thought I'd go to bed and sleep it off," answered Pepper smoothly⁸. "I'm going back again. Good-night!"

 

"Then you haven't seen her at all?" persisted the newsboy.

 

"Haven't I told you so before? Now, don't disturb me again." And with this Sam Pepper slammed the door shut and locked it.

 

Nelson was nonplused, not so much by what Pepper had said as by the man's manner.

 

"He wanted to get rid of me in a hurry," he mused⁹. "Somehow, this affair doesn't look right to me."

 

While our hero was standing¹⁰ near the curb¹¹, speculating upon where next to look for Gertrude,[Pg 151] he was surprised to see Paul Randall come down the street.

 

"Why, Paul, how is it you are out so late?" he asked.

 

"Got stuck on some sporting extras and was bound to sell 'em," answered Paul. "Say, I hear you've bought out a stand."

 

"George Van Pelt¹² and I have bought out a stand."

 

"Hope you make lots of money. If you need a clerk, don't forget me."

 

"I won't forget you, Paul. We have a boy now who delivers papers for us. He talks of leaving. If he does, I'll let you know. But, I say, have you been around here long?"

 

"Most all the evening."

 

"You know that young lady who is stopping with Mrs. Kennedy, don't you?"

 

"Yes. Gladys Summers calls her 'the angel,'" answered Paul readily. "She's a real lady, aint she, Nelson?"

 

"She is."

 

"I saw her go into Pepper's an hour or two ago."

 

"You did! I was going to ask you if you had seen her. You haven't made any mistake?"

 

"Not much! I'd know her in a whole city full—she's so sweet and beautiful."

 

[Pg 152]

 

"Did you see her come away?"

 

"No."

 

"Were you around so you could have seen her?"

 

"Yes; and I kept my eye on the door for almost an hour. I thought you might be with her."

 

"No; Sam Pepper and I have parted for good, Paul. I've got a room uptown, near the stand. I'd like to know what became of the young lady."

 

"If she came out, it must have been after I went away."

 

Paul knew that his mother, who was now getting better, would be anxious about him, so, without waiting longer, he hurried on. Nelson remained on the sidewalk, in deep thought.

 

Presently, as he was looking toward Sam Pepper's resort, he saw a corner of a curtain lifted and saw the man peer out at him. Then the curtain was dropped again.

 

"He's watching me," thought the newsboy. "Something is wrong here, and I know it. He and that Homer Bulson are friends, and Bulson is bound to make Miss Gertrude marry him. Perhaps they have hatched up some game against Miss Gertrude."

 

Not to make Sam Pepper more suspicious, Nelson walked briskly away, up the street. But at the first corner he turned, sped down the side[Pg 153] street, and then into the alleyway connecting with the rear of Pepper's resort.

 

It took him but a minute to ascertain¹³ that the shutters¹⁴ to the rear room were tightly closed, and held together by a wire bound from one catch to the other.

 

The shutters were solid, but near the tops were several round holes, put there for ventilating purposes.

 

Looking around our hero discovered an empty barrel, and standing on this he managed to look through one of the holes into the apartment.

 

He saw Gertrude sitting on a chair, the picture of misery¹⁵. The hot tears were flowing down her cheeks.

 

The sight went straight to his heart, and without waiting to think of results, he leaped from the barrel, pulled away the wire, and flung the shutters open. Then he lifted the window, which had been pulled down, but not fastened.

 

Gertrude heard the noise and leaped up in fresh alarm. But when she saw our hero she gave a cry of joy.

 

"Oh, Nelson! will you help me?" she gasped¹⁶.

 

"Certainly I'll help you, Miss Gertrude," he answered. "What are they doing—keeping you a prisoner here?"

 

"Something like that. Mr. Bulson was here[Pg 154] and went out to get a coach, so that he could take me away. Mr. Pepper is on guard in his saloon."

 

"Just come with me, and you'll be safe."

 

Gertrude came to the window, and Nelson helped her into the alleyway. Just as she leaped from the window Sam Pepper unlocked the door and opened it.

 

"Stop!" roared the man. "Stop, I say!"

 

"Don't stop!" said Nelson, and caught Gertrude by the hand. Dark as it was, the boy knew the narrow and dirty thoroughfare well, and soon led his companion to the street beyond. Pepper came as far as the window, and called after them once more, but did not dare to follow further.

 

STOP! ROARED THE MAN. STOP, I SAY

'STOP!' ROARED THE MAN. 'STOP, I SAY!'"

 

Nelson the Newsboy. —Page 154

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 tenement   

n.公寓；房屋

参考例句：

• They live in a tenement.他们住在廉价公寓里。
• She felt very smug in a tenement yard like this.就是在个这样的杂院里，她觉得很得意。

3 ascended   

v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He has ascended into heaven. 他已经升入了天堂。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The climbers slowly ascended the mountain. 爬山运动员慢慢地登上了这座山。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 rheumatism   

n.风湿病

参考例句：

• The damp weather plays the very devil with my rheumatism.潮湿的天气加重了我的风湿病。
• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。

5 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

6 bustling   

adj.喧闹的

参考例句：

• The market was bustling with life. 市场上生机勃勃。
• This district is getting more and more prosperous and bustling. 这一带越来越繁华了。

7 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》

8 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

9 mused   

v.沉思，冥想( muse的过去式和过去分词 )；沉思自语说（某事）

参考例句：

• \"I wonder if I shall ever see them again, \"he mused. “我不知道是否还可以再见到他们，”他沉思自问。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• \"Where are we going from here?\" mused one of Rutherford's guests. 卢瑟福的一位客人忍不住说道：‘我们这是在干什么？” 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

12 pelt   

v.投掷，剥皮，抨击，开火

参考例句：

• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。
• Crowds started to pelt police cars with stones.人群开始向警车扔石块。

13 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。

14 shutters   

百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门

参考例句：

• The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
• The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

15 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

16 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》