CHAPTER XXIV. A DECOY LETTER.

 One day Nelson was folding some evening papers at the stand when, on glancing up, he saw Homer Bulson standing¹ not far away eyeing him sharply².

 

"Hullo, what does he want now?" thought our hero.

 

Bulson waited until several customers had received papers and departed³, and then came closer.

 

"How is trade?" he asked, in as pleasant a voice as he could command.

 

"Very good," returned Nelson coolly.

 

"I presume⁴ you do better with the stand than you did selling papers on the street."

 

"Much better."

 

"I am glad to hear it."

 

To this Nelson made no reply, for he felt certain that Homer Bulson was playing the part of a hypocrite.

 

"He wants to find out about Gertrude," he told himself.

 

[Pg 184]

 

"How is Miss Horton making out these days?" went on the young man.

 

"She is doing nicely."

 

"Is she working?"

 

"She gives piano lessons."

 

"Humph! she can't make much at that."

 

"She make enough to keep her."

 

"If she wouldn't be so headstrong she might have a comfortable home without working."

 

"She intends to do as she pleases," replied Nelson sharply. "And she doesn't ask you for advice."

 

"Where is she living now?"

 

"You'll have to find that out for yourself."

 

"Her uncle wants to know."

 

"Then let him write to her and address the letter to the general post-office."

 

"Does she go there for her letters?"

 

"No; somebody goes for her."

 

At this Homer Bulson bit his lip in increased vexation.

 

"What rot all this is!" he cried. "I'm not going to eat her up."

 

"You're right there," grinned Nelson. "We won't let you. The best you can do is to leave her alone. If you don't somebody will get hurt."

 

"Ha! do you threaten me?"

 

[Pg 185]

 

"You can take the warning as you please."

 

"Boy, you are a fool!"

 

"If I am, I am too smart a fool to be taken in by you, Mr. Homer Bulson."

 

"I want to help Miss Horton."

 

"You want to harm her, you mean."

 

"Then you won't tell me where she lives?"

 

"No. And let me add, if you find out and try to harm her you'll get hurt."

 

"Oh, you make me tired," muttered⁵ Bulson, and walked away.

 

Everything seemed to be against the young man, but two days later his luck—if such it can be called—changed.

 

He was walking along a fashionable side street, when on chancing to look ahead he saw Gertrude leave a house and hurry to the corner.

 

He started to follow her, but before he could reach her she had boarded a street car and was out of his reach.

 

Going back to the house he met a girl of twelve coming out on the stone stoop⁶.

 

"Good-afternoon," he said politely. "Am I right about seeing Miss Horton just coming from here?"

 

"You are," answered the girl. "She's just been giving me a music lesson."

 

[Pg 186]

 

"Oh, so she gives music lessons here. Does she teach anybody else in the neighborhood?"

 

"Yes; she teaches on the block above here and around on the avenue." And the girl gave the names and addresses.

 

Homer Bulson made a note of the names and addresses and walked off in high satisfaction.

 

"Now to work my little scheme," he said to himself.

 

Two days later he left New York and took a train at Jersey⁷ City for Lakewood, down in New Jersey.

 

At the fashionable resort⁸ he managed to find a house on the outskirts⁹ of the town. It was owned and kept by an old woman, who was more than half deaf.

 

To this old woman, whose name was Sarah Higgins, Bulson told a long story of a cousin who was a little crazy and who wanted absolute¹⁰ rest.

 

"She is harmless¹¹, excepting for her tongue," said Bulson. "I would like to bring her here for several months. If you will take her, I will give you twenty-five dollars a week for your trouble."

 

Sarah Higgins was a natural-born miser¹², and she readily¹³ consented¹⁴ to take the young lady and watch her.

 

[Pg 187]

 

"I've taken care of them as is out of their mind before," she said. "I know how to treat 'em."

 

Homer Bulson's next move was to write a long letter to Gertrude. This letter was signed with the name of a fashionable lady of society, and ran as follows:

 

"Dear Miss Horton: Perhaps you will be surprised to receive this from me, a stranger, but Mrs. Jackson has been speaking to me about you, and the good lessons you are giving her daughter Belle¹⁵.

 

"My husband used to know your father well, and the pair were warm friends, and he joins me in making this offer to you.

 

"I have three children, two girls and a boy, and I wish to obtain a music-teacher for them who will not only give lessons, but also take a personal interest in the little ones. There is nobody here at Lakewood who is suitable, and I wish to know if we cannot arrange to have you come down every Wednesday or Thursday? I will pay your carfare and give you five dollars per week for the lessons. Of course you can also have lunch with me.

 

"I think you will find this a good opening for you, and perhaps we can get you more pupils[Pg 188] here. Please call upon me next Wednesday afternoon, and we can then talk it over and complete arrangements.

 

"Yours truly, 

"Mrs. James Broaderick."

 

The letter came as a complete surprise to Gertrude, and she scarcely¹⁶ knew what to make of it.

 

Of course, as was natural, she felt much pleased. A trip to Lakewood each week would be delightful¹⁷, and five dollars would add quite something to her income.

 

The letter reached her on Tuesday morning, so she had not long to consider it. That noon she met Gladys and told her she was going to Lakewood on business the following morning, on the early train.

 

"Lakewood!" cried the flower girl.

 

"Yes. What makes you look so surprised, Gladys?"

 

"I didn't think you'd leave New York."

 

"I shall only be gone for the day. There is a lady there who wants me to give lessons to her three children."

 

"Oh!"

 

"She will pay well, and the trip each week will be quite an outing."

 

[Pg 189]

 

"It will be cold traveling this winter, I'm thinking."

 

"Lakewood is a famous winter resort now. The hotels are fine, so I've been told."

 

"Does the lady live at a hotel?"

 

"No; she has a private cottage near by—so her letter says."

 

"Well, I wish you luck," said Gladys, and so the pair parted.

1 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。

2 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

3 departed   

a.(委婉的说法)已死的

参考例句：

• your dear departed brother 你挚爱的亡兄
• He departed from the text to tell an anecdote. 他偏离课文讲起了一则轶事。

4 presume   

vt.姑且认定，假定，推测，认为是理所当然；vi.假设，越权行事

参考例句：

• We mustn't presume too much upon the reliability of such sources.我们不应过分指望这类消息来源的可靠性。
• You had better presume no such thing.你最好不要这样设想。

5 muttered   

轻声低语，咕哝地抱怨( mutter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He muttered a curse at the other driver. 他低声咒骂另一位开车的人。
• She turned away and muttered something unintelligible. 她转向一旁，嘴里不知咕哝些什么。

6 stoop   

n.佝偻，屈服；v.弯下，弯下上身，屈服

参考例句：

• It pains me to stoop down.痛得我蹲下来。
• He has to stoop to get through the tunnel.他得弯下腰走过地道。

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

8 resort   

n.凭借，手段，常去之地，胜地；vi.求助，诉诸，采取（某种手段等），常去

参考例句：

• He couldn't have passed the exam without resort to cheating.他要不是靠作弊是通不过这次考试的。
• Beidaihe is noted for its summer resort.北戴河以避暑胜地而著称。

9 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

10 absolute   

adj.十足的；绝对的；不受任何限制的

参考例句：

• The first year of the course was an absolute doddle.第一年的课程简单极了。
• I look upon this as an absolute necessity.我认为这是绝对必要。

11 harmless   

adj.无害的，无恶意的

参考例句：

• This experiment was harmless to the animals.这个试验不会对动物造成伤害。
• He was a harmless sort.他是一个不怀恶意的人。

12 miser   

n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly)

参考例句：

• The miser doesn't like to part with his money.守财奴舍不得花他的钱。
• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。

13 readily   

adv.欣然地，容易地，很快地，立即

参考例句：

• I promise all costs will be readily returned.我保证所有的费用会迅速偿还。
• Most plastics do not readily conduct heat or electricity.大多数塑料不易传热或导电。

14 consented   

v.同意( consent的过去式和过去分词 )；赞成；允许；顺从

参考例句：

• My parents have consented. 我父母已经同意了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her father reluctantly consented to the marriage. 她父亲勉强地答应了这桩婚姻。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 belle   

n.靓女

参考例句：

• She was the belle of her Sunday School class.在主日学校她是她们班的班花。
• She was the belle of the ball.她是那个舞会中的美女。

16 scarcely   

adv.几乎不，简直没有，勉强

参考例句：

• He found the dullness of his work scarcely bearable.他觉得他的工作枯燥乏味，简直无法忍受。
• She scarcely earns enough money to make ends meet.她几乎挣不到足够的钱以维持开支。

17 delightful   

adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的

参考例句：

• We had a delightful time by the seashore last Sunday.上星期天我们在海滨玩得真痛快。
• Peter played a delightful melody on his flute.彼得用笛子吹奏了一支欢快的曲子。